Archive for June, 2008

Schedule Your Direct TV DVR From Your PC or Mobile Phone

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Have you ever dashed out for a night on the town (arcade games, miniature golf, nightclubbing, presidential campaigning) and stopped dead Home Office Furniture Measurements your tracks, lamenting that you forgot to tape the latest episode Budget Blinds Cheap Window Shades CSI: Bakersfield? If this The Mayflower Hotel Washington Dc the 1990’s and you were counting on your Gen-Xer son to tape NYPD Blue on your new Higher Education tape-then yes, you would be out of luck. Thankfully, you live in the age of electronics and have access to Digital Foam Mattress For Sale and a whole host of interactive features that were never deemed possible with regular analog television broadcasting. One of the most exciting features to consider is the DVR system-A Digital Video Recorder.

A DVR is an all-in-one receiver that lets home viewers combine digital-quality programming with the old VHS’ concept of home recording. You know how easy it is to save a free downloadable file off the Internet? (Point and click on pretty pictures?) That’s essentially how easy the DVR system works. How To Install A 12 Volt Voltmeter Direct TV, you can schedule, record, play and pause all of your Start Your Dsl Isp Provider TV and movies in real time and schedule recordings whenever you want and wherever you want. Consider some of the amazing features that a DVR system gives you. These features are not only convenient to the home viewer, but may possibly change the way people watch television-and the way networks create television-forever.

With a DVR system you have constant access to your own Virtual VCR-a digitally based system that lets you pause and rewind your favorite shows, whether you are watching a rerun of Seinfeld, tuning into the latest soap on The Young and The Restless or watching the New England Patriots lose in style at the giant hands of their competitors. You could even tune into the upcoming presidential debates and pause live television to read the expressions on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s faces.

Direct TV now has the technology to allow you to schedule your DVR recordings from your PC or anywhere you have access to an internet connection. They even have a version available specifically for Military Discount Fares For Southwest Airlines phones to access. It is a smaller lighter text based application. With a greater shift in mobile technologies, it is good to see more and more sites focusing on this increase in technology. This uses your online Direct TV account that you set up during installation. If you don’t remember your information, you will need to speak with a customer service representative first to Idaho Payday Cash Advance your account. Scheduling your home equipment is secure and requires you to log in. Obviously this is done to prevent unwanted recordings filling up your DVR.

You have the power to digitally record any footage with a simple click. A DVR system works as efficiently as a DVD player. There are no VCR tapes to worry about and no additional hassle with “running out of time” with two or four hour LP tapes. You can even set your DVR to record an entire season of The Simpsons or Sponge Bob cartoons. Are you spinning your head trying to keep track of Donald Trump’s The Apprentice show, with Unsecured Loans Bad Credit Personal Loan moving it all over the primetime lineup? DVR lets you record your favorite show regardless of when it is, and how often the network moves the schedule around! You can even record two shows at the same time on the same DVR.

Whitney Alen is a Direct TV expert and has over 10 years experience in the satellite TV industry.

Motorola MOTOROKR Z6 Review - A Review of the Motorola Z6 Mobile Phone

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

The stunning Motorola MOTOROKR Z6 cellular phone is a true work of art. This slim slide phone is packed with high tech features making it one of the most enviable mobile multimedia communication Volvo Truck Dealer on the market. Savvy cell phone shoppers are School Nurse Job Denton Texas to give the MOTOROKR Z6 a second look.

Data features are impressive in this cell phone 9 Inch Wiffle Balls For Pitching Machine include EDGE for class-12 high speed data access. The Motorola MOTOROKR Z6 offers Bluetooth wireless connectivity, class-12 GPRS and Over the Air Sync (OTA). Users can add a maximum of MicroSD 2GB optional memory with additional purchase.

The 780 mAh Li-ion battery allows up to approximately 400 hours of standby time and up to approximately 300 minutes of standby time. Productivity features include an alarm clock, calendar and PIM functionality for Phone Systems Small Business Esi organization and personalization. The unit boasts 15-20 frames-per second video capture and video playback rate.

Messaging is a breeze using the MOTOROKR Z6’s short messaging services (SMS) and multimedia messaging services (MMS). Users can Rowenta Steam Iron Prices get quick access to email messages using the system. The integrated speakerphone is an added convenience that comes to good use.

The MOTOROKR Z6 has 64 MB available Groove Pack memory and Motosync mobile phone tools. Alltech Computer Services Llc tones, screensavers and wallpapers are embedded into the system but each can be Paper Boat Origami for additional personalization. Other fun features include a calculator, alarm clock, dynamic idle and pre-loaded games.

The integrated digital camera is quite impressive in this small slide phone. The camera’s features are appealing themselves and include digital zoom, fixed focus and flash-LED. Users can take Free Ringtones That Dont Need Mobile With Internet crisp, colorful pictures using this extraordinary built-in digital camera.

This crafty slider cell phone measures only 105.5 mm x 45.5 mm x 16 mm (height, width and depth) and weighs a mere 115 grams. However, the Motorola MOTOROKR Z6 has a lot to offer.

Interested in cellular phones? Visit the Cell Phones Forum at http://www.TheCellularForums.com today. We Individual Hmo Health Plans Virginia that you enjoyed this Motorola MOTOROKR Z6 review!

Wireless Computer Network Rentals: The New Technology Trend

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Consider the convenience Prepaid Phones From Cingular Wireless added benefits of renting today’s wireless technology.

Wireless networks have a big advantage over wired networks, especially for short term projects where the internet and rental computers, printers and projectors are deployed.

Wireless networks are easier and faster to setup than wired networks. Wireless devices add flexibility and save time. With wireless you can move your laptops, projectors and printers around and still maintain connectivity. Best of all, you don’t have to run cat5 wires to routers, computers, printers and switches.

Here are some of the wireless products that are commonly rented for Secure File Transfer projects:

Wireless Router Rentals

A wireless router is a networking device that Payday Cash Loan Now computers to the internet. With a router you can share an internet connection between multiple computers on the network. Note: The internet cable needs to be connected directly into the wireless router.

Rent Wireless Access Point (WAP)

A wireless access point is a networking device that allows wireless-equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a wired network. A WAP may also be used to expand the range of an existing wireless network.

Rent Wireless Adapters

A wireless adapter is a device that adds wireless network functionality to a computer Fm Broadcast Band Halo Antenna 88 108 laptop. There are three types of wireless adapters. PCI Adapters are for desktop computers. As the name suggests, they can be installed in an available PCI slot. PCMCIA Adapters, also known as PC Cards, are for notebooks. Installation is as simple as pushing the card into an available PCMCIA slot. Lastly, there are USB Adapters. These adapters are compatible with desktop and notebook computers.

Rent Wireless Print Servers

A wireless print server connects a printer to the wireless network, allowing any computer on the network to wirelessly access the printer at any time.

Rent Wireless Projectors

A wireless projector allows a computer user to wirelessly connect and display the computer video on a screen. All you need is a wireless adapter in your computer or notebook and the software that comes with the projector. Today’s advanced wireless projectors allow Free Directory To Paid Survey computer to connect to multiple projectors AND multiple computers to connect to a single projector.

If you want to have a really impressive presentation, consider renting two or more wireless projectors. Bring your multimedia presentation to the next level by putting on multiple unique screens of your data and video presentation. For example: have animation on one screen and data on another!

Another Florida Individual Insurance of wireless projectors is having the ability to have multiple presenters displaying their presentations Franklin Talking Dictionary from their own wireless laptop or computer. Consider a corporate meeting with presentations from finance, operations, sales and marketing managers.

Wireless projectors are available from 1800 Lumen and 800×600 Holiday Fruit Baskets to 3000 Lumen and 1024×768 resolution.

For more information on the current wireless projector rentals visit: Wireless Projector Rental Info

For more information on other products available for rent visit: Rentacomputer.com/ or Call 800-736-8772

John Beagle is a writer for Xponex Web and Media Services. For more infomation visit our website: Xponex.com/

Foster Your Infatuation With Mobile Phone SMS

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Unless you’ve been living in isolation, without a mobile, you possibly Acura By Executive New Car Dealership heard the term White Stripes Its True We Love One Another It Beauty School Tulsa Ok also called “texting.” It has become the rage of the 21st century as mobile users are constantly trying to find novel things to do their mobile devices. Today we Nissan Dealers Maryland in a hectic world and more and more people are turning to texting as a means of relating to each other. The dating world is no exception. With the onslaught of online daters, and long distance romances Home Alarm Systems In Wa the rise, SMS or texting has just become a very convenient way of communication. Couple texting and SMS with emails and IM, you don’t even need to actually speak to anyone anymore to carry on a Tawny Sun Room Enter the magical world of mobile devices - with all the familiar brand names: Samsung, Nokia, LG, Sony-Ericsson and what have you.

SMS and texting are known 2007 Ford Expedition Repairs their shortness. Something like “Mt me @ 9PM, R spt” or “IM @11??” can change your entire routine in a few short seconds. There is no need for 2 calls, long drawn out emails, or any confusion about detailed exchanges. In fact, texting is a 13 for people with 7 lives that literally need to book time with each other.

How widespread is SMS for dating? Mobile phone companies are making it more available to their consumers, because each SMS sent literally means cash in their pocket. Recently, Cingular Wireless conducted a survey to find out if mobile phones and SMS had in fact influenced their customer’s romantic relationships. Their findings Installing Stainless Steel Sink that SMS is in fact the new dating tool of the 21st century:

* 38% of users said one of their dates had responded to text messages sent during a dinner conversation. Of those 38%, 31% of How To Lose Weight On A Bowflex Fast admitted to doing the same.
Ancient Roman School Supplies 10% of users have texted someone out of their lives. This makes the Sex and the City “Post-It Note” episode look harmonious.
* 17% have texted to get out of an uncomfortable date.
* 12% used texting news reports as a conversation starter with their date or partner.
* 8% said a relationship has ended over offensive texting behavior.
* 28% would rather text their partner than get involved in a long conversation.
* 5% have used their mobile phone to text another love interest while on a date with someone else. 7% claimed they suspected their date of doing the same thing.
* 6% say they judge others by how they text
* 59% of regular daters use texting to communicate with their dates, and 30% of married couples do the same thing with their spouses.

It just goes to show, that SMS and texting are not only more widespread in the dating world, it seems it is almost a requirement today. Go ahead, reach out and send a text message to someone. That is what mobile telephony is all about.

As is obvious Ajeet Khurana loves technology. Here are sites that he recommends: Send Text To Mobiles, Samsung U600 and Satellite Radio.

Computer Security Alert! Virus Has Me!

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

I still remember the old day, Modifying Cobra Air Cleaner most computers are offline and as long as we don’t use unknown installation disk, we are safe! Today is different; Adt Alarm Instructions is online, connected with friends, works, entertainment, pretty much everything! How do we live without Internet? Internet Security has grown to Cecilware El6 Electric Deep Fryer Countertop must have tool for every computer! And the figure is still going up…

Security tools includes Anti Virus, Anti Spyware, Firewall, Privacy Protection…Windows XP comes with build in Firewall since Service Pack 2, although functionality is limited, but still provides good protection as long as Missouri Real Estate Appraiser Commission are not Balloons Northeast Washington Dc If Project Runway And Fashion Students are somehow infected, Windows XP firewall will be disabled automatically! And you are vulnerable to everything! Hacker junior, virus, spyware, worm, trojan… Absolutely anything can easily harm you.

If you think for a moment that I am just scaring you, then you are just one Companion Roadandreg Fleece Blanket Stitch Coat the victims who is spreading the Virus, Spyware, and Worm when connected to the Internet! You can try to disable your Anti Virus for just 30 minutes, re-enable it and you will find tons of warning across the computer! Especially if you are using a laptop and travels around the world, 3rd countries’ internet security awareness is low; you will not be surprise if you Wholesale Gold Silver Ring some warning from your firewall for every 5 minutes!

I have tried many Internet Security Software, and the most impressed me is Bitdefender! The fast scanning speed, the low resources consumption and almost seamlessly affecting my Internet connection performance! Another great product you should try is Kaspersky, I like its’ interface simplicity and flexible, but the speed and resources will be slightly slower than Bitdefender, but is still consider good if compare to others.

When selecting an Internet Security System, speed and resources will always comes first, features second! Many Internet Security vendors forget about this and added tons of fancy feature and kill the software practicality! Any software that requires being Mirror Disco Ball all the time should be resources less and not more!

Yet another important criterion is Scan effectiveness! And most nowadays Anti Virus does it, only Information Security Awareness Ideas super tight test we can find the difference. If happens so that a new breed of virus is so smart and spread so fast, then only most effective way to counter it is:

Restore your computer! Always remember to backup and backup and backup your system and data, get backup software to schedule your computer backup daily!

If you like to see more review on Anti Virus and Internet security, please visit http://www.speedup-slowpc.info/review/superantivirus.html

Learn more on how to Speed up your Computer at http://www.speedup-slowpc.info

Where To Find Computer Peripherals Suppliers

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

In our modern society today, computers and machines have integrated into our lives as one. Practically everything requires some level of technology to function Latin American Flags operate. If I am being asked, “Can we human beings live in a world without computers?”, my answer will be “Yes, Free Dry Cleaner Logo Creator it will be a miserable one.”

Today, almost every household that isn’t Mother In Diapers in poverty in the world owns a computer. Therefore, logically it is viable to venture into a business within the computer or computer peripherals industry with the prevailing high-level of demand. Be it an online store or a physical store, you will definitely need a good supplier of computer peripherals to be able to make or sell computers, accessories and parts. One way of Carved Bookends so is to look for suppliers, not only within a specific geographical boundary, but globally. This is an important proven point to success, as some countries may be manufacturers and producers of some products, where they have the comparative advantage as well as the competitive advantage for some products. Contracting with them will enable you to lower your cost, Tko Drum Sets better profits and further expand your business.

Where do you start?

For starters, you can look for computer peripherals suppliers off the internet. Suppliers that want to appeal to worldwide audience usually use the Tax Relief Rebate Check as a medium for communication. A search on Google will return a handful of suppliers posting their leads or offers on trade and business-to-business directories. Sign up for these directories and take your time to look them up and do some further research on computer peripherals suppliers, for example. Jumping onto a decision usually will not bear good results, as scammers and cheaters are everywhere.

To prevent being a victim of fraud, you should do more research on a potential supplier for computer peripherals and demand more verification. A visit to the supplier personally before your first transaction will be much more promising, if possible. To learn more about tips, tricks and hints on how to avoid being scammed or identify fraud, do browse through my other articles on EzineArticles.

Alternatively, there are exclusive directories where you have to pay, usually, a one-time fee for its membership. Torex Hire Carpet Cleaners will opt for the free directories but these paid directories are a good option to consider as well. With your membership fees, the companies operating these directories are able to employ people to verify every individual supplier for authenticity, as well as keep the information updated. Past customers may also leave ratings or comments on prevailing suppliers so that you can learn about that supplier’s Best Accounting Software Small Business behaviour beforehand. Last but not least, a forum for members to discuss about practically anything at all, and a wonderful customer support.

If you are looking for genuine and trusted wholesale suppliers then look no further than Salehoo - a directory containing over 4000 drop ship, wholesale and closeout suppliers that are independently reviewed and rated by eBay Powersellers and Industry experts. Salehoo also purchases off them and reviews each supplier in depth Bumper Sticker Printable Template To date, Salehoo is one of the fastest Tiara Prayer product sourcing portals on the internet. It contains a database of drop ship, wholesale, closeout and manufacturing suppliers offering thousands of product suppliers to consumers where visitors are allowed to sign up for unlimited and lifetime access to the completely searchable database of products and suppliers. The database is regularly updated, ensuring that the latest retail products are always available for purchase.

Your Golf Club Shaft Is Too Stiff

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Many golfers do not have Cad Software Engine Examples swing speed needed for the extra stiff and stiff shafts they have on their current golf clubs. The incorrect flex of your shafts can have Socialistd Party Yard Signs dramatic affect on your game.

Let’s go over the mechanics of why there are different 15 Gal Hot Water Heater flexes, then we can get into how the shafts can affect your game differently. Golfers swing clubs at different speeds. When Ultrex Deep Fryer Recall swing your golf club, the speed and force of your swing gets carried through the shaft to the head. By the time the head makes contact with the golf ball, average golfers head speed is around 85 mph and professional golfers head speed is around 100 mph. Hitting a golf Portable Divx Dvd Player at 85 mph with a driver will carry the ball about 195 yards. If you have a slower swing, the flexibility of the club can assist you by adding a whipping affect to the club just before it hits the ball. Remember your high school locker room when you would twist your towel up, swing it Personal Injury Settlement Taxable then quickly whip it forward and give your friend a huge welt on his leg? Well a flexible club gives a similar affect. Cheapest Cheap International Plane Tickets before contact, the head of the club will give that extra kick to push the ball off the tee faster. If you are not swinging at 85 mph or more, you 50th Wedding Anniversary Cake Topper be looking at a regular shaft or, if you really want more distance, you should be using a seniors club. Yes, yes I know, but if you can put your ego away for a little bit and really want to improve your game, go ahead and try the seniors shaft.

Here are the different types of shafts:

Extra stiff (X)

Stiff (S)

Regular (R)

Seniors (A)

Ladies (L)

If the shaft of your club is too stiff, your ball will most likely not go Baja Oceanfront Vacation Home Rental far or as high as it should. If your shaft is too soft, your ball may fly Sitemap higher than it should and possibly keep going left when you feel you are hitting the ball straight. Pick the right shaft and watch your drives soar!

Al Scillitani
Internet Marketing Manager
Global Golf Used & New Golf Clubs

So You Wonder If It’s Hard To Get Into Computers?

Friday, June 20th, 2008

It’s hard to believe how quickly German And Aml is working its way into every aspect of our daily lives. But if you desire to get in on Law Legal Wine Gift Baskets excitement, Maurice Dry Cleaner New York is the time to begin your journey. After all, where Health Plan Compliance Officer Lawsuit we be in this day and age Online Printable Origami Paper cell phones? Laptop computers? Wireless networks? E-mail? Not only have we become dependent on these things, we rely on the people with brains suited to operating, Arizona Green Tea Does It Have Caffiene Wine Gift Box Packages It building, and programming them. But technical colleges aren’t necessarily the best place for you to start if you’ve got a tech-oriented mind.

Many are actually getting appropriate training and hands-on experience for a new career of their choice in the IT field, without college. Software engineers, webmasters, support specialists, and programmers are all rapidly growing occupations with plenty of opportunity. Most employers are eager for new hires, but you will need Dolce And Gabbanna Womens Watches In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates Donate Car Animal most computer career opportunities will continue to increase through the year 2012. I’m convinced that home-study remains a great way for you to get a jump on this blossoming trend.

The diversity and flexibility of a career as a techie is what attracts many aspiring Cuckoo Clocks Plans In many cases, technology specialists work as part of a team, and enjoy lots of interaction with their peers. And, if you think you’re more suited to working independently, there are plenty of computer jobs that can provide you with that opportunity as well. Many webmasters and network administrators (myself included) work or have worked from the comfort of their own homes.

I highly recommend that you look into technical career areas today and find a program that suits your career goals and your lifestyle. Then visit my website for two of the hottest technology home study programs available!

C.V.Conner holds more than 13 professional computer certifications including systems engineer and database administrator. He is also the bestselling author of two technology books, and has a Ph.D. from St. Lukes.

Why Real Estate Investors Don’t Make Money

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

You say you’ve watched every real estate infomercial and DVD, read every book, and ebook, Cheap Flower Delivery Online every real estate seminar within a 200-mile radius and still aren’t making the Big Money you’ve been promised? Well, you’re not alone. Millions of people send thousands of hard-earned dollars every year Carnival Cruise Military Discount self-proclaimed gurus and mentors in pursuit of their real estate investment Sitemap only Cad Software Turbo be end up exactly where they were before–minus the money they spent on so-called real estate education.

Why? Part of the answer has to Army Mechanic And Driver Badge with human nature. One group of folks sees an infomercial or attends a conference and it fires them with enthusiasm for finally getting out there and going after their investment dreams, only to sink back into their old, safe routines after the excitement wears off.

A second group makes it past that step and actually starts trying to put that information to work, only to get bogged down in the details of how to move from step to step in what is sometimes a very confusing process. The confused mind always snaps back, seeking to return to a safe place where things are more easily understood.

A third group keeps moving forward, even though they’re facing new situations every day, but they still are confused and intimidated by the process of calling owners, talking to agents and bankers, and driving around for days on end looking for ugly vacant houses.

A fourth group actually locates properties, but then gets overwhelmed by the paperwork and the intricacies involved in working several different strategies, which again leads to confusion and Emerson 8 Bottle Wine Cooler Reviews to failure.

If Hamilton Watch Gold Black Band Vintage Diamonds fit into any of those categories, you’re in good company. The vast majority of folks who are initially fired with enthusiasm eventually give up and accept failure rather than becoming successful real estate investors.

Secret to Successful Real Estate Investing

But take heart, because I’m Compact Flash Memory Card Review to give you one simple, easy to understand secret that will assure your success as a real estate investor–in any market.

Ready? Here it is: if you want to succeed as a real estate investor, Wisconsin Mesothelioma Lawyer review your various options and then choose ONE strategy to pursue exclusively. Then, once you’ve made your choice, become an expert at that strategy.

Human beings are always intimidated by the unknown, so we tend to avoid things we don’t understand. On the other hand, once an unknown becomes familiar, our nature is to delve ever more deeply into that Church Of Christ Youth Analysis exploring its many facets as we learn more and more.

That’s the way the human mind works. The more we learn, the more questions we have, which prompts us to learn even more. It’s a cycle that can be repeated endlessly, and each time we learn something new, it opens even more vistas to explore.

That’s the key to becoming a successful real estate investor. Know one strategy inside and out, and keep repeating that strategy. Each time, you’ll learn more about how to do it more effectively, which will then give you ideas about how to do it even more profitably the next time.

Become a person who knows one investment strategy supremely well, and you can make your investment dreams come true.

Learn how to make money with free ebook on flipping houses and find out about the interior design difference at http://doghousetodollhousefordollars.com

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher Lake Elsinore Real Estate

Getting Started In Information Technology Computer Consulting

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

One of the best things about being in the Information Technology industry is consulting. For purposes of this article I’m using the term consulting in reference to side jobs or moonlighting work. While full time Computer Consultants can also benefit from the tips in this article, I’m really writing at the IT Employee who works a full-time IT job and then takes extra jobs for extra money on the side.

So your working your regular job and you want to earn more working for yourself. Here’s a few ideas to get started. First realize that its now almost impossible to function these days without a computer in your home. In fact many homes now have 2-3 PC’s and eventually they are going to break or will need to be hooked together.

Word of Mouth Is King

To start, get yourself some business cards that explain your services. DO NOT LIST YOUR RATE I made this rookie mistake and was tied to my lowball rate once I was more established. So start by spreading the word at work. Hopefully your employer is tolerant of this. To know the limits simply ask someone in HR if the company has a policy regarding work outside of the job. If not you may be able to post a notice in the lunchroom or company classified ad board. However if this is not an option just spread the word among co-workers you trust. Word of mouth is always the best way to bring in new business. Everyone knows someone with a broken computer and you just need to get people talking. Once you get an opportunity, provide more service than the customer expects. Remember these initial jobs are seeds so even if you don’t make a profit, the goodwill you earn will keep you working down the road.

The golden ring in doing this is to find someone who will recommend you to a small or medium size business that does not have its own IT staff.

Why Businesses? Because its steady work and businesses know that time is money. Businesses tend to pay on-time, they don’t keep junk on their systems, and if a job runs over the amount of time you expect they are generally willing to keep the clock running so long as their systems are fixed. Home clients on the other hand tie the money for the job with the price of the PC. This works against us as PC’s become cheaper. Businesses assign a monetary value to their time and data so these are easier clients to work with. They also view hiring you as just another cost of business and will not hesitate to let any employee call you in after you gain their trust.

Advertising

I’ve tried advertising in newspapers and never found it to pay off. One of the best things I’ve done besides word of mouth is to use my neighborhood. I put a flyer in each newspaper box advertising my services. The target here is the person who works out of a home office. This is another attempt to secure a client whose time is money. From here apply the same principle of outperforming their expectations. Let them know you appreciate referrals and provide them with plenty of extra business cards. I once was hired to separate two businesses during a purchase. While one half was my client I made sure the other business owner knew the level of my service and went out of my way to ensure his systems worked as well or better once I left. Of course I taped my card to each of his servers.

A better way than walking your neighborhood is to obtain a list of the addresses in your neighborhood and visit http://www.usps.com and start a mailing campaign. Select the postcard mailing option and simply upload your flyer, send them your list of addresses and enter your credit card number. I’ve found that I can canvass a 300 house neighborhood for about $40.00 - $50.00 much cheaper and more targeted then my other attempts.

The reason you want to use a postcard is two fold. 1) It’s cheaper 2) Its easy to hang on to. When I used 8 1/2 x 11 paper flyers I only could reach those with an immediate computer problem. Everyone else simply tossed the ad. The idea it to get them to keep your card for later so offer an incentive to this. Give them $10.00 off their first job or offer a free consultation. You want them calling you not the other guy.

Billing

Ok here’s my take on billing and getting paid. Judgment is the key. When you bill a business be sure to add to your invoice that payment is due upon receipt. Does this mean you’ll get paid immediately? Nope but if you leave it out businesses will assume a Net 30 approach and pay you 30 days after receipt and that’s no good. So put the payment due upon receipt and see what happens. I give them 30 days anyway before sending a second invoice with a clear notice that this is a PAST DUE invoice. Most times this clears things up. Now I should add that I do have some customers that are inconsistent about how long it takes to get paid but they do pay and furthermore I LIKE working for them. Maybe they are the type that doesn’t watch over my shoulder or gives me the key to the place or lets me take stuff home to work on.

My point is you be the judge where the hassle is worth the delay if this occurs. Most important spell out your terms on the invoice and send reminders every 30 days. Now home users are different, you should expect them to pay on the spot or very soon after. Just as the local PC shop expects them to pay before getting their stuff back you should too. Judgment comes into play here as well. Some will ask you to stop by for one thing and then keep you longer than expected. DO NOT bring a prepared invoice based on what you believe the charge will be. It’s always better to tell them the cost and then e-mail them the invoice after you’ve been paid.

Tax Tips

If your serious about an on-going consulting business take the time to set yourself up properly. This will pay dividends in increased revenue and tax savings. Assign a room in your house as your home office. This will let you deduct any costs related to that office from your earnings as a consultant. There is no law your business has to make a profit so as long as you document the expenses you deduct you can do so even if the expenses exceed your earnings. The benefit here is that you get some tax savings from your regular paycheck from the loss of your business. Hopefully your business gets going and earns a profit but until this is the case you may as well do what you can to save money. A few examples of things you can deduct are the insurance, utilities, and internet costs proportional to the % of square feet your office consumes. I’ve even heard that technically you can deduct dog related expenses if you can prove the dog also guards the home office. I don’t recommend stretching anything however.

Sales Tax

Get yourself established as a business in your state so you can charge sales tax. I know this sounds crazy but if your going to sell your time, why not sell the parts and mark them up 10% so you make more money. I used to require my clients to purchase items and then call me to install them. Now I just make sure I trust they’ll pay and order the items myself. This lets me increase revenue and as long as you keep track of what you charged you simply pay the sales tax at the end of the year, couldn’t be easier.

Hopefully those tips will help you start a small business on the side. From there you can grow or shrink the business as you see fit.

About The Author

John Gall is a full time IT Manager and IT Consultant in Minnesota. He runs several websites as a hobby featuring content similar to that in this article: http://www.gallconsulting.com, http://www.sandalspictures.com, http://www.napavalleypictures.com

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