Does anyone have suggestions for how to figure out content creation rates? My (delightful, snarky) dentist is hiring me to write all the content for his new website, and I have no idea what the going rate for that sort of work is.

I don't have any idea, Jilli.

So today is the break the dam day, apparently. All the (many many) projects that have been sitting there waiting for me to get through my last whack of data entry are now flooding through. So I feel like I'm accomplishing a ton of shit today, when really it's the culmination of weeks of work. But still! I will take a productive feeling day when I can get one!

The big deal is that we're getting trained on our remote deposit unit tomorrow, which, if successful, will mean I can leave BoA for our local, and still be able to make deposits on the road. Including, for purely hypothetical example, this next month of fundraising and holiday travel. AND this next summer, because we have booked a camp! Yay!

We still have the big issue of what to do with the dog. I'm not sure where we're staying (their missionary cabin is under construction, and the couple's home in which we stayed last time has left the camp because of cancer) so it will depend on that, I guess, but yay for potential big summer fundraiser out of the way!

If you're not using Microsoft Project to track and plan your projects, what do you use? If it's another app in the Office suite, are there specific templates you're using, or something pretty simple?

I'm trying to use swimlanes for two things: First is to see multiple project schedules side by side (column is project, row is day, task written in the cell) so I can tell if two projects are trying to do things on the same day that can't happen, and the second is one worksheet per project--rows are still days, but columns are resources (usually people, not items).

It lacks the ability of Project to do resource levelling, but I found I just could not model reality usefully enough, plus Project just seems to be fighting back more and more these days. I do miss not being able to have all the other dates move when something in the critical path is adjusted, but for legibility in a simpler project, it might be worth it.

So..how are you guys managing that sort of task?

I can't help with ita's question but does anyone here design print ads, because I need help with two. Profile addy is good. (I'm being brief because I'm holding a sleeping Sammy and typing with my left had.)

Eta: when I say help, I mean the kind of help you pay for, not the take advantage kind.

Yeah, I finally gave up with Project, but sadly, because gantt charts are my friend. But I haven't replaced it with anything. It's just me I'm scheduling anyway.

Aww, Sammy. I don't do design, but I have a great graphic designer based in Kansas I'd be happy to send your way. But I have no idea what her commercial rates are, since I never pay her!

That would be great Liese.

I don't do the graphic design part, Stephanie, but if you need copywriting or proofing, let me know. (VERY reasonable rates, since I need more copywriting in my portfolio; market here FLOODED with agency lay-offs.)

And I know law lingo and ad psychology, just sayin'!

Okay, insent, Stephanie!

Hey, so ita ! was asking over in Bureaucracy where non-business-owners could go to talk about work stuff. I said I thought it would be fine here. I'll quote below her inquiry. What say you all?

The Buffista Business thread is for people who are or run their own businesses.

Where should I post (I'm assuming Natter will be the first answer, but is it the best) about being good at work. And I mean that across a wide range of works.

I might be needing another way to present a 2-page weekly status report for someone else to present to management. Or someone needs to know that trick for Outlook (you know, the way that makes it not suck?--I KEED I KEED). Talk about if certifications improve your resumes in give industries...that sort of stuff could be stultifyingly boring in Natter, out of place in Business, because it's explicitly called out as for business owners only.

I cheated--I really do want that perfect 2 page status report format, and I even have ideas to bring to the table! Status reports of any sort--I'm looking for templates, and can share examples. Never mind--how do you make Project your bitch...and should you have to? Do you apply the Zero Inbox thing to your professional mail? How's that working out for you? GTD in general? Productivity tools?

Some of us drones need help to, even though do report up to someone/thing.

As I said over yonder, I think it'd fit right in.