There are no absolutes. No right and wrong. Haven't you learned anything working for the Powers? There are only choices.

Jasmine ,'Power Play'


Buffista Business Talk: I wanted simple, I wanted in-and-out, I wanted easy money.

A virtual watercooler where Buffistas in business can talk, share, exchange, bemoan, exult and assorted other power verbs associated with all areas of running/starting up a business. For existing or potential Buffista business owners of all types. Spamming is NOT ON. A list of our Buffista owned businesses is on our links page.


NoiseDesign - Mar 11, 2013 3:57:41 pm PDT #1102 of 1416
Our wings are not tired

Yeah. I feel your pain.


Java cat - Apr 01, 2013 11:08:37 am PDT #1103 of 1416
Not javachik

This is where there are people for hire, right? I'm thinking about having someone do some quick-and-dirty Photoshop stuff for me because I don't know how to and don't really want to learn it. What would it cost to send someone a bunch of photos of my back yard and have that person paste various shots of different kinds of building materials shopped as retaining walls in various locations? I'd take the photo with string or whatever outlining the retaining wall area, and could send either photos of the materials I'm interested in seeing or references. If they look like a middle schooler cut and pasted them with scissors and glue, that's totally fine. I knew that I couldn't visualize construction things and now that I have two retaining walls where it is now obvious one would have been fine if I'd only been able to visualize it first, I'd like to try photoshop first for the rest of the hardscaping.


EpicTangent - Apr 01, 2013 12:28:36 pm PDT #1104 of 1416
Why isn't everyone pelting me with JOY, dammit? - Zenkitty

Strix's friend 'shopped my graduation photos (50% fewer chins!) for about a buck a minute (30 minutes labor, 2 photos, the easy one 10 min, the trickier one 20). But I think that must have been the friend-of-a-friend rate. Everyone else I checked with was WAY pricier, seems like nobody would even boot up their computer for less than 150-200ish.

eta: But that was very professional work. Maybe someone around here might have better help for quick 'n' dirty. Ginger was kind enough to take a pass at my photos first, but my linebacker neck defeated her, so I had to go pro.


Java cat - Apr 04, 2013 9:39:17 pm PDT #1105 of 1416
Not javachik

Good to know, thanks.


NoiseDesign - Apr 17, 2013 2:33:44 pm PDT #1106 of 1416
Our wings are not tired

Today is just a day for things being a pain.

I get it, my business is not run of the mill, but still, it shouldn't be this hard to maintain my general liability insurance. It seems that every couple of years whoever is my current underwriter decides that they really don't understand what my company does and they decide to not renew the policy. Now keep in mind, that I always pay on time and have never had a single claim. I'm in the midst of that right now, my current coverage won't be renewed next month and my agent is working on new underwriting and I'm in the middle of answering a seemingly endless list of questions about the business. I know it has to be done, and I am all for having full insurance coverage, but I'm just so tired of this end of the business. I have two art degrees and not an MBA for a reason!

Okay, done now.


Laura - Apr 17, 2013 3:56:09 pm PDT #1107 of 1416
Our wings are not tired.

I hear you, ND. I've never had a claim in 25 years yet I have to carry a million dollar policy as a condition of my lease. Either my agent loses his permission to sell the company and has to switch me to something else, or they drop Florida, or one of another reason that I have to change all the time.

Also, all insurance companies are Evil and I resent having to use them for anything.


NoiseDesign - Apr 17, 2013 3:58:33 pm PDT #1108 of 1416
Our wings are not tired

My coverage is currently at 3 Million with an additional million in an umbrella policy. It's crazy the amount of insurance I have to carry to be able to work on a few of the job sites where I have contracts.


Jessica - Jul 07, 2013 3:22:11 pm PDT #1109 of 1416
If I want to become a cloud of bats, does each bat need a separate vaccination?

I'm the treasurer of my coop board and have just discovered that our financial software (Quicken for Mac 2007) will not run on Mac OS 10.8. Oops...

So, assuming I can find another computer to convert this data file to a usable format, should I just go ahead and buy Quickbooks, or is there another small business money management program that's better?


Laura - Jul 07, 2013 3:32:04 pm PDT #1110 of 1416
Our wings are not tired.

I don't love Quickbooks, but I haven't found anything I like better.


Stephanie - Jul 07, 2013 4:58:38 pm PDT #1111 of 1416
Trust my rage

I'm with Laura. I have QB for Mac 2011 and I can live with it. There is the online version also. I don't think any of them really talk well with each other so I know upgrading can be a challenge.