Outsource your IT and Development

Especially for the small to mid sized business owner I am a huge fan of outsourcing. There are certain functions that you should never outsource and these I consider to be “outsourcing your soul”. So if you business builds custom cabinets and you outsource cabinet construction that to me means you no longer make cabinets you simply sell them. Yet would most small cabinet shops really have the resourses and in house knowledge to maintain a web presence or if they do a lot of business online to deal with something as complex as web hosting colocation?

Even a “high tech company” will generally not be able to provide for all of its needs with in house talent especially the countless individuals that work from home building websites that sell a variety of services and products. I have often used services like RentACoder for my needs but honestly that has been hit or miss with quality and time to delivery.

One resource you may want to consider is Momentum which acts as a single source of contact and more importantly accountability for all your IT outsourcing needs. I cannot over state the value of accountability when you are outsourcing technology projects. So just what type of IT needs can you outsource to momentum? A few things like

• Media Design
• Server Management
• Application Development
• Programming Work
• Data Back Ups
• And even on demand consulting

Today you can easily and inexpensively run a business with the proper use of outsourcing. Whether you are a small to mid sized business or an individual internet based entrepreneur, services like Momentum offer an excellent way to leverage your business and compete with much bigger companies by being more nimble and adaptable to challenges and opportunities.

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When it has to be there now use a courier

Mail is great be it with the post office, UPS or say FedX but what if you need something sent across town, not by tomorrow but before a presentation at noon the mail just doesn’t get the job done.  Or say you need some items taken to the post office but just don’t have the time or resources to get it done right now. Well the solution is simple, use a good courier service.

For those in Connecticut I have a good recommendation try using MDCS who prides themselves on being one of the best Hartford couriers and over all one of the best in the state of Connecticut.  I was asked to check out their website and can tell you they provide outstanding rates, guaranteed service and personalized service you won’t find from a national service.

Many people tend to view a couriers as expensive, I never have. I can either get a currier to take care of a delivery or pay my employee to do it (while he doesn’t do what I really pay him to do) or do it myself and at that time not be taking care of my real business. Last option is to not get something where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.  All of those end up being infinitely more expensive.   So if you need a courier in Connecticut look up MDCS if you are elsewhere then just let your fingers do the walking with your search engine of choice.

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What are you doing now that 2008 is here?

Don’t worry this isn’t one of my “get your financial butt in line” posts, well mostly not. I am just wondering what everyone is up to in general, like what you are watching on TV, etc. Personally I have been enjoying Celebrity Apprentice quite a bit. Check out this video showing what a snake that Omarosa is. Got to be one of the biggest sleezes known to man in my book. To me this is why so many people are looking to build a business of their own, to buy a business or just to find some way to be independently employed. I mean who really wants to deal with a corporate environment that has far more then its’ fare share of Omarosas.

I have also started out on a diet. Last year I elected to not go Elk hunting because honestly I was afraid I might die somewhere alone on the mountain. The last time I went I had a great but tough time. I came home with blistered and even bloody feet and was sore for a week. Back then old CostCutter was in much better shape. This year going out into the unforgiving wilderness alone seemed like a big risk. Since I am way to young to give up that type of life I am getting back in shape. Who knows, perhaps when I loose my weight I will come clean and say who I am.

Additionally I am breathing some new life into a few of my businesses with some creative ideas and looking to hire a few new creative and talented people. The search for talent is really tough right now, I just listened to this podcast on the shortage of talent in the market today and I have to really agree with the guest speaker. While real estate investing today seems to be a buyers market there is no question that in the talented and skilled employee market it is a sellers market. If you are good, have a proven track record and can deliver then today you call the shots. If you are in the market for a new position and are not finding a lot of opportunities I recommend you get in touch with a good executive recruiting firm.

On another note all together I really think the 2008 presidential race is off to an interesting spin. Ron Paul still seems to be shunned by the media despite basicly finishing in a three way tie with 10% of the vote while Rudy was at only 4%. Typical!

Today we focus on New Hampshire, I predict the following for the republicans.

1. Rudy does aweful and everyone says it doesn’t matter.

2. John McCain wins and his national numbers rock because people are lemmings.

3. Mitt Romney does OK and comes in second and they say it is over for him.

4. Ron Paul does far better then the 8% the polls say he can expect. Comes in third and gets ignored again.

Such is the stupidity of our media and the political process.

Moving on the the Democrats - Hillary has had a break down practically coming to tears because she was asked how her day was mostly because Barock Obama is now surging in New Hampshire and she is on track to loose again. Of course the news is making a huge deal of Barock’s massive support. His followers indeed love him, they laud his speeches and vision yet the news people can’t seem to find a single supporter that actually knows his position on any of the big issues. America, please wake up, support who you want but for the love of God know why you support them.

My personal view I think Hillary is a disaster for this country as our President, her health care plan, tax hikes and some other policies will only serve to make worse a recession that is flat out coming to hit us hard over the next few years.   That said Barock is worse, he want to tax more, spend more and make government even bigger and more intrusive then Hillary.  However he can speak very well, avoids the issues and is very likable.  This is why Hillary is in trouble, even her supporters realize Barock is going to be harder for any Republican to beat and are picking the best candidate to win in November.

I personally think Hillary is unelectable and if she looses the primary (which I predict) Barock is probably a 2 to 1 favorite just in odds to win the presidency.  In other words a Hillary loss in the primaries is bad for the republicans while her victory would be very good indeed for them.

My predictions for the Democrats in New Hampshire are as follows.

1. Barock wins by at least 10% of the vote and we hear all the liberal papers cheer how it is finally time, “for an African American president”. When the country has been “ready” for a long time and we are all really tired of being called racists in subversive ways by the communists running our press.

2. Hillary gets slammed, perhaps even damn near ties with Edwards. This is spun as the “end of Hillary by the right” and some how a “right wing conspiracy” or “anti women” thing by the left. The left leaning media will hold out all hope for Hillary and talk about how New Hampshire and Iowa “don’t really matter”. Of course they really don’t it is just that the media just spent the last 30 days convincing us how much they do indeed matter.

3. Edwards does ok in 3rd but the media talks about how that is “hope for his campaign” even though there are only four Democrats in the race. Idiots.

4. Bill Richards gets a clue and drops out.

So what are you up to in 2008? What do you think of our coming elections?

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