Just pipe PVC conduits around your home with junctions at reasonable locations. Then, when the need arises run what is best at the time in the future. Done.
Bill Gates said to a confidant early-on that he could see MS growing to $1B in sales, but not beyond that... Now look at them. If you execute well on a viable business model, new opportunities will present themselves you can't see beforehand.
The reason for existance of a business is to make money, which it feeds on. I wouldn't start a business without the primary goal being to make income. Fun will follow. Of course, you should pick a business you are interested in.
Management:
You described your predicament well to us. Just say the same thing to your management.
List your duties with rough estimates, and your manager will understand more resources are require, or tasks will not get done. It will then be your management's responsibility to buffer get more resources and/or buffer the IT requests of the company.
Help Desk:
Also, try setting-up a help desk to put a system between you and the hordes of requestors. Here is a good, free, web-based system:
http://www.liberum.org/
The term 'web services' still represents software with a 'client-server' architecture. The distinction is a web services client is the common web browser.
Clients can now be built using common open standards, instead of platform-specific native applications.
Many older 'client-server' systems can 'resurrected' by developing a web user interface using web protocols http/s + (html, Java applet, and/or active-x).
Corporations (LLC, S, or C) have stock, stockholders, and a board of directors. This has nothing to do with being public or private. In fact, you can start a corporation where you are the sole employee, stockholder, and director. That's what I'm suggesting.
The consulting agency you work for earns it's cut by finding you work between gigs. If you can readily find new contracts without the agency, and you don't need to stay with them for immigration reasons, I suggest you make the break-out and work for yourself.
The benefits are probably not worth the reduced income unless you have an expensive/precarious medical insurance situation. An important benefit of self-employment is your ability to deduct expenses against your taxable income. Also, the experience alone is probably worth the hassle/expense.
First, I'd suggest incorporating, either as an s-corp, LLC, or c-corp in your state, for tax and liability reasons. It's not that difficult or expensive if you follow the instructions in the Nolo Press book for incorporation in your state. It should cost only a few hundred dollars, plus a state corp income tax minimum (not additional, if LLC or s-corp) of less than $1000 per year.
Second, get liability insurance. It's really cheap for contract software developers (as opposed to a product company). I found cheap liability insurance from Hartford via http://www.techinsurance.com.
Third, follow the procedures and documentation in the Nolo Press book...make stock certificates, do government filings on time, hold periodic stock holder and board meetings...for your corporation to remain legitimate if you get audited.
Fourth, set-up a company checking account and credit card. Generally, pay for things using these instruments, but you can reimburse yourself. Fund the checking account from multiple clients over the next year or two, to legitimize that you're not an employee of your client companies
Finally, bill and sign contracts with your clients using your corporation's name. You will be acting as an agent of your corporation. You can set-up QuickBooks and bill them with the generated invoices using agreed upon terms, typically Net30, which means not being paid until 30 days after submitting your invoices.
Lastly, IANAL (I am not a lawyer) and IANAA (I am not an accountant). Please use your own judgement and advice of professionals or good publishers like Nolo Press. Good wishes.
AC is efficient for transmission:
AC current travels AROUND a wire, as the magnetic field propogates. DC current travels INSIDE the wire (no magnetic field), and quickly loses energy due to resistance.
DC is dangerous:
Household DC would require many amps to power all the devices in a home, at say 5-12VDC. This is many more amps than is required in one computer. If you were to touch a household DC wire instead of the typical AC wire, you would melt any rings off and through your fingers, and receive massive third degree burns.
AC power is easy to generate:
Simply rotating a magnet inside a coil of wire produces AC current. This is easy to produce from any mechanical energy source, such as a gas or water turbine.
-avoelker
Slashdot Mirror
Just pipe PVC conduits around your home with junctions at reasonable locations. Then, when the need arises run what is best at the time in the future. Done.
You might consider having a sleep clinic check you out for sleep apnea. Just a thought, in case you haven't considered it.
Bill Gates said to a confidant early-on that he could see MS growing to $1B in sales, but not beyond that... Now look at them. If you execute well on a viable business model, new opportunities will present themselves you can't see beforehand.
The reason for existance of a business is to make money, which it feeds on. I wouldn't start a business without the primary goal being to make income. Fun will follow. Of course, you should pick a business you are interested in.
However, this article is guaranteed to generate nerdy replies, such as yours.
SMC makes various inexpensive routers that have remote admin capability via a simple web interface (not flash, etc.).
Management: You described your predicament well to us. Just say the same thing to your management. List your duties with rough estimates, and your manager will understand more resources are require, or tasks will not get done. It will then be your management's responsibility to buffer get more resources and/or buffer the IT requests of the company. Help Desk: Also, try setting-up a help desk to put a system between you and the hordes of requestors. Here is a good, free, web-based system: http://www.liberum.org/
Hey, I've been using this guy's 'direct method' with collapsing buildings. I'll have to go look this guy up to compare notes. ;)
The term 'web services' still represents software with a 'client-server' architecture. The distinction is a web services client is the common web browser.
Clients can now be built using common open standards, instead of platform-specific native applications.
Many older 'client-server' systems can 'resurrected' by developing a web user interface using web protocols http/s + (html, Java applet, and/or active-x).
If you are serious about this, build a wireless infrastructure, not cable.
You'll notice new phone service, like in China, are being built-out via cellular network, not wire-line.
-avoelkerCorporations (LLC, S, or C) have stock, stockholders, and a board of directors. This has nothing to do with being public or private. In fact, you can start a corporation where you are the sole employee, stockholder, and director. That's what I'm suggesting.
-avoelkerThe consulting agency you work for earns it's cut by finding you work between gigs. If you can readily find new contracts without the agency, and you don't need to stay with them for immigration reasons, I suggest you make the break-out and work for yourself.
The benefits are probably not worth the reduced income unless you have an expensive/precarious medical insurance situation. An important benefit of self-employment is your ability to deduct expenses against your taxable income. Also, the experience alone is probably worth the hassle/expense.
First, I'd suggest incorporating, either as an s-corp, LLC, or c-corp in your state, for tax and liability reasons. It's not that difficult or expensive if you follow the instructions in the Nolo Press book for incorporation in your state. It should cost only a few hundred dollars, plus a state corp income tax minimum (not additional, if LLC or s-corp) of less than $1000 per year.
Second, get liability insurance. It's really cheap for contract software developers (as opposed to a product company). I found cheap liability insurance from Hartford via http://www.techinsurance.com.
Third, follow the procedures and documentation in the Nolo Press book...make stock certificates, do government filings on time, hold periodic stock holder and board meetings...for your corporation to remain legitimate if you get audited.
Fourth, set-up a company checking account and credit card. Generally, pay for things using these instruments, but you can reimburse yourself. Fund the checking account from multiple clients over the next year or two, to legitimize that you're not an employee of your client companies
Finally, bill and sign contracts with your clients using your corporation's name. You will be acting as an agent of your corporation. You can set-up QuickBooks and bill them with the generated invoices using agreed upon terms, typically Net30, which means not being paid until 30 days after submitting your invoices.
Lastly, IANAL (I am not a lawyer) and IANAA (I am not an accountant). Please use your own judgement and advice of professionals or good publishers like Nolo Press. Good wishes.
-avoelkerDang, where's Rumplstilskin when you need him?
AC is efficient for transmission: AC current travels AROUND a wire, as the magnetic field propogates. DC current travels INSIDE the wire (no magnetic field), and quickly loses energy due to resistance. DC is dangerous: Household DC would require many amps to power all the devices in a home, at say 5-12VDC. This is many more amps than is required in one computer. If you were to touch a household DC wire instead of the typical AC wire, you would melt any rings off and through your fingers, and receive massive third degree burns. AC power is easy to generate: Simply rotating a magnet inside a coil of wire produces AC current. This is easy to produce from any mechanical energy source, such as a gas or water turbine. -avoelker
So, does this mean if you were flying in an airplane or spacecraft at just the wrong time and place, you would be subjected to enormous temperatures?
I pay $49/month for service with cable modem rental, and the first six months are at $19/month. I tested the line and get 1434kb down and 124kb up.