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An Economist’s View of College

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Many high school students leave their hometowns with bright ideas and big dreams about what they will do in and after college. For most Americans, a bachelor's degree in a solid field is a worthy goal. Being a college student, myself, I often hear students talking about how wonderful post-college finances will be and how wonderful it will be to drive a reliable, new car and eat real food again. However, since the current economic situation is a bit bleak, tuition costs are under the constant scrutiny of parents and students that working their way through college. SmartMoney produced a study discussed in an article that analyzes the actual return on getting an education. Bargains vs. … [Read more...] about An Economist’s View of College

The Power of Paper

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Everyone has their favorite and least favorite tools.  For example, I love my computer, but tend to despise fax machines.  Today, I had a bunch of work to do that would have been much easier with a fax machine.  I managed to do everything I needed using a scanner and email, but I was finally forced to admit that there is still room for a fax machine in my tool set.  I still don't really like fax machines, but sometimes it is the perfect tool for the job.  Today, I felt like I was using a screwdriver to drive nails--sure, the nail will go in eventually, but a hammer is really what you need.  It would be silly to decide that I don't like hammers, so I'm going to use a screwdriver, but I've … [Read more...] about The Power of Paper

Cutting Out Distractions

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I once heard a story about an author who had designed a house especially to be used for writing.  The house was built on a mountain and had an impressive view of the valley and mountains beyond. The author had designed an office especially for writing.  It  had large windows overlooking the gorgeous view.  Facing the windows was an expansive desk where the author planned to write many books.  However, there was just one problem. After moving into the house, the author discovered that he couldn't get any work done.  He would sit at his desk overlooking the gorgeous view, but he just couldn't concentrate.  It turned out that the view wasn't inspiring him.  It was just a … [Read more...] about Cutting Out Distractions

Fruitful Time Business Edition

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Fruitful Time makes a free Productivity Meter that we've mentioned before.  It tracks how your computer is being used and gives you a good idea how your time is being spent.  They now have a paid Business Edition that lets you do the same thing for a group of employees.  I have used some tools like this in the past so my staff could tell where they are spending their time.  It looks like it is still windows only.  For a cross platform (OSX and Windows) tool, check out Slife. They make a similar free personal/paid team product. If you are looking at a product like this, one of the big things you want is the ability to track things based on the path or name of the document being used.  So … [Read more...] about Fruitful Time Business Edition

Tips for Taxes

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Here is a round up of useful tax tips as we get into the tax filing season. IRS Presents-Top Ten Tax Time Tips - This article explains some time saving measures that can help the filing process be more efficient and streamlined. 3 New Tax Changes - These tips could be useful for those that haven't yet taken a look at the recent changes in filing taxes. 6 Tax Tips for Tough Times - The advice in this article may be especially helpful for those that have recently lost jobs or other sources of income. Tax Tips for Small Businesses - This article contains money-saving  information particularly relevant for small businesses. Retiring: Tax Tips - For those that have reached retirement … [Read more...] about Tips for Taxes