What is a good small business CRM?

ajpos · 4 days

I run an IT business. I use Quickbooks for customer billing/contact info, excel for reporting and keeping tracks of each customer's block of hours balance and word for spitting out a quick work order based on those client's data. Everything else is either a visio doc for network layouts or a word template for network data. I keep all passwords in an encrypted KeePass database.

Works well for me.

Shiar · 9 days

Well, I've been thinking about the subject myself recently.

I've never done a diorama, but I have helped my father in building an N-Scale train layout in a room many many years ago.

Hills and mountains can be made from either sculpted foam or crumpled newspaper taped to the base and then covered with a newspaper or brown paper towel soaked in a slurry of plaster and then fitted over the mound until the desired shape is reached.

Ground is pretty easy. Say it's a desert... Tan paint on the base, sprinkle sand on it while the paint is still wet. Not a lot, just enough to bring that nice texture out. Maybe some green here and there. Dad used that green foam that florists use, ground up and sprinkled.

Foliage can be made or purchased. I'm not versed in any of that.

Pavement is pretty easy, more so a runway. White poster board, paint the color of the pavement, add markings you would like and then weather (tire streaks, etc.) with powered pastels. Seal with a flat sealer.

arixx · 10 days

F-15, not F/A-18.

mrlanious · 11 days

Hook In Mouth, Megadeth.

F is for fighting, R is for red, Ancestors' blood in battles they've shed. E, we elect them, E, we eject them, In the land of the free, and the home of the brave. D, for your dying, O, your overture, M, they will cover your grave with manure. This spells out freedom, it means nothing to me, As long as there's a P.M.R.C.

studioidefix · 15 days

Your welcome!

I can't really tell you why Tamiya is better because I've never tried the paints. I'm just going with the general say of the community. It's really up to you to decide what you are comfortable to work with.

Emery boards are basically sandpaper on a stick.

Nukls · 15 days

It was a B-17 from CAF in the original TV ad.

*CAF was originally The Confederate Air Force. That's been changed to Commemorative Air Force

fibronacci · 16 days

What industry? What is the business you're interested in starting going to do?

No one can provide informative answers without that basic knowledge.

crazyllama256 · 16 days

They killed commuter rail long ago. My dad was an engineer for Southern Pacific / Union Pacific. Basically, the farmers said "It'll scare my cows to death!". Dad said "Bullshit, I drive a 4000 ton freight train 50mph past a field and the cows don't even look up"

studioidefix · 16 days

Basics:

Brushes

I don't own these brushes, I bought mine from a local hobby store, but any standard paint bush will be better than the crap paint brushes that Testors ships with their model building kits.

Glue

Standard stuff. Builders differ on the glues that they use. I use standard Testors orange tube.

X-ACTO Knife

This or any other good sharp blade. I started out many moons ago with a single razor blade.

Side cutter

A must-have for removing stuff from the spru.

Sand paper

Emery Board can come in handy

The big question... PAINT!

Will it be Acrylic or Enamel? I grew up using Enamel and only recently started using Acrylic. Enamel requires a thinner such as mineral spirits to clean the brush/airbrush and thin the mixture. Acrylic can be cleaned/thinned with alcohol or water, depending on the paint manufacturer's recommendations.

There isn't really a set of paints that I can point you to that will cover all the bases.

I use Testor's Model Masters Acrylics now. I want to go to Tamiya paints, but my budget can't afford that at the moment.

You'll need to check the instructions on the model you want to build and order paints to match. Eventually you'll have a nice little collection.

As an example, check the instructions for Revell's 1/48 F-8 Crusader. On the second page, you can see a list of colors and on the very last page, you can see a clarification of some specific colors (like red vs. insignia red and the FS number).

That's all I have time for at the moment. Maybe someone else can expand on this?

IRepostYourShit · 17 days

Nope, that's state and local tax. State sales tax is 6.25%. In Houston/Harris County, they add 2% local tax.

I own a small business in unincorporated fort bend county and I must collect 6.25% sales tax

ThiiZzLe · 17 days

I grew up on Gatling Ct. near saums and fry. In the early to mid '90s as a teen, I used to sneak out at night on my bike and cruse the area, enjoying the night sky. So peaceful. Can't do that anymore.

ThiiZzLe · 17 days

Number of apartments increase, property values fall creating cheaper housing and increasing the number of less than desirable neighbors. You know, the type that doesn't care about keeping up with their houses/yards, etc. Property values fall even further, more people start moving in, more apartments, more crime.

ThiiZzLe · 19 days

Pretty safe. There have been some home invasions in recent years and burglaries are going up a bit, but standard precautions can reduce that chance. Throw some alarm stickers on your windows, maybe a security sign on the front lawn. A dog and a gun are a good plus anywhere in the city.

Stay south of I-10 if you can. North side is going to hell from Fry westward.

gobostone · 24 days

I can understand your concerns, but for quite a few people out there, it's a question of eating or paying rent/mortgage/etc.

gobostone · 24 days

While I agree that is extremely nice to be able to do (Hell, I'd love to be in that position), not everyone can afford that. Your average family can't afford to do organic anything in this day and age.

$15 for a 4lb chicken that will last two, maybe three meals or a 5lb chicken for $4.40 with money left over to buy vegetables to go with it and throw the remainder into savings.

All for the idea, but money keeps me away.

gobostone · 25 days

Wow... 4lb. chicken for $15? No thank you. This is why I stay the hell away from organic stuff in the store. It's too damned expensive. I'd go broke buying that stuff.

I see packs of 4 organic chicken breasts going for $8-$9 (haven't checked the whole bird price where I shop). They always have them marked down after a few days (still not cheap enough) because no one buys 'em.

I'll take the 5-6lb bird for $.88/lb.

Breakfast_Whenever · 1 month

I think the volcano burrito is pretty much the same thing. Hmmm... They don't mention fritos in that description, but the ones I buy in Texas most certianly have flamin' hot fritos in them.

janw92 · 1 month

:)

It happens to the best, brother!

janw92 · 1 month

*isn't

dieth · 1 month

And that's why you keep your mouth shut and provide completely sanitized and professional responses to questions like "Well, what do you think about so and so company?" or "What computer should I buy?", etc. You can still provide the right guidance without setting yourself up for a suit or looking like a, for lack of a better word, "dick" to the customer.

Language is a weapon, learn to use it properly and you can go far! :)

dieth · 1 month

Get it in writing. Always cover your ass. Don't use valued clients as leverage to gain work with an unknown entity, let your skills and personality do that for you(1). Do your best. Bend over backwards when needed. Put on a good face and never talk ill of a client to another client. If a client can benefit from moving away from a tech/DB/program, etc. TELL THEM and offer solutions and past implementations.

Friday night semi-drunk rant... But shit. I've serviced some assholes, but they've always been reasonable when the facts were presented.

Not to say there isn't some fuckheads out there...

(1) Personality... I don't care what you are in you're time off, but when you're on the job, working for yourself, fucking man up and be the best person that client talked to all day. You'll be amazed at the reaction even in the worst case scenario.

TheReluctantAdmin · 1 month

Hear, hear!

FTFY :)

seanosaur · 1 month

It'll never happen until the baptists are out of the state government.

r0bot85 · 1 month

Thanks for the info! I'll have to sit down and check the extractor tonight.

r0bot85 · 1 month

Question for you and OP on the MP1522. I own one as well and after maybe a little over 100 rounds, the damn thing starts FTE. The casings usually stovepipe in the chamber.

I'm guessing it's due to fouling from the dirty 22lr, but was wondering if you've experienced this as well.

Hell, it could be my ammo... Winchester Bulk and Fiocchi.

arixx

TROPHY CASE

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