Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with small

Cool, easy tattoo parlor website template?

Gucky — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:56:47 -0800

What should I use to set up a simple, cool-looking small business site for a non-techy friend? I bought my cousin-in-law 2 domains for Christmas related to his tattoo parlor. (I searched his small business and found that they didn't have a web page and some other business took the most obvious way to spell their URL.)

I've only hand written a webpage in HTML before or grabbed one of Dreamhost's default WordPress themes.

I don't want to become the business's tech support.

I just want to hand him a paper with a URL and a user name and password and there will be an easily update-able web page with the business, address, link to Google directions and blog and/or Twitter feed and a gallery (possibly a Flickr pull in?)

Do I use Google Sites? Is there a theme that is suitable for a pretty tough tattoo crowd that's easy to use?

Do I host it on my own Dreamhost with a WordPress theme? Is there a WordPress theme you'd recommend?

Low effort. Cool enough. Doesn't require a regular outlay of cash or tech effort. Help?

Thin pencil anyone?

nam3d — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:27:30 -0800

I'm looking for a 'thin' pencil... I recently purchased a PicoPad . Overall I've been impressed with the product but I've found the pen supplied not to be 100% reliable and I'd much rather write with a pencil.

Could someone point me in the direction of a thin and short pencil that I can use instead of the supplied pen?

You can really get the size of pen by watching this video.

Small gifts that recipients are likely to hang on to?

Xere — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:48:18 -0800

Help me, MeFi elves! What are some tiny, practical, long-lasting, and fun gifts for twentysomethings? Specifically, gifts that are not likely to get thrown out or given away, due to moving far away - so, no books or voltage-specific electronics. I've already done the Swiss Army Knife, and a USB drive is a little too practical. What now?

My Mom won't be around forever... preparation help.

Swede78 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:18:17 -0800

My mom was diagnosed with Small-Cell Lung Cancer about a month ago. Her prognosis is not so good... her doctor is estimating one to two years with chemo. Last night, my mom and siblings got together to discuss her wishes, wills, money, etc. Unfortunately, there are still issues that were left unresolved. In fact, I feel like we left with more questions than answers. The biggest issue that she's having a hard time deciding is what to do with her money. She was working full-time up until a few months ago when she was laid off. Work has been immensly stressful for her for the past several years. I tried many many times to get her to find something else or just stop working so much. But, she's very stubborn, and just doesn't think of herself first. I believe the stress caused the cancer, because she's not even a smoker. Anyway, my point is that she has very little income now, but managed to build up a small savings. She was contemplating using most of the money to pay into her mortgage so that she can stop paying PMI. Another reason is that she believes that by not having that money in her bank account will allow her to qualify for assistance. This is where we're kind of unsure of how it really works. I can't imagine such a loophole would exist. My siblings and I believe she should hang on to the money and use it to make her life as comfortable and stress-free as possible. But, I can understand that she wouldn't want it all sucked away by medical bills either. She isn't rich, and neither is the rest of our family, so we want to make the best financial decisions possible. I'm not sure who we can ask about this without making it obvious that we're looking for a loophole. Let me stress that she's not looking to commit fraud here, but just a way to maximize her benefits in a legal way.

So, some questions I have...

1) Should she hang on to her savings to use for living expenses, or use it to pay mortgage and remove PMI monthly payments, and possibly allow her to qualify for assistance? My thinking here is that cash is king, so hang on to it. But, would like some opinions.

2) She wishes to be cremated, and does not want a big funeral service. (She has very few friends around and only immediate family). What costs should we budget for or expect from a cremation and maybe a small funeral service?

3) Since she wants to live in her current home, what's the best way to deal with selling it? We don't know exactly how long she has, and even if we did, we don't know how fast her house would sell. My first thought is to deal with it after she passes away, so that she can be as comfortable as possible. But, not only does she worry about the burden of us selling it, but I have to admit that it worries me too in this economy. I certainly can't afford two mortgages and either can my siblings.

4) More specific to her type of cancer, what can I expect her quality of life after chemo and in the end? I assume that after her chemo (I believe 6 months of it), that she will begin to regain strength and will have a more or less normal life. But, I know the cancer will eventually catch up with her. What happens then? Is it sudden? Is it months of pain and suffering? Will she need 24/7 care? What will she not be able to do on her own?

5) I was thinking that we'd use a website like legal zoom to handle a will and living will. I hope that she can avoid paying a lawyer $400/hr for this and any other advice that we can find elsewhere. Is it a bad idea to not involve a lawyer?

6) Also, maybe a dumb question, but why can't they simply continue chemo when it does eventually come back?

How do I create a RSS feed for my Amazon Web Store?

Aegean — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:44:56 -0800

I'm trying to figure out how to create a XML / RSS feed of my Amazon web store products so I can update to Google Merchant. There doesn't seem to be many functions / plug-ins offered by AWS and their help isn't very helpful. I've done a fair amount of searching and have come up empty handed. Would anyone have an idea how I might go about creating this feed?

CPSIA - Help me get around this legislation so I can be in business again.

jaynedanger — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:35:57 -0800

CPSIA - Help me get around this legislation so I can be in business again. I started a small online business in January this year selling adorable plushies
It was nothing big by any means, but it made me happier than anything. Since January, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has passed this piece of work:

CPSIA Guide

The CPSIA pretty much makes it illegal to sell my little guys. They are definitely deemed children's toys and I do not have the means to have each handmade custom item tested for lead, etc.

I'm hoping to find away AROUND the law without hurting the integrity of my tiny business. Once I become more familiar with running a business, I plan to take on other business ventures, so I want this one to follow the rules and be appropriate despite it's small size.

I'm aware of all the small business help I can get locally, but my work schedule has kept me from pursuing this help for months. Before I completely drop this idea, I was hoping some of you may be able to give me helpful insight. I am open to any ideas. Here are some that I have considered:

1. Raising the price. This would make them more of a "collector's" item. My customer base would not buy these at a higher price, unless I can do some major revamping. Before I took them off the market, they sold for $15-25.

2. Naming them inappropriate things. This takes care of the children part of the equation, but hurts the integrity of my business. Not really excited about this option.

3. Making them out of compliant, natural materials such as organic cotton. This is still a viable, but boring, option.

Small business failure.

eschatfische — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:36:10 -0800

What happens to the owners when a small business fails? Let's say that Mr. X started a small brick & mortar business. He had a reasonable business plan. He had a bit of savings, but also got an SBA loan as well as a bank loan to finance the rest.

Let's say that Mr. X sets up shop. He works hard preparing, he hires employees, he buys materials, he engages a marketer and advertises and markets the business, opens the doors and... customers just don't come. Let's say he gradually lets the staff go. Still few customers. He tries to find another business that will buy the business he set up. No takers. His hand is forced, and he liquidates the assets and closes the doors. Since he doesn't have a job, he can't repay the remainder of the SBA or bank loans.

What happens next to Mr. X? Does Mr. X lose his home, his car? Does he have to declare personal bankrupcy? Can his business be bankrupt without the risk of him losing his personal possessions?

How can someone wishing to start a small business insulate themselves against the risk of failure? Actual anecdotes about starting a small business and failing would be appreciated.

(Note: I don't own a business -- this is all purely hypothetical.)

How to start marketing a dental office.

beingresourceful — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:52:45 -0800

How do I start marketing a dentist? How do I effectively start marketing a dentist?

She has been a dentist for thirty years (many of those years as a professor), and now she has started her own practice.

She can do cosmetic dentistry, but she really likes pediatric/adolescent dentistry. She is also excellent (and I think prefers to work) at what I could call "major" dentistry, requiring going under. Her practice is located inside a hospital -- definitely something most dentists don't offer. She seems to think cosmetic dentistry is over-saturated (but if your idea is good I can convince her otherwise). I think she really likes those dental-insured patients that need extensive work.

I haven't marketed dentists before. How do I get this lady new clients? I want her to make lots of money, so I can ask for and make lots of money. If it's not win-win, I'd rather not take the job.

Copywriting Woes

ecorrocio — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:44:42 -0800

The A-B-C's of corporate collateral writing: I'm a graphic designer. How do I communicate to my client that willy-nilly editing procedures, and last minute proof-stage rewrites inevitably makes projects run to the last minute? Is there a "standard" procedure for writing/editing? The scenario: Small Company A takes a haphazard approach to writing key copy for brochures and material - a "design it first, then we'll re-do it again and again" methodology. This consistently makes projects run to the very last second, and incurs all kinds of rush charges from printers etc. Plus, it tends to result in disjointed copy.

Small Company B knows how to write/edit. They write copy, circulate, edit, THEN provide it for insertion into the design. The only edits that tend to occur are typos and layout.

How do I turn Company A's approach into Company B's?

Options for a small & cheap Mac laptop?

attercoppe — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:01:07 -0800

What are my options for a cheap, small Mac laptop? I'm on a tight budget, but would love to get a laptop. I've been looking at netbooks because I love the light weight and small size. However, I may be about to get a job at my school, which basically is an Apple campus, so now I'm considering a Mac instead. I'd still like to find something cheap, small and light, and with some serious battery life. Of course one option is to buy a used or refurbed Mac (maybe an Air?). Could I also buy a netbook and install OS X? Or install some *nix - how compatible (not look and feel but interoperability) would this be?

P.S. I could probably do some research and get some good info, but I thought I'd see what ya'll can tell me first. I've read other questions here, and they seem to be either out of date or about desktops (or both).

I want the biggest and smallest. The rest can suck it.

rileyray3000 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:37:42 -0800

Where can I find a list of the smallest things (and for that matter) the biggest things in America? I've got some time off coming I have to take and I'm thinking of taking a trip with my new camera to photograph some of these things. I'm thinking of stuff like the smallest bar in America. The biggest hamburger. The breeder of the smallest dogs. The biggest shoes. Stuff like that.

The only thing that would be ideal (but not entirely necessary) is that there's some sort of designation of some kind. Like a sign that says "Smallest town in Texas" or "Biggest shoe in Tulsa."

If someone has one of these lists somewhere please help me find it. If not, feel free to list anything you personally know about.

Cheap portable mp3 speakers?

marble — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:22:32 -0800

Looking for decent portable speakers for my mp3 player, ideally for $30 or less. This is for my cube at work - low volume, but I'd like at least some bass (current $5 piece of crap speakers do not have put out any bass that I can detect, even when adjusting the primitive equalizer on my mp3 player). I looked at some at Amazon but only saw one review that even mentioned bass at all. I don't listen to a lot of thumpa thumpa music, but I'd like to be able to hear the lower range at a reasonable volume.

I would prefer ones that aren't powered, but if the speakers come with an a/c adapter I could make that work. Mp3 player is a Sandisk Sansa m250, if that matters.

Any suggestions?

Help us rebuild our office Email/management setup.

damiano99 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:38:55 -0800

Small Office/Outlook Filter: I'm part of a small, family-run non-profit organization and we're attempting to drag ourselves, screaming, into the 21st century. Right now the main email is AOL and has been for years. (I know, I know.) We want to transition to a setup that allows us to have our own emails, yet share calendars and tasks. With our setup, what advice can you give on our setup? (more inside) Our office is split. 3 of us are in one city and the 4 is in another. We would like to maintain an address book, calendar and task/to-do setup that can be shared by all of us, while still keeping personal things private. Because of securty, it looks like to forgo Google Apps and go with a hosted Exchange server. We all have decent experience with Outlook and everyone already has 2007 on their machines. The problem with all this is that, 2 of the us (the "bosses") currently share an email on AOL which they monitor together. It can be confusing because our main office email is there and then they also get their personal emails on it, which makes it difficult to separate for each person.

What is the best way to handle that? Should we create one address for the office that is the catchall that we can all access and give them their own personal address? What other options are there and what pitfalls should we be wary of?

How to collect money owed?

r80o — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:21:08 -0800

I own a small tech business and have a few accounts that simply will not pay. The amounts owed range from $500 to $5000. I've tried turning the accounts over to collection agencies, but they don't understand tech so they have ignored the delinquent accounts. Any suggestions on how best to get paid, even partial payment or at least tell me how to file a "charge off".

Free website for small business

sorrenn — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:10:51 -0800

What are the different ways that I can get a free website for my small business?

What's with the little poops?

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:08:31 -0800

Little poops? A rather gross question. In the last year, I've noticed I no longer take a one-or-two clump dump, but that I'm pooping out many small, hard stools. They're a little smaller than the size of cherry tomatoes (but normal poop color). These little poops are often difficult to pass, and I usually have to 'help things along' (basically, I do what's described in this question: http://ask.metafilter.com/49893/Helping-things-along-Okay-or-No-Way) by inserting a clean finger into my vagina and pressing against the back wall of the vagina to 'push' the poops down and out.

So, are these tough little poos normal? Is it something in my diet (or not in my diet)? Might this 25 year old female have a colonoscopy in store? Anyone have any similar experience and find out what it was and how to correct it, if necessary?

Throwaway email: littlepoopsmith@gmail.com

Hang out the shingle or get more experience first?

Happydaz — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:10:50 -0800

I just graduated from law school on Sunday. I want to open my own law firm and practice criminal law after I pass the Oregon bar. But how can I get up to speed fast enough that I don't give my new clients poor legal services? I've been reading several books on starting your own practice. (Foonberg's 4th edition, How to Start your own Solo Practice and Succeed by Gerald Singer, and Solo by Choice.) But these books all focus on the business side of starting a law practice. Getting clients, running an office, whether you have the right personality to solo, etc. What I want to know is can I realistically become competent enough in criminal law that my clients aren't getting screwed while I learn the ropes?

I would really like to hear from anyone who has started their own law firm in any area of law. Did you start right out of law school or did you work for someone else first? What would you change if you could do it again?

Old Amazing Mixer Broke--Help

Household Tipster — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:18:33 -0800

I have a 1950s KitchenAid mixer (model-3A), and the motor's dead. It's a great mixer. Is it worth it to get it fixed? How would I do that?

Nine Hours in Istanbul

slowcat — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:42:42 -0800

I'm arriving at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul nine hours before my connecting flight. I was wondering what recommendations people had for how to spend this time? I can't do anything too involved as I need to be back at the airport a few hours before my flight, but I would like to see something of the city! Thank you!

Business broadband

cowmix — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:56:51 -0800

I need broadband for my business that is slightly better than what you can get from normal DSL. What are my options? My new office is located in Rockville, MD (20852) and we need at least 5 mbit upstream as well as 5mbit down stream. What are the options available now for small businesses and specifically where we are located?

Covad and Verizon have not been very helpful in this quest so far.

Teeny Tiny Foods Please!

dersins — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:59:15 -0800

We're having a "tiny food" party / BBQ, and I need menu suggestions. Sliders (obviously), cornichons (or gherkins) and tiny cupcakes are readily available. Coronitas (7 oz. Coronas) to drink. So, what else? Other mains, sides, desserts, beverages. Any suggestions would be helpful. NB: although I'm grilling the sliders, suggestions do not need to be limited to grill-friendly items. Thanks in advance.

How do I identify a company that develops online registration/scheduling software?

ewiley28 — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:09:11 -0800

How can I identify software for online registration for soccer training sessions? I'm thinking there are some solutions out there that are basically blackbox that can then be tailored to my site, but I haven't been able to turn them up. I don't want to use just something like regonline.com because I have people signing up for each session and there are dozens of different sessions in a week. I've seen a couple of software programs on website that look like they could work, but I wasn't able to find any information on the development of any of these, so I don't know if they are in-house software or if they are some sort of commercially available product.

Ideally, I would like to be able to show initially two months (current and next) when a person signs in with the date clickable if there are spaces available for them to register that day. Then, by clicking on the date, it would show the specific sessions available. There are 8 sessions most days and can be up to 8 individuals in a session, but the software would need to be able to note when 8 had been met and show that session as not available.

So, how do I go about identify a product that can be used to provide this type of service? I'm thinking that it's probably something that will need some development/tailoring to make fit my needs, but I'm guessing the company that has developed something like this would be designed to handle that.

Un-supersize it, please!

yersinia — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:05:07 -0800

Yet another recommend-a-good-starter-guitar question. Criteria: acoustic, fairly cheap, suitable for small (adult) hands with stubby fingers, and ideally an easy action. I know the conventional wisdom is that any sized person can play any guitar, and that technique matters more than hand size. Having given up learning guitar in the past because of the havoc all the stretching and straining wreaked on my RSI-prone hands and wrists, though, I'm looking to start out with a model that's better proportioned to my size, at least until I can work up some momentum and skill. Additional details:

I've been looking mostly at 3/4-size guitars, but I'd be open to a smaller-bodied regular guitar, as well, I guess.
Easy action would be nice, although I understand it's possible to lower the action yourself?
Looking to spend about $150 tops, ideally less. Either used or new is fine.
And of course the nicer the sound, the better, although I'll probably have to make some concessions on that front given the price range.
I'm 5'4" and have about an octave reach on the piano, if that helps.

I was originally thinking about Daisy Rocks, but they're aesthetically less than delightful, plus there seems to be some question of whether they have a rough action/horrible sound. Any other ideas?

Landlord, give me my money back!

allisonrae — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:29:04 -0800

My previous landlord never returned my security deposit ($1,650) last autumn. I live in Chicago. Do I get an attorney (and if so how do I choose one) or do I take it to small claims court myself? What are the pros/cons of either approach? I have read this question already, and while that was helpful, I am wondering if anyone has any additional recommendations.

First off, I am pretty well documented. I was a tenant there for 2 years, and have copies of the deposit receipt & cleared checks. I have copies of my original lease termination letter and the demand of payment letter I sent via registered mail after 60 days. This guy was an incredibly MIA landlord (several days before repairing heater in 10° Chicago winter, incommunicado for a week after the gas co. shut off my line due to a leak, etc.)... so none of this is shocking. Other tenants had similar complaints, but to my knowledge, people rarely took him to task.

After reading up on Chicago tenant law I've seen that I am potentially owed interest and/or twice the amount of the original deposit.

Does getting an attorney increase the likelihood of getting the interest payment or does the cost of the attorney generally cancel that out? Am I better off to do small claims? (I have heard mixed things about Illinois Tenants Union, and that you pay a sizable membership fee to join before using their services.)

Thanks for any suggestions!

What kind of records do most sole proprietors, freelancers and consultants keep?

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:39:33 -0800

What sort of state of organization are the financial records of most sole proprietorships in? I've had a small freelance business for about 15 years. About 3 years ago, I was in a car accident that was 100% not my fault. (The other driver admitted fault and there were witnesses.) I am now in the middle of legal dealings with my insurance company, because of the state of whiplash, the effect on my pregnancy and the effect on my ability to run my business and maximize earnings. (I do have a lawyer.) The insurance company is asking for all my financial records from the past nine years. They want copies of every receipt, invoice, mortgage interest statement, etc.

I've never kept a general ledger or anything like that. I just invoice and pay my expenses and credit cards and stuff like that. I've never been very formal about things, although I am excrutiatingly honest. I don't lie on my taxes. However, there have been situations where I just phoned the mortgage company to get the interest amount for my mortgage for the year (for business use of home), because I figured that if I got audited by the government, I would just phone and get a statement sent out. And, as I mentioned, I don't have cash flow statements or anything like that. And sometimes my receipts are in my name, my husband's name or both our names. But I always put money into our joint account to cover everything, usually lump sums throughout the year.

I had planned to incorporate and set up with an accountant, but, because of the car accident, I am just beginning that process now. Going forward, my records will be more diligent, since I'll be incorporated.

But, I'm wondering...what is the typical state of financial records for most freelance and consulting type businesses? My lawyer seems baffled that I have unaudited records...he's not used to sole proprietors. He seemed surprised that I had been doing my own taxes (for all but 3 of the total years, because, honestly, the accountants never got me any more tax back than I got on my own). For the most part, my business records are my personal income tax records, since the sole proprietorship income tax is part of that. I never saw any point to doing balance sheets and neither did the bookkeepers or accountants. Are other freelancers and consultants in a different situation? (Again, I'll be changing this going forward.)