I just got finished reading Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, which has sparked a thousand ideas. The way they talk about business is the way I think about business. That is, my little hobbyhorse operation isn’t going to turn into a multi-million dollar corporation. I’m not going to get acquired. No one will invest money in my operation (nor would I really want anyone to).

Yet what I do is a business all the same, in that it brings in money for my family. Books like Rework help me put that into perspective. This is a business just as much as any operation, and so I should treat it as such.

While the business is, and likely always will be, just me, my tools, and my hands, that doesn’t mean I can run it without a little help. Perhaps it’s not a human who will provide that help. Maybe I’ll scale to the point where I need a virtual assistant to help run the administrative side. Even if I don’t, I still need some help with that.

Help doesn’t always have to come from another human being. It can come from software that helps keep us organized. With a few easy-to-use applications, a few of which are free, I’ve been able to keep everything in order. Here are my little secrets.

Freshbooks

We’re not all John D. Rockefeller, impeccably managing the books. I’d venture to say that the great majority of people running small businesses have minimal, at best, accounting skills. Furthermore, many of these small business owners can’t afford a full-time accountant, and might think of better ways to spend money than on a part-time one. Yet those books still need managing. A miscalculation here and an error there can absolutely screw up your business.

I’ve taken to Freshbooks as a simple solution. I can link up my business bank account, and then use the software to manage my money and send invoices. (I actually got into Freshbooks after using their free invoice template and getting hooked.) Every week I take a close look at my books and make sure everything lines up. Unless I catch some error, which to date I have not, there’s not much else to worry about.

Highrise

Look, I don’t need Salesforce or any enterprise-level customer relations management (CRM) software. I don’t even need a CRM designed for small business. Typically that kind of software has too many features. That’s why I get by with a free plan on Highrise. I’m not dealing with hundreds of customers, so their contact limits work just fine for me. If I ever needed more, I’d definitely pay to upgrade to their solo plan.

Why Highrise? Well, it comes from 37signals, so you know it’s a useful product. It’s also devoid of features I don’t need. It allows me to keep track of people I’ve talked to, when I last talked to them, and what we talked about. I know when to follow up, and when to leave the situation alone. That’s the entire value in a CRM for me, so I don’t need anything that does much more.

Basecamp

Yes, I’m sticking with 37signals here — if they had accounting software I’d have to at least consider my loyalty to Freshbooks. Basecamp helps me keep projects managed, because lord knows I couldn’t keep them all straight in my head. Nor could I use the pen-and-paper method. What I would have done if I were born 20 years earlier, I have no idea.

Basecamp gives me great tools that help me keep my projects in order. Not only do I list my active projects, but can lay out my step-by-step plan and check off things that are done. Another feature I love is the project template. When I bring on a new project, I have some intake tasks that are pretty standard. With Basecamp I can create them every time I create a new project. It’s pretty convenient and ensures that I’m on the right track to start.

Google Apps

We save the simplest for last. Google Drive means I don’t have to buy Microsoft Office, or deal with all of the features they provide. Not that I don’t appreciate how powerful Word and Excel have become, but I just don’t need all that. What I need is a simple document editor and spreadsheet application that can perform basic functions. Everything gets saved in one place, and I can access anything anywhere.

The best part, of course, is that you can save in MS Office formats, so you can share with people who us that software. That’s come in hugely handy for passing along quotes and plans to clients.

The post Tools I Use for Running My Home Business appeared first on HomeDaddys.

The post What’s the Big Deal About Banning Bags? appeared first on HomeDaddys.

With minimal effort, you can easily create an inviting outdoor living space for entertaining your friends and family as the summer comes to a close. This living space can be simple, containing only a few of the basics or it can be as elaborate as you desire.

Often times, as homeowners, we develop and dream up several ideas for turning our backyards into a more appealing and fun place to spend time at home. We often tell, our friends, neighbors and family how great it would be to build a cozy little place for “getting out of the house”. Here are just a handful of ideas of great ideas homeowners can consider for their outdoor living space:

Covered picnic areas

Having a shaded place such as a Pergola or a Gazebo to bring the food outdoors is perfect for small and large backyard gatherings. Of course, there are low cost alternatives like a patio umbrella or gathering of shade trees if you’re running low on available space. The goal is to add a place that provides escape from the heat with a touch of character.

Outdoor Kitchen and Grill

If you plan on going out another important aspect of any outdoor space is the cooking station. It’s pretty simple to set up an open aired dining room with a grill and a few tables. You can also check out local surplus stores for some old cabinetry with a sink that you can refurbish and convert to an outdoor bar. A lot of times this kind of cabinetry can also be bought for next to nothing from homeowners who are in the process of remodeling their kitchens.

Don’t forget the furniture

A word of caution about outside furniture, you will want to cover your furniture or bring it indoors at night if you plan on using plump fabrics. With that being said, the craft loving homeowner will undoubtedly find this simple for the most part. However, for us un-crafty homeowners, secondhand cast-offs are perfect to use outdoors since there’s no need to worry if they come with a few dents or scratches.

A little Décor doesn’t hurt

Adding visually appealing elements to your yard can be money well spent. Planting fruit trees, plants and flowers in just the right places can really enhance the aesthetic impact of your home and provide an added boost to its curb appeal. Window boxes are an excellent ways to infuse your yard with nature, color warmth. Another way is to throw flowers into the mix is by adding borders to the front of your property along the fence or in strategically placed plant beds or raised bed gardens.

Conclusion

Remember, when it comes to home improvement projects, always make a plan before you start doing any work. There are several details you’ll need to plot out first like allotted room for cooking and recreation areas among others. Once you have everything planned out you can start the construction phase.

Your property is a space where you can create a unique kind of space that you and your family can enjoy for years to come; the kind of space where all your neighbors want to hang out and relax. Of course your budget must be considered, and you’ll have to decide whether or not you will do the work yourself or if you’re going to hire a contractor to do it. Reaching your goals and having your dreams come true takes planning, organization and thought, but the end result will be worth the effort.

The post Revitalize The Last Days Of Summer with an Outdoor Living Space appeared first on HomeDaddys.

It is that time of the process, the beginning stages of selling your house, that you need to make your home look better than it ever has before. Yeah, that means you have to clean the baseboards and actually scrub down walls and floors (for once!) to make it appealing for any potential buyer.

One problem that every household typically runs into is how the husband and wife seem to think what looks better around the house! Weird huh? Men and women obviously see things differently – first time that has ever been said, right? – so when it comes to making the house look great for the staging process, we tend to differ in opinions.

Regardless, here is a list that a dad (like myself) would see as a necessity when staging the home, compared to possibly what my better half (cough, cough) might be inclined to think of:

Show Off The Finished Basement

·         When it comes to a dad’s point of view, the finished basement (or the man cave) is huge to show off. Dad’s want to know they have a spot in the house to escape from the nonsense yelling and bickering (did I say that? Don’t tell my wife or kids!) that is going on upstairs. This is the room that probably has your bar, poker table and big plasma TV, so why wouldn’t a potential buyer want to see that? It needs to be clean and tidy, but when I have done visits to staged homes, this was always the room that caught my eye (and I’m sure a ton of other husbands and dads too!).

Do The Essentials

·         Make sure when you are setting the stage, no pun intended, you do all of the essential stuff around the house to make it look great. What might these chores be? Change all of the bulbs to make sure they don’t flicker or go out during a visit from a potential buyer. Change all of the batteries in the fire alarms so they don’t beep or go off during the visit. Make sure all of the doors are secured on their hinges and that they open and close easily. These are things that might not be noticeable UNTIL one of them goes wrong.

Showcase The Deck

·         If you have a family, the deck is going to be a huge resting area for many parties, picnics and birthday parties throughout the summer months. Make sure to show it off. Clean it up so that it looks more spacious and that the clutter is gone. Don’t have the dirty old grill be an eye sore to any potential buyer. Buy a cover for it and then put it in the corner. You want to show that whether it is all of the dads trying to escape for an adult beverage or whether it is a place for families to cook out on a nice summer evening, it has enough room to handle any and everything you might throw at (literally and figuratively!).

Walls, Carpets, Baseboards Better Be Clean

·         One of the first things people notice when they walk into your house is whether the carpets and walls are cleaned, and this includes the baseboards. This is essential when staging your home because you are naturally drawn to any stains in the carpet or scrapes in the walls. Now if it were up to me, I would pay someone to come in and clean the carpets and walls. But that is the lazy way of doing it (so I’ve been told time and time and time again…). This won’t be an easy task or one that you can do in an afternoon. You need to plan for this to take an entire weekend to do it right, so plan accordingly.

About the Author: Doug Chapman is a staff writer for HomeDaddys, a stay-at-home dad blog. He specializes in diapers and Sippy cups by day, but is a successful real estate investor by night to build passive income. 

The post From A Dad’s Point Of View – The Staging! appeared first on HomeDaddys.

It is easy to overspend during the long summer days. After all, the kids are out of school, and the average individual enjoys letting go a bit during the summer. However, it is important for you to remain focused on your long-term financial goals even during the summer.

Turn down the hot water

Most of us enjoy a nice warm bath or shower during the cool winter months. However, homeowners often neglect to turn down their hot water setting when the warm temperatures arrive. The USDE estimates that the average homeowner spends from $310 to $400 a year on hot water. Therefore, homeowners who turn down their water heaters will notice a reduction in their electric bill yet most likely will not notice the difference in water temperature.

Go on a “staycation”

Vacations include the cost of a hotel, gas or airfare to get there, eating out expenses and any activities completed while out-of-town. Consequently, vacations can be very expensive. For that reason, planning a staycation can save families quite a bit of money this summer. Staycations could include frequenting local attractions. Even with paying entry fees to local amusement parks or aquariums, individuals can save a great deal of money by not having to pay for lodging. In addition, just relaxing at home is also a valid staycation. Simply taking time off work is vacation enough for many individuals, and avoiding a traditional vacation will save individuals plenty of money this summer.

Eat at home

Although this tip will work throughout the year, the summer presents many unique opportunities for cooking not available during other parts of the year. For example, grilling is a great way to prepare food and take advantage of summer’s moderate evening temperatures.

Buying food in restaurants or vending machines really adds up over the course of time. Therefore, making an effort to eat at home more than out will result in substantial savings. In addition, while frequenting parks or other activities, it is wise to bring along food from home in an effort to prevent the propensity to succumb to the temptations often found in these locations such as snack and ice cream vendors.

Create homemade personal care items

The Department of Labor revealed the average family spends $526 on personal care products. However, summer with its more relaxed days presents the perfect opportunity for individuals to create their own personal care products. Making moisturizer, shampoo, face wash and other similar products is not near as difficult as most people assume. Thankfully, many of the needed ingredients are already found in the average home. Moreover, there are numerous recipes online that will guide individuals through the process.

The post 4 Creative Ways to Save Money This Summer appeared first on HomeDaddys.