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The Guide to Being Cheap. A few months ago I was involved in a discussion on Hacker News about how startups can save money . Collectively some great tips were shared that benefit startups, small businesses and freelancers. As somebody within this descriptor you are constant hitting cash-flow challenges. Money is not easy to come by, and is even harder to keep. Working with smaller companies from time to time I’m seeing burn rates (the amount of cash you spend) far higher than they should be. Below is a nicely curated lists of do’s and don’ts when it comes to being cheap and saving money. Much credit belongs to the Hacker News community for generating this list. • Always ask for a deal. • Use Skype, an unlimited cell provider or another VOIP provider to reduce phone bills. • Live somewhere with a suitable home office; don’t expand too fast.

If you have investors, shackle down in their offices. As soon as you need an office location, use a co-working facility. • Try the free versions of everything. . • Walk if possible. So, You Want to Be an Entrepreneur. 3 Weeks to Startup: Week 1 - Guide to starting a business - Entrepreneur.com. Starting a business doesn't have to take weeks or years. Are you looking for the fast track to starting your business? You want to make sure you hit all the high points but don't get bogged down in too many fine points that lead you nowhere, right?

Then read this guide, and get your business running in less than a month. Week 1Day 1: Start with a viable idea. Does anybody need (or want) what we're going to be selling? The answers to these questions may seem obvious, but the point of this exercise is to give yourself a reality check. Day 2: Determine ownership There are no formulas for ownership, and it may seem awkward at first, but if you're partnering with someone, it's a thousand times easier to do it now than to wait until after the money starts flowing. For now, talk about it first, and leave it to settle for tomorrow. Day 3: Get the agreement in writing. Day 4: Name the business. Many people misunderstand what you can and can't do with names. Day 7: Estimate starting costs. Not So Tech-Savvy? – Technology Resources – Entrepreneur.com. Look like the real deal with these easy-to-use tech resources for e-mail, web design, conference calling and more. Some entrepreneurs are naturally tech-savvy.

For the rest of us, technology seems like just one more daunting task to master. Even choosing the right cell phone or PDA, such as a BlackBerry, has become a complex and time-consuming effort. But when you're running a business, you need to maintain a certain level of professionalism from the start--especially when it comes to tech basics like e-mail, website and communications. Fortunately, there are countless programs you can tap for help on tasks ranging from e-mail blasts to telephone conference calling to website add-ons, even with limited technical know-how. I'll share a few of them here. First and most importantly, take a look at your e-mail address. There are countless services (such as www.1and1.com ) that enable you to register your own e-mail, including, most likely, your current internet service provider.