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Plus, the question is not “if you were rich”, it’s “unlimited start-up capitol”–which means you have to create something which is economically viable–not just a great hobby.
And why buy a firm in which you are not going to do anything!   Would you treat it like an ant farm or sea monkeys and watch it grow? Would you rename it Chia-Firm?
And j…[Read more]

I don’t know that it would be exactly the same with an LA office, but over the years I heve seen and heard so many people who thought that they could expand their landscape companies of all sorts beyond their own abilities by hiring all the right people to run their company better than they could. …. none of them could do it.
I do know lots of…[Read more]

http://store.apple.com/us/product/H0766VC/A/G-Technology-500GB-G-DRIVE-USB-Portable-Hard-Drive?fnode=MTY1NDA0Nw&mco=MTM3OTUwMzY
 
This is what I have. I have a MacPro, and it works great with it! It’s PC compatible too. I’ve had it since last summer and have never had a problem with it at all. 

hhhhmmm… interesting. good point. think i’ll go buy a couple lottery tickets…

Thats the nice thing about buying a firm. You have a a built clientele, all the equipment, skilled staff, and (hopefully) INCOME. If you only have startup capital, you eventually will need profit. There is no reason why you can’t do what you suggested, if your firm is in good hands. It would make the situation better. BTW, it need not be a large…[Read more]

I think I’d just expand my design/build and head for the Cour ‘de Alene area or Seattle.  To be honest, sometimes I love design/build, sometimes I hate it.  But it’s the right way to go financially and ensures, as some of you have already pointed out, that the landscapes you design are built properly. 
 
I also like your idea, TJ. I took a par…[Read more]

And if you can afford to buy a firm, then you can afford to hire people that can do everything better than you can… from design to running your business, essentially creating a situation where you only get in the way of your own success… oh the irony… 
That’s why I think it would have to be a one man operation. If you’re so stinking rich…[Read more]

BZ Girl….try to remember that all situations are temporary…..yours will change….hang in there until you can start your own shop…

Unlimited capital, huh? Why start when you can buy a firm!

If you have a mac you should call 1-800-MY-APPLE for tech support (you get this for free for 90 days, and if you bought applecare then you get it for 3 years) and ask them about setting up a time machine backup for your mac. Time machine is awesome, when you plug in your external hard drive it backs everything up on your computer and saves…[Read more]

landscape is not about spelling, and the student must reach out for himself ….I know you are kidding, Mark Foster, but it is true a lot of students interpret to be the failure of the teacher what is actually their own failure..
that movie about the spelling bee kids, the documentary, pretty well depicted different family attitudes towards…[Read more]

Thanks for the helpful thoughts, everyone!

I could have saved so many words. I want to be Henry.

Yes, for the most part. But I would do some things myself (back is much better, but always a risk), be on site, tag and select materials, set up plantings and hardscape layout, ….

I hav nothn bad to say abowt mi teechers–thay tot me reel gud lanskap arkitectyur

Ha! You radical! thanks for the perspective on the continuous general anti-academic mantra..

The Preliminary study on the technical and legal aspects relating to an INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPE CONVENTION is ready, and explains the need for a new normative tool in this area. The study will be presented to the UNESCO Executive Board in May 2011 and we ask you to help raise awareness of this important initiative.The most effective way for us t…[Read more]

Have you considered an online backup service like Mozy or Carbonite? They run about 50 bucks a year, have unlimited space, and you can access your files from anywhere (even without the PC they are originally stored on). They are also automatic when you are connected to the internet, no need to lug around a drive and power brick. I also use thumb…[Read more]

I’d go for the best buy personally (not the store). It looks like sub 1 TB is all about the same and 1-2TB are good buys. Anything higher and your paying extra to be at the top of the technology curve.
 
Here is a good link to get an idea of best pricing (it updates daily).
 
http://www.pricewatch.com/hard_removable_drives/
 
 

Get an external hard-drive with at least as many Gigs as your laptop. I.E. 500GB HDD on your Mac = <500GB external HDD.
Then back up the whole thing. You’ll have to do some research and educate yourself on how to do this but you can mirror your laptop HDD onto your external. If your laptop drive dies you can instantly restore it. Back up your data…[Read more]