How To Subtract In Your HeadWritten by Murdo Macleod
We all have to subtract numbers sometimes... whether it's budgeting your household expenses, checking your change at store, or installing that new shelving unit during a spot of home DIY.The problem is, you won't always have a calculator handy. Well fear not. Doing simple calculations in your head is just as easy and even faster than using a calculator. Here's a quick way to do basic subtraction without relying on any electronic gadget... Suppose you offer 50 cents for something costing 18 cents. What's easiest way to check your change? 50 - 18 = ? To take 18 from 50, we note that 18 is close to 20, so we take 20 away from 50 (to get 30) and add 2 back on. Answer: 32 Similarly, in 73 - 49 we decide to take 50 away from 73 and then add 1 back on. We get 24. Do you see how easy this is? Try these for yourself: #1) 62 - 36 = ? #2) 84 - 48 = ? #3) 71 - 27 = ?
| | Getting Software Developed for Your BusinessWritten by David J Berube
At some point, your business is going to need to have some software development. Maybe your business is small, but existing software doesn't fit your needs. Maybe your company is larger, with significant technology resources already, but you need an outside perspective. Whatever reason, it can be difficult to choose an software developer, especially if you aren't a technical person. I've heard stories about selecting developers from all sorts of people. Quite a few have told me heard horror stories about how they wound up with large bills and little or nothing to show for it. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be hard to choose an software developer; I've developed four questions you need to ask when you're choosing a developer. 1: Are they a contract programmer or a software developer? A professional software developer isn't in business of writing code; rather, he's in business of solving problems, and code just happens to be one of way that he (or she) does it. Conversely, a contract programmer will want you to spell out exactly what kind of program you want him to write. He doesn't solve problems; he just writes code way he's told, and hopes it will fix problem at hand. With a real software developer, you wind up with a solution that leaves everyone happy. The market is full of contract programmers masquerading as software developers. Be careful. 2: Are they focused on technology or benefits? Some software developers can get wrapped up in their technology; it's not uncommon to see developers who specializes in "AS/400 mainframes" or "embedded systems", for example. A real software developer, though, focuses on benefiting his client, using whatever technology is necessary, rather than on what technology he's familar with. You want to hire someone that's skilled at solving problems, and that will use technology that's best suited to your business, whatever it may be. You shouldn't have to pick a developer based on what technology he's familar with; he should be able to take care of almost any technological problem, either by doing work himself or outsourcing to someone in his network of contacts.
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