Rural Living on $1,000 a month in Malad, Idaho.
A non-profit organization hopes to help children in impoverished countries by distributing low-cost computers.
Designed with help from major companies including Google, NewsCorp, and Nortel, the XO went into mass production in November and has been tested in countries like Brazil, Nigeria, and India already.
Provided by HPEstablish a Broadband Connection
Wireless networks are always an extension of your broadband wired connection. Before you put your wireless network in place, be sure you have a T1, DSL, cable, or other broadband connection in place in your office.
Decide Who, What, When, and Where
Determine who will be using the network and what they’ll be doing on it. Find out when they’ll need it so you can prevent bandwidth-intensive tasks from bogging down your wireless network. Determine the number and location of wireless access points.
Get the Gear
Purchase the gear that creates the wireless network and connects you to the Internet—the access points, routers, and hubs. You’ll also need to purchase wireless network cards for every desktop, laptop, PDA, printer, or other device that will connect to the established wireless network. Be sure that the cards support the same standard and broadcast frequency as the wireless access point.
Implement Wireless Security
Wireless networks broadcast data packets—your information—out into thin air where anyone can pick up the broadcasts. So you’ll need to implement some wireless-specific security measures, such as MAC addressing, data encryption, and other traditional security techniques.
© 2007 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP
Steer clear of fraudulent or deceptive offers targeting borrowers. Unscrupulous individuals try to lure consumers into questionable, high-cost deals or fraudulent transactions, usually involving new loans or credit cards or offers to help deal with debt problems. Here are examples:
“Predatory” loans: People from non-bank or home improvement industries may use false or misleading sales tactics to make high-cost loans to consumers in need of cash. Victims who can’t afford the loan may be pressured to refinance. Borrowers who pledge their house as collateral could lose it in a foreclosure.
Credit repair scams: Con artists may promise to erase a bad credit history or make easy loans to people with spotty credit histories. Most charge exorbitant fees or never provide the promised money. Only steady and consistent on-time payments by a consumer can legally repair a credit record.
Mortgage foreclosure frauds: Thieves may contact homeowners at risk of losing their home to foreclosure and propose to help by “paying your mortgage” while you temporarily “rent” your home from them. They then trick you into signing documents that transfer the ownership of the property to the crooks. In other scams, phony companies claiming to be housing counselors offer to negotiate a new loan or perform other services for very high upfront fees and do little or nothing in return.
Credit card fraud: Identity thieves steal personal information and apply for new credit cards or make counterfeit cards. Under federal law, if a thief uses your credit card or card number the most you are liable for is $50. Even so, ID theft in general can be costly to fix, and it can take months to repair the damage. Notify your card issuer about any problems as soon as possible to help limit your losses.
How can you avoid credit-related fraud or deception in general? “Deal with financial institutions or other companies you know or that you have independently verified as being legitimate,” explained Randall Howe, a fraud specialist at the FDIC. When in doubt, he said, you may contact the FDIC for guidance (see For More Help or Information on Loans and Credit Cards) or call your state or county’s consumer protection office.
As for preventing credit card fraud, safeguard your personal and financial information and monitor your credit card statements and credit reports for signs that a thief has stolen your identity.
For more specific recommendations, go to www.fdic.gov/quicklinks/consumers.html.
 Is It Right for You?
Hundreds of thousands of individuals decide to start a home-based business each year. Many succeed. About 70 percent of all home based businesses are in operation after two years. Before entering this venture, entrepreneurs should consider several key questions:
As in most businesses, there are advantages and disadvantages to the home-based business. A business in the home permits flexibility of working hours, lower start-up costs and allows family affairs to continue during business hours. There are also disadvantages—zoning restrictions may prohibit business, the IRS may raise tax questions, it may be difficult to get materials and customers to the location and financing the business could be challenging.
The IRS specifies that a home-based business must have its own location away from the family living space that is devoted exclusively to the business. The business must be in regular operation, profits must exceed expenses in order to claim deductions, the business must be conducted almost exclusively in the home and the motive must be profit.
A major challenge in operating a home-based business is isolation from distributors, merchants, clients and interested parties. Modern communications help to alleviate the problem—a computer is a necessity. A fax machine and Internet access are almost certainly necessary for communications within the business community. In addition, separate telephone phone lines must be installed for telephone, fax and Internet access and the business phone needs some type of answering service.
In summary, the business must be run as a business not as an extension of the home. It is essential that the prospective business owner have a good business and financial plan, separate from the family finances, that clearly spells out the present and future of the business.
Be aware that many neighborhoods have deed restrictions forbidding the operation of a business. Some require extra off street parking, others forbid deliveries and signs, etc. It is wise to check with your Home Owners Association and with your local government for a complete survey of your city or county regulations.
It may be difficult to raise capital. The average home-based business requires about $10,000 in start-up costs. Although this may be much less than opening a business outside the home, both the start-up and operating funds should be in hand before beginning the business operation.
© Copyright 2011 Self Reliant Living · All Rights Reserved · Edited by Harold Carey Jr.