what about health care?

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Egads! I hadn’t even heard of that one. Yes, that’s exactly what health insurance is for and I’m glad you had insurance to handle that as $110k is a lot for even the wealthiest to handle. Again: I’M NO EXPERT! I’ve had some insurance training and I have my opinions (opinions are like…insert expletive… you get the idea) which, not surprisingly, reflect my personal, professional, and financial situation.

My wife and I take great pains to be as healthy as possible and living in Arizona presents unique situations (like Valley Fever which I’ve had and it’s really not fun). Now, were I in a different situation, I would likely feel different. The larger issue of healthcare in this country is touchy and not likely to present a solid, workable solution in the near future. Part of the reason I decided I wanted to make movies instead and get out of insurance.

We have drifted pretty far off the original post about competing with script-kiddies with hacked software. Again, don’t play on their field, make them compete with YOU. They won’t be able to compete on quality, knowledge, experience, etc., but can on PRICE. Let ’em. After working for 40 hours on a project and getting paid $200, they’ll be in business at that level for a really short time and then either raise rates or just go out of business. They’ll be replaced by someone else and this cycle will continue.

Suggestions: if you think (or know) your competition is using pirated software, turn them in. A lot of people say, “oh, I don’t wanna do THAT…” Turn them in – think of it as a business strategy. There are stiff fines for using educational software for business use or using a stolen license or an illegal copy. Adobe will very aggressively prosecute license violations. So does Apple, Microsoft, and a host of others. If someone stole your video and made copy upon copy, wouldn’t you prosecute? You pay for your software and it ain’t cheap. Your competition shouldn’t have to resort to illegal activity to improve their edge. I paid for my Adobe Suite, FCS, a stack of other apps and more than a few plug-ins. I’m heading to NAB next year to figure out what I’ll spend money on next year. Don’t forget to factor in what you plan to spend on software and hardware in your quotes. Think also – they need to have a valid business license in their region – big fines for operating a business without valid licensing.

Now, if they did buy their software and can prove it and still want to charge too little for a project, that’s their deal. They obviously have a different business model than you.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Grinner Hester]

to not have health care.

… or to move to place that prop[erly places it on the open market.

[Mick Haensler]

Like Bob, my wife and I pay about 10K in health care a year. Also like Bob, we both run “proper” businesses so it’s a 100% company deduction. We didn’t turn a profit last year because of health insurance. Because we didn’t turn a profit we qualified for some serious tax breaks under the stimulus plan. Another reason to run a “proper” company and get a good accountant. We actually made money, just didn’t turn a profit.

Mick Haensler
Higher Ground Media

[Bob Zelin]

Mick said it all – if you are in business, don’t go to H&R Block – get a GOOD ACCOUNTANT, and pay him well (it’s all a write off anyway).
That saves your behind.

Bob Zelin