With the struggling US economy, many businesses have had to implement steps to curb expenses and pinch pennies. One of the first areas to feel these cutbacks is the web site design and development group. Employees have been asked to fill roles previously held by other employees due to staff reductions. At the same time, these remaining employees are expected to execute robust and efficient mechanisms for their corporate web sites on a tight or non-existent budget. Developers and designers are looking for shortcut tools to get there. It's all about getting more bang for the buck. Web design on a Shoestring is the tool these web site developers and designers need. It reveals all sorts of free or inexpensive resources that are available but unknown. More specifically, Carrie Bickner shows you how any individual can do the things a team of web professionals are often brought in to do. Learn how to create a pennywise plan so that you avoid being nickled and dimed to death later. Find out the best ways to test your web sites efficiencies and functionalities. Understand the most effective content management systems, and the commercial products to use or avoid - all with no dollars being spent.

In this practical guide, experienced embedded engineer Lewin Edwards demonstrates faster, lower-cost methods for developing high-end embedded systems. With today's tight schedules and lower budgets, embedded designers are under greater pressure to deliver prototypes and system designs faster and cheaper. Edwards demonstrates how the use of the right tools and operating systems can make seemingly impossible deadlines possible. Designer's Guide to Embedded Systems Development shares many advanced, in-the-trenches design secrets to help engineers achieve better performance on the job. In particular, it covers many of the newer design tools supported by the GPL (GNU Public License) system. Code examples are given to provide concrete illustrations of tasks described in the text. The general procedures are applicable to many possible projects based on any 16/32-bit microcontroller. The book covers choosing the right architecture and development hardware to fit the project; choosing an operating system and developing a toolchain; evaluating software licenses and how they affect a project; step-by-step building instructions for gcc, binutils, gdb and newlib for the ARM7 core used in the case study project; prototyping techniques using a custom printed circuit board; debugging tips; and portability considerations. A wealth of practical tips, tricks and techniques Design better, faster and more cost-effectively

Shoestring Business Guides: Starting a Web Design Business will show you everything you need to know to start your own web design and hosting business. Written by a serial entrepreneur, veteran web designer, and all-around "computer geek", this book will cover the most important information you need to consider when starting your own web design business. Starting a Web Design Business is filled with practical, useful information sure to get your new business off to a good start.Starting a Web Design Business does not cover the specifics of coding in HTML, CSS, or scripting languages. There are many good books that cover these particular topics. Starting a Web Design Business focuses instead on the specifics or starting and running the business from the perspective of someone who has done exactly this.In the time since the first edition of this book was originally published (2009), some of the material has become dated - particularly some of the references to software. Nonetheless, there is still a lot of valid and useful material in this little book. The price of this first edition has been discounted as much as possible in an effort to be fair to readers.

Better Learning Solutions Through Better Learning Experiences When training and development initiatives treat learning as something that occurs as a one-time event, the learner and the business suffer. Using design thinking can help talent development professionals ensure learning sticks to drive improved performance. Design Thinking for Training and Development offers a primer on design thinking, a human-centered process and problem-solving methodology that focuses on involving users of a solution in its design. For effective design thinking, talent development professionals need to go beyond the UX, the user experience, and incorporate the LX, the learner experience. In this how-to guide for applying design thinking tools and techniques, Sharon Boller and Laura Fletcher share how they adapted the traditional design thinking process for training and development projects. Their process involves steps to: Get perspective. Refine the problem. Ideate and prototype. Iterate (develop, test, pilot, and refine). Implement. Design thinking is about balancing the three forces on training and development programs: learner wants and needs, business needs, and constraints. Learn how to get buy-in from skeptical stakeholders. Discover why taking requests for training, gathering the perspective of stakeholders and learners, and crafting problem statements will uncover the true issue at hand. Two in-depth case studies show how the authors made design thinking work. Job aids and tools featured in this book include: a strategy blueprint to uncover what a stakeholder is trying to solve an empathy map to capture the learner’s thoughts, actions, motivators, and challenges an experience map to better understand how the learner performs. With its hands-on, use-it-today approach, this book will get you started on your own journey to applying design thinking.

Build Your Own Home on a Shoestringshows readers everything they need to know to manage the construction of their dream homes and save big bucks in the process - it's how-to meets how-to-save! The book guides prospective homebuilders through each stage of the homebuilding process - from planning and financing to design and construction - and shows them how to reduce, even eliminate, costs along the way. Readers will learn how to- Buy the right piece of land at the right price. Find the best loan and negotiate closing costs. Get free design advice from professionals. Buy the floor plan of their dreams for next to nothing. Negotiate the best prices on materials and supplies. Save thousands on plumbing, electrical, and heating and cooling systems. Cut costs on walls, flooring, and interior rooms. Keep contractors and subcontractors on schedule. Handle unexpected delays and expenses.

"Will understands the life-enhancing abilities of colour. He's a true talent with a keen eye." Jonathan Adler This book will take readers on an inspiring journey to discover fifteen decor destinations that each have a distinct and inspired style. From the colourful cool of Miami Brights to the eclectic urban hipster warehouses of Brooklyn and the nautical feel of the Hamptons and Normandy, a diverse mix of decor styles will be explored. The homes will mirror their surrounding environments, and room analysis for every space in the home will show readers how they can recreate their favourite looks and styles no matter where they live. Our homes are a reflection of how we live and nothing impacts on that more than where we live, and the lifestyle we lead. This book will take readers on an inspiring and tactile journey to discover the decorating style that represents their personal style, all demonstrated via Will's personal and evocative travel imagery, charming illustrations and personality-packed homes across the globe. By inspiring readers to look to their surroundings and call on their own travel memories and personal journeys, the book will be the practical yet playful travel companion the reader needs to create their own Destination Decor style.

The longtime chief marketing officer for Chick-fil-A tells the inside story of how the company turned prevailing theories of fast-food marketing upside down and built one of the most successful and beloved brands in America. Covert Cows will help you… Discover unexpected, out-of-the-box marketing methods and new ways of approaching business problems. Understand the positive impact of building a business based on biblical principles. Receive an insider’s look at the evolution of one of America’s most beloved brands. Learn key marketing and business insights from the man who was the chief marketing officer for Chick-fil-A for thirty-four years. During his thirty-four-year tenure at Chick-fil-A, Steve Robinson was integrally involved in the company’s growth--from 184 stores and $100 million in annual sales in 1981 to over 2,100 stores and over $6.8 billion in annual sales in 2015--and was a first-hand witness to its evolution as an indelible global brand. In Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A, Robinson shares behind-the-scenes accounts of key moments, including the creation of the Chick-fil-A corporate purpose and the formation and management of the now-iconic "Eat Mor Chikin" cow campaign. Drawing on his personal interactions with the gifted team of company leaders, restaurant operators, and the company's founder, Truett Cathy, Robinson explains the important traits that built the company's culture and sustained it through recession and many other challenges. He also reveals how every aspect of the company's approach reflects an unwavering dedication to Christian values and to the individual customer experience. Written with disarming candor and revealing storytelling, Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A is the never-before-told story of a great American success.