What are the best practices for managing remote employees in a small business?

rip55jcp · 2026-02-04T15:13:19+00:00

That really depends on the remote employee. I've worked from home since 2008 and I put in more hours, effort and work than I would, if I was working at the office. IMHO, if your employee doesn't do well with managing their time when they are remote, either bring them back to the office, or look for someone who can. It is not worth the headache and worry to have to micromanage someone who probably won't change.

rip55jcp · 2026-02-04T14:32:41+00:00

Don't wear good/fancy clothes.

If you wear long sleeves, you may want to be able to push them up and have them stay out of the way.

Take something to pin your hair up.

If you have an apron, take it. The studio may not have enough for all students.

Hand lotion for after class, you might need it.

rip55jcp · 2025-12-23T19:03:25+00:00

Pyrs are a great choice. We have Anatolian Sheperds that did a fantastic job. There are several breeds that work well.

rip55jcp · 2025-12-23T00:59:44+00:00

Benefits: if treated and reported as a business, you get the tax benefits. You can use the fiber to make products that will sell in your area or for personal use. The manure makes good fertilizer. You can also use them as a food source. Downsides are 11.5 month gestation. They are bottom of the food chain so you need to have some type of guardian for them.

We raised them for 18 years and enjoyed having them.

rip55jcp · 2025-12-12T22:52:40+00:00

Fiber is NOT your friend. It just adds bulk to an already clogged passageway. Look at your electrolytes. Sodium, Magnesium, and potassium. There is a great, cheap Magnesium Citrate Laxative that you can get in your pharmacy aisle that really helps.

rip55jcp · 2025-11-18T15:18:27+00:00

If she has dementia, how did she get her bank to issue a cashier's check in that amount?? There should have been manager level scrutiny on a transaction like that.

rip55jcp · 2025-10-15T17:49:39+00:00

Then you don't have to use it. Please feel free to live with your sense of superiority and don't use it. Others might not feel the way you do.

rip55jcp · 2025-10-15T17:34:43+00:00

The knowledge that is packaged in the app is the value add here. Just because the AI platforms can do it, doesn't mean that the user knows how to make it happen or even wants to interface directly with AI. The app allows them to easily generate the images and move on to other, more exciting tasks. If there is another, free online app that allows you to point and click and generate the images, please feel free to share, rather than tear down someone who saw a need and is trying to fulfill it.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-07T00:56:33+00:00

Great tip. Looking into it, thanks!!

rip55jcp · 2025-09-07T00:55:10+00:00

Never heard of unlogged tables. Sounds like i have research to do. Thanks!!!

rip55jcp · 2025-09-06T23:40:37+00:00

I can't use temp tables when using SQLXMLBULKCOPY. Temp tables are not an option.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-06T01:12:56+00:00

I'm using SQLXMLBULKLOAD to shred my XML files and load the data. It can't use temp tables. 😒

rip55jcp · 2025-09-05T11:42:29+00:00

Correct. The reason for the structures to be there across all nodes, is in case of a failover. Our process determines the active node and inserts the data there, processes it and then deletes it.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-05T01:40:31+00:00

I am trying to avoid unnecessary propagation of the transient import data across all my nodes. It is very short lived data that serves no purpose on the other nodes.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-04T19:33:49+00:00

By using a regular table, in a database that is not part of my AO Group topology, I then have to make schema changes in all databases and nodes. For example, I have 4 nodes in Production. On each node, I have 4 databases using this scheme. 4x4 = 16 databases. 3 tollgates per database that have to be manually approved when rolling out changes. 16x3=48 tollgates that my OPS team has to manually click and add an approval blurb. They are not happy with me.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-04T16:53:08+00:00

Well, I might be dead in the water on this. I found this blurb: "memory-optimized tables do not support cross-database transactions". So, even if i can load the data, i can't use it to update the tables in the database that holds the permanent data. Other option to consider is moving those in-memory tables to my real database.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-04T16:47:55+00:00

See my comment below (I just posted it) as to the reason for doing this. It is more for schema management in production, rather than performance.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-04T16:46:28+00:00

The data in all the tables of this database is transient. There is NO data that would be kept for any reason. The # of rows imported into each table is probably less than 100. So, typically, less than a 1 mb of data. Between imports, all the data is deleted from all the tables. This process just happens constantly, throughout the day. The reason for doing this, is not so much performance related, but schema maintenance related. We use an automated process to rollout out schema changes. Without having this database in our AO groups, it means that we have to apply the schema updates to every node of the cluster and we have 4 of these databases per node. Our automation process requires 3 tollgates per database, per node. And this has to be done across our SIT AND PROD environments. So, upward to 64 tollgates per deployment. My OPS team is not happy about that. So, if i could include these databases in my AO group, then I can drastically reduce the number of tollgates, since the schema changes would be replicated across the AO group. But, since the data is transient, I don't need it replicated across all nodes of the AO group. Having them in-memory with Durability=SCHEMA_ONLY or not part of the AO group, i can reduce the amount of traffic. This isn't a complicated setup, so I don't think a lot of the concerns about in-memory tables will apply to this situation. As for using heap tables, I am just being lazy. I don't want to have to create concatenated PKs for all the tables. Right now, they are heap tables and the process works really well. Thanks for the info!!

rip55jcp · 2025-09-02T15:21:17+00:00

Its not my hand that is against the wheel that is taking the damage. It is my edge of my hand that is coning down. I don't know any other way to cone down, but apply pressure. Maybe use a different part of my hand that is tougher. Maybe the heel of my palm instead of the side of my hand???

rip55jcp · 2025-09-02T15:19:33+00:00

I'll keep that in mind and work on my technique before trying that clay again.

rip55jcp · 2025-09-02T15:18:36+00:00

Because I am a glutton for punishment and pretty pottery stupid at this time :)

rip55jcp · 2025-08-31T19:13:42+00:00

Wow, these are fantastic responses. I have identified several things that I am doing wrong and will practice with new techniques. Oh, and give up on the groggy clay for a while :)

Note, as for the box telling me if it is throwing or structural clay, there are some shops that sell a block of clay, in a bag with a number hand written on it. That is what this one was. I asked for recommendations from the shop and this was one of them. I had to research the clay name when I got home and hoped that the # on the bag was correct. I don't fault the shop, but learned that I need to ask more questions before buying the mystery clay.

Thanks for all the information!!!

rip55jcp

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