-Make sure you qualify as a “small business” under SBA regulations
-Make sure you have the necessary accounts (DUNS number & CAGE code) to accept Purchase Orders and be awarded a government contract.
https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1#1
-For instances in which the agency may pay you via credit card, make sure that you have some way of accepting credit card payments that does NOT use a third-party intermediary like PayPal.
That's a great project and a step in the right direction, but you need the rest of the companies to follow suit and create smaller satellite campuses in and around.
>When you submit a patent application, it becomes public forever, even if it's rejected. You will have paid legal fees with the end result of granting competitors access to your ideas.
Not entirely true. If you don't want an application to publish, there are options available. Under certain circumstances (i.e., you are 100% certain that you do not want to file for foreign patent protection in other countries), you can file with a non-publication request, and the application will not become public until it proceeds to issuance as a patent.
If it never proceeds to issuance as a patent, then filing it with a non-pub request will at least make it harder to find. It will then only become publicly available (in this case, in the USPTO's Public PAIR database) if it's referenced as a priority app in another published application or issued patent.
If it's abandoned and never referred to again in any application, then you have to file a petition to gain access to the file wrapper contents.
That's an interesting point about social environment and engagement. As a native Californian, I struggled socially when I was living in the DC metro area for 5 years. Simply put, it was the weather. If there was rain (which was nothing like the light sprinkle I was used to) or a slight dusting of snow, I did not want to go out. I slipped on icy sidewalks (breaking my tailbone); got regularly drenched while walking to the metro; and had my fair share of heart-stopping moments driving in inclement weather. As someone who's already introverted, it became very easy for me to just hole up in my apartment.
Wow, after a year you could have learned how to deal with the weather better. Better shoes, defensive driving classes, etc. All for less than the cost of one month's rent.
I live in California and love it, but bad weather is just something you need a few tools to deal with.
What is your price range?
Will you have a car?
Where is your employer located?
Do you prefer newer construction, or are you OK with older, garden-style units?
Any "must-haves"? (i.e., in-unit washer-dryer)
Sorry, to pepper you with questions. I live in the area, and am very picky about where I live. These are all factors I considered when looking for an apartment.
Price - I was considering something reasonably cheap around $1,500 to $2,000 for a studio.
Driving - I never drove a car in my life. I'll get an electric scooter. I'm sure people would love to see me scooting while listening to "They see me rollin" by Chamillionaire..
Style - I'm not very selective really. Just as long as the roof holds up during an earthquake :)
Must Haves: Wash-Dryer In-Unit or in the "building". Outside of that, just something near places to code and network with down to earth people; Social scene of geeks I guess.
No need to apologize! Pepper away like I'm an overcooked steak :)
Have you considered looking at room rentals on Craigslist? If you're within walking distance of Castro (downtown), you may not even be at home that much, because you'll be steps away from the library, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. In a way, I think shared living can often be a form of networking, because so many people here work in tech.
I mention it only because in my experience, cheap studio rentals in MV are not worth the paper their leases are printed upon. They have thin walls, which are my biggest pet peeve. When you can hear everything your neighbors are doing (or conversely, have to walk around on tip toes to avoid irritating them), any privacy-related benefit of having your own place kinda goes out the window. Again, that's just my experience. When I first moved to MV in early 2016, I rented a studio for $1900 (a decision I ultimately regretted because of noisy neighbors/thin walls). In hindsight, I wish I'd just rented a room in a house from someone with a personality similar to mine (quiet introvert). Good luck with your search:)
> Price - I was considering something reasonably cheap around $1,500 to $2,000 for a studio.
It's next to impossible to find a studio in MTV in that price range. Anyway, you will have better luck searching on Craigslist or apartments.com with the appropriate filters than asking here.
Agreed. I used to watch reruns of Law & Order. Hearing the beginning intro would remind me of a time when life was less complicated, and the plot was engaging enough to distract and lull me into sleep. Sadly, Netflix removed it, so I now rely on podcasts.
I'm also a middle-aged introvert. Outside of work, the only people I really talk to are my sisters, neither of whom live nearby. One thing that's helped me is fostering rescue dogs with a local organization. I only foster for a few days here and there, but it really makes a difference to feel some life around my apartment.
I agree. Moving is a big decision, and it's hard to gauge what a person is like after only one meeting. Also, as I've learned the hard way, many people have different understandings of what it means to be "quiet."
-Make sure you qualify as a “small business” under SBA regulations
-Make sure you have the necessary accounts (DUNS number & CAGE code) to accept Purchase Orders and be awarded a government contract. https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1#1
-For instances in which the agency may pay you via credit card, make sure that you have some way of accepting credit card payments that does NOT use a third-party intermediary like PayPal.