Thanks for the info ... I found their website and will be contacting them. We have integrated numerous and redundant security features with our aggregation approach, so hopefully that appeases security concerns.
FOOD - I eat stuff all day long and it is the one thing I find to be the best as far as perks. Above all, keep it all free or have some kind of 'honor code' pay container where you have a bunch of snacks, drinks, etc and employees could give 50 cents for a soda, juice drink, or whatever. There are other things like bringing fruit or vegetable platters for afternoon snacks when it might be a longer day than most.
PERSONAL PARKING SPACE - I know this is really not doable in most circumstances, but I HATE coming to work a few minutes late and not having any place to park.
FLEX TIME - Some companies have flex time where you can work lots of extra hours this week and next so that you could take a few days of next month.
Whatever you do for perks, I think it is vital to make your employees feel appreciated. Sometimes just telling them 'great job' on stuff can go a long way.
Just another thought, how about asking your employees what perks (within reason) they would like. Ask what would make them excited to come to work and not want to leave.
The one bit of information left out in the article is how do you get the magnetic nanoparticles in your blood stream in the first place. I wouldn't think they are injected directly into a vein, but maybe they are ...
I completely understand the point the author is trying to make, but I would disagree with the author's meaning of 'passionate'. People can be passionate about their ideas, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have taken that 'next' step to 'show you' a product. I think what the author really wants to see from people that claim they are 'passionate' about their ideas is pro-activeness in building something tangible.
Wow! This article certainly gives you a different perspective on how companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft really are small as compared to giants like GE, Exxon, etc.
What blows me away is that Wal-Mart has 2 million+ employees! A piece of information that would be interesting as a comparison is the number of government employees there are in different countries ...
My advice ... continue to freelance. As every student knows, some weeks are just busier than others and leave you with zero free time. If you were running a business, how would you handle those busy weeks? Would you sacrifice studying or writing reports for your business?
The great thing about freelance is that you can do it whenever YOU choose! If you decide to take a few weeks off from freelancing to study for final exams, you can do it. Running a business will not necessarily give you that flexibility.
I am in the same boat ... my plan is to work on the idea I am most passionate about. Then when I have a nice revenue generating business, I can hire developers to make my other ideas happen.
If they are serious about buying and you are serious about selling, it might behoove you to find a broker or 3rd party with experience in these types of deals.
... this is what I would do if I was in your shoes.
Never undervalue the value of college. It's not just about the academics.
My thoughts ... is there a community college or university near where you 'could' be working full time? If so, maybe you could figure something out where you could work part/full time and go to school at the same time. Sometimes companies offer special deals that pay some or all of your tuition for 1 class per semester.
If you decide to work and go to school at the same time, get your AA first. That way if you decide you want to go to a different university, you can usually transfer the AA degree.