The Cratchit Project Home Page

<BODY TEXT="#333333" LINK="#664E38" VLINK="#51188e" BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <table width="100%" border="0"> <tr> <td width="270"> <a href="index.htm" target="_top"> <IMG SRC="dleigh/image/cratchitbanner_new.png" NAME="Graphic1" ALT="Cratchit.org" ALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=262 HEIGHT=55 BORDER=0> </a> </td> <td width="*"> <FONT SIZE=3> <B>Consulting Services<br /> Project Management<br /> Systems Development</B> </FONT> </td> </tr> </table> <TABLE WIDTH=100% BORDER=0 BORDERCOLOR="#eeeeee" CELLPADDING=6 CELLSPACING=0 STYLE="page-break-before: always"> <COL WIDTH=65*><COL WIDTH=191*> <TR VALIGN=TOP> <TD WIDTH=25% ALIGN="RIGHT"> <P><b>Products</b></P> </TD> <TD WIDTH=75%> <P> The <B><a href="VIC/index.htm" name="Vital Information Center">Vital Information Center</a></B> (VIC) is a full-featured CRM and Sales Force Automation tool that enables you to leverage the power of Lotus Notes. Developed originally under exclusive contract, we're now preparing to market it commercially. Click through to learn more about this impressive product. </P> </TD> </TR> <TR VALIGN=TOP> <TD WIDTH=25% ALIGN="RIGHT"> <P><b>Services</b></P> </TD> <TD WIDTH=75%> Cratchit provides all manner of small business IT consulting services: Project management, hardware & software systems integration, software design and programming. Whether you need someone to help you set up a mail or web server or design enterprise-level services you've come to the right place.<BR><BR> My specialty is analyzing your needs and finding or devising novel solutions that meet or exceed your expectations <I>under budget</I>. I've had clients ranging from tiny "Mom & Pop" shops to multinational corporations. I invite you to look at my <A HREF="dleigh/bio/pro_bio.htm">Professional Biography</A> to see some of the ways in which I've helped others.</P> </TD> </TR> <TR VALIGN=TOP> <TD WIDTH=25% ALIGN="RIGHT"> <P><FONT COLOR="000000"><B>Consultation</B></FONT></P> </TD> <TD WIDTH=75%> <P ALIGN=LEFT> <b>Are you caught on a licensing treadmill?</b> What if you were subjected to a software audit? The Business Software Alliance is currently investigating Union area organizations that use unlicensed software. This organization is funded by a number of large software companies, including Microsoft. According to the BSA, the penalties for copyright infringement can total <b>hundreds of thousands of dollars!!</b> Most companies, <I>especially</I> small companies, would fail such an audit. <br><br> <b>Don't put the wolves in charge of counting your sheep! </b> Before you call the BSA you need to know that <I>there are alternatives!</I> <A HREF="dleigh/contact.htm">Contact me</A> to set up a consultation and independent software audit. I'll help you assess your risk, I'll listen to your needs and desires, and will let you know what options are available to you within your budget and your needs, All without fear of the penalties and fines that may result from a BSA audit. In addition, since I'm an independent and objective agent not affiliated with any software manufacturer, I can show you how to leverage the power of <b>Open Source</b> to provide services that you can't provide today due to exhorbitant cost. <br><br> The consultation is without risk. After that, if you'd like additional assistance in cutting your costs... well, I can help there, too. </P> </TD> </TR> <TR VALIGN=TOP> <TD WIDTH=25% ALIGN="RIGHT"> <P><A HREF="dleigh/plc/plc-index.htm"><b>System Development Methodology</b></A> <BR>("Consulting 101")</P> </TD> <TD WIDTH=75%> <p align="Left">Here is some basic information about managing sponsored project development. I've done this particular job for most of my professional career, and would like to make some of it available to others. Advice, lessons learned, and the basics of Structured Development Methodology.</p> <P ALIGN=LEFT>This is an attempt to explain formal system development in informal terms. It's targeted to the student or to the small VAR or systems developer who may not have worked with larger clients before, but I've been told by many people that it's quite useful for larger organizations as well. I've been asked, and have given permission, for its use in some surprisingly large companies.</P> </TD> </TR> <TR VALIGN=TOP> <TD WIDTH=25% ALIGN="RIGHT"> <P><A HREF="download/index.htm"><b>Downloads</b></A></P> </TD> <TD WIDTH=75%> <p align="Left">Although most of the programs that I've created thus far are proprietary, I've started to release some small tools for general distribution. You can download some of the minor utilities, articles, and works in progress I have on-line.</p> </TD> </TR> <TR VALIGN=TOP> <TD WIDTH=25% ALIGN="RIGHT"> <b>About Cratchit.org</b> </TD> <TD WIDTH=75%> <P> Cratchit is a small consulting company based in Union, South Carolina, and serving the North Carolina/South Carolina area. Primarily it's a one-man operation run by me, <A HREF="dleigh/index.htm">David F. Leigh</A>, though I have a number of partners available to me if a project requires more resources than I can muster as an individual. <br><br> Cratchit.org is named for Ebeneezer Scrooge's underpaid, overworked accountant, Bob Cratchit. This reflects my early concentration on accounting solutions. </P> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <hr size="1"> <CENTER> <font size="-2">The informational content of this website is copyright 1997-2003 by David F. Leigh unless otherwise stated. Permission to distribute is granted under the terms of the <a href="http://www.fsf.org/licenses/fdl.html" name="GNU Free Documentation License"> GNU Free Documentation License</a>.</font> </CENTER> </BODY>