Real-Life Math -- Solution
Ms. Nubee wants to know how much it will cost to get a website.
Website
development: 45 x $75 = $3,375
Consulting fees: 20 x $90 =
$1,800
Domain name registration: 1 x $200 = $200
Hosting
on server: 12 months x $50 = $600
Total for 1st year: $3,375
+ $1,800 + $200 + $600 = $5,975
Ms. Nubee can expect
to pay $5,975 for her 1st year on the Internet.
Internet consultants
do calculations like this almost every day. An important part of their job
is creating proposals for people who want a website. Each proposal must contain
a budget that is as accurate as possible.
"I would say the ability
to work with programs that are financially oriented, like spreadsheets, is
handy," says Internet consultant Allan Todd. "I wouldn't say the math is too
complex. It's financial-type math."
Knowing how long a website will
take to build and how many hours of consulting a client will need comes with
experience, he says. If the estimate is too low, the loss will probably come
out of the pocket of the consultant. Therefore, consultants will tend to assume
the worst when making an estimate.
Math also comes in handy when working
with subcontractors. These are people with special skills, such as writing
or programming, who Internet consultants hire to help them complete a job.
"I
definitely use financial [skills to] manage my own business," says Todd.