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Kate Harrington

Kate Harrington

Founder, Thumbtack Austin

Kate Harrington is a writer based out of Austin, Texas, with a background in business reporting. During her time as a reporter for the Austin Business Journal, she covered the health care industry, economic development, transportation, and commercial real estate. In 2010 she launched Thumbtack Communications, providing writing and marketing services to Austin-area businesses. She has had articles published in Austin Monthly, USA Today, the Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, McCombs Today, and is a regular contributor to the ChooseWhat.com STARTicles. She lives in Austin with her husband, son, dog, and two grumpy cats.

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All STARTicles by Kate Harrington

STARTicles offer you tactical information and insights on how to lay the foundation of your business so you can focus on building success.

Using Yosemite and iOS 8 to Make Screencasts on an iPhone

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

If you have a Mac, you may already know that it has screencasting software, QuickTime Player, that allows you to make movies of your computer screen. A screencast is basically … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Build Your Website

The Rise of Coworking

Friday, November 7, 2014

“Coworking” entered our vocabulary in 2005, and since then the trend has been on the rise. It shows no signs of slowing down, either: according to a 2013 report from … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Find Office Space / Management / Set Up Your Business Mailing Address

What Small Businesses Need To Know About Apple Pay

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The much-touted Apple Pay is now here, allowing customers to link their devices to bank accounts or credit cards and use the payment platform to make purchases. Many of the … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Management

Who Should Use A Client Portal?

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

You may have come across the term “client portal” and wondered what exactly that means. In a nutshell, a client portal is a secure place to store information for clients … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Management

it security policy business

Staying Secure Online

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Online security breaches make the news on a fairly routine basis. And every time they happen, it prompts the question “how can I keep my information secure?” More and more … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Select the Best Small Business Computer

Google Calendar Sync Is Going Away – Now What?

Monday, July 14, 2014

Almost two years ago Google announced that its Google Calendar Sync app will be going away, and now that day is approaching. On August 1 the app will no longer … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Get Basic Business Software / Set Up Business Email Accounts

What Businesses Need to Know About Software Licensing

Monday, July 7, 2014

When it comes to the legality of software installations, things sometimes don’t come across as black or white. Take, for instance, the idea of installing a product labeled for a … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Get Basic Business Software

The Best Places To Go Online For Your Company Logo

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Logos are an important part of a company’s identity. They create brand recognition, and more importantly, convey what a company does and what its core principles are. Finding the right … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Build Your Website / Create Basic Marketing Materials / Order Business Cards

Mobile App or Responsive Website – Which Is Best For Your Business?

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

You may have noticed that when it comes to accessing the Internet, more and more people are using mobile devices. That’s leading to change in the way websites are designed … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Build Your Website / Create Basic Marketing Materials

Reviewing LinkedIn’s Contacts App

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

As social media has become a tool more and more businesses and organizations are using, LinkedIn has made a name for itself as an invaluable resource for professionals. Although it’s … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Get Basic Business Software / Set Up Business Email Accounts

More Changes to the Affordable Care Act for Businesses

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect in 2013, there have been a number of changes to its mandates. The latest, directed businesses, came on February 10. The … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Get Group Health Insurance / Small Business Tax Tips

What’s New For QuickBooks’ 2014 Small Business Products

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Tax season is upon us, and most small businesses are in the process of preparing their taxes. If you’re a QuickBooks user, there are some changes to its Small Business … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Set Up the Books

Hiring An Accountant Versus Using TurboTax For Your Business Taxes

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The holidays and New Year’s Day are now behind us, which means the next thing looming on the calendar is tax season. For small business owners, it can also mean … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Small Business Tax Tips

Cloud Services for Larger Companies

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

In this continuing series about cloud services, we’ll look at more cloud computing choices for small to medium size businesses, this time looking at those with more than 500 employees. … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Get Basic Business Software

Cloud Services For Small to Medium Businesses

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

In this continuing series about cloud services, we’ll delve into more cloud computing choices for small to medium size businesses, this time looking at those with roughly 50 to 500 … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Get Basic Business Software

Cloud Services for Small Companies

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Businesses of all sizes are increasingly taking advantage of cloud storage and cloud services. Cloud computing is a growing technology with many types of offerings, but essentially it is … Continue Reading

Startup Step: Get Basic Business Software