All day long, I'm surrounded by "Technology".  It's pretty pervasive to me, and I try to stay on the cutting edge of technology and technology trends. Some tools, however, are just so commonly used that I neglect to mention them.  The fact is, though, they're extremely helpful to any business.  Today, I present three tools you may not have considered using for your business, but I think would benefit you greatly.

1. Blog Reader/Client

Blogs have taken off in the last few years, and are relatively mainstream, but not for everyone.  If you're not already using one, I recommend you do.  The key here is to realize they're not just about getting a picture of the latest cute cat, or of finding a picture of the hot celebrity. In addition, you can also get great information pertaining to your work.  Chances are, your industry has several related blogs, weather from your trade magazines, or from industry experts.  My recommendation for a client to use is Google Reader, but there are several others, including NewzCrawler and FeedDemon (both for Windows), and Shrook (for Mac).  I prefer Google Reader because it doesn't require any additional software.  If you need help setting up a reader, or finding blogs for your industry, just let me know.

2. QuickBooks Online

I am personally a big fan of this tool.  We all have to do some sort of accounting, even you have your own dedicated accounting professional.  You need to at least have access to your books.  With traditional methods, this means separate licenses for each computer you use to do accounting, emailing files back and forth, and never seeming to have access to your financial data when you need it.  QuickBooks Online solves all of these issues.  You can securely connect from anywhere, from Windows or Mac (and even your BlackBerry/iPhone/Android).  Never again worry about getting access to your company's financials.  If you have questions about the product, just let me know.

3. Instant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) is certainly not a new technology.  It's uptake within businesses is not, however, particularly high.  This is a shame, though, because it's great for quick messages between co-workers.  Instead of firing off an email, you can just send a quick IM.  Current IM servers will allow you to do this securely, and (if you choose) log your conversations.  "But why not just send those quick messages as emails?"  There are a couple of reasons.  First, it's called Instant Messaging for a reason.  While it's not truly instant, due to how it's set up, it is quicker than email.  Second, if you clutter up your email Inbox with lots of one liner emails, you can loose track of those important emails from clients.  We all have a fire hose of emails coming in.  Separate out those intra-office quesitons and answers out from the others with an IM client.  If you are interested in setting up a secure, robust IM server, we can help.

Use These Tools