Software for
contractors, builders, remodelers and others. They are
a must for a successful business. I have combed over
literally 100's of applications and thrown out most of them
over time. Here are the one's I recommend.
Here you'll find software
that will greatly help your business, whether you are a
building contractor and/or a business person.
Most applications today are
becoming web-based, in other words, you can access them from
anywhere there is an internet connection. They cost less,
the start-up costs have little risk, you can use them anywhere,
and the best part is that they are easier to use. I
particularly like being able to communicate with my
company personnel and access my documents from anywhere,
so I can be away from the office when I want.
Collaboration and
Google
Collaboration is a growing feature today, and
the programmers are listening. You can share information so
easily with your colleagues and friends with most web
applications. Many companies are keeping a tight budget and
using free office applications such as Google
Docs. I have shifted a
lot to Google docs and their email, called Gmail. I get my email anywhere, and I don't have
to worry whether an email application I use is available on
that computer. Google is very generous in the amount of
storage they allow you, so you can archive everything you
want and find it (as well as a reference to any text within the
email) in a Google second.
Check out 37Signals applications on the Office/Business page. This company has its finger on
the pulse of the user. They make simple yet very effective
applications that you can share with your whole company.
Many large companies are using them, and may I add, very
cost efficiently. Bill Taylor of Harvard Business publishing
wrote an insightful
article about
the business philosophy of 37Signals.
Screen
captures
Another must-have is
Snag-It. It is so
useful it should be outlawed. Every desk should have this one.
TechSmith is one great company and I can't thank them enough
for this and also their other applications. With Snag-It you
can literally capture any screen or even moving screens, along
with all the live links. Now you can send it to others, fully
annotate it, make it part of a collage, etc. Take my word on
this one. Try it.
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