For more than thirty years, I have helped small companies solve business and marketing problems through the application of computers and technology. During that time, I have discovered many software applications that help business owners conduct business, better, faster, accurately and more effectively.Here are some of the latest applications I have discovered and use in my business every day. See how they might give you an advantage in your business operations.
Five Cool Applications I Use Every Day
- GoToMeeting – Easy to use web conferencing and online meeting tools. Work with anyone, anywhere. GoToMeeting enables you to record audio and video screen presentations, face-to-face HD quality video conferencing right from your desktop and even supports mobile devices. This is my go-to tool for small group meetings when sharing desktops. Convenient recording allows playback for training and makes product creation a breeze.
- Cubby – I have been searching for a solution like Cubby for quite a while. File sharing services like Dropbox and others like it are perfect for sharing files with other users but one has to remember to upload and download files so they can be accessed at home and at work. I always forget to upload or download and have to remember which version I am using. Cubby eliminates the need to upload and download entirely. Cubby allows you to share any folder on your computer with another user. It automatically synchronizes the latest version of the document while you work normally, using everyday applications to edit and publish documents. No uploading and downloading is necessary and you can access your files on any smart phone or mobile device. Cubby offers both free, paid plans, invite other users, and you can earn additional free space.
- Dropbox – Perfect for sharing video, audio, images and documents with other users. It has a simple user interface that is easy to use. It also has simple photo and video players allowing users to preview the files before they are downloaded. Dropbox offers both free, paid plans, invite other users, and you can earn additional free space.
- Podio – I recently discovered this powerful project management suite of applications. It works like a closed social network with an activity stream, reminders, email integration and a variety of other powerful social features. I started using Podio a month ago and started to see benefits immediately. It helped me focus on and better define project deliverables and deadlines and it was easier than ever to update project team members with tasks, project deliverables, expenses and more. It integrates with popular file sharing services like Dropbox so sharing documents is easy (too bad they don’t integrate with Cubby yet!)
- SmartyStreets – When mailing letters and packages to prospects and customers it is not only is it important readers read your letter, but it is critical the postal service DELIVER the mail in the first place. The first step in getting your mail piece delivered lies in the accuracy of your mailing list. SmartyStreets validates mailing addresses against the United States Postal Service (USPS) database and returns clean, mailable addresses you can use to get your mail delivered also qualify for USPS discounts for bulk-sorted mail. The biggest benefit I have realized from SmartyStreets is the reduction of returned and undeliverable mail. It helps identify bad and incomplete addresses and duplicates before you mail and that saves time, packaging costs and postage too!