There’s no question about it: Technology has changed the workplace environment for good. Along with high-priced and tech-supported business systems and programs, some solid business tools are available to anyone via the Internet—and many of them are free.
There are programs to help you see your desktop remotely, send invoices and manage your finances, create and maintain websites, videoconference with clients, brainstorm with partners, make mind maps and diagrams, organize files and emails, set your schedule, and make free phone calls all over the world.
In order to make the best use of so many tools, business experts advise creating a list of exactly what services your business needs. This will help you narrow your search among the thousands of business tools currently out there.
Many of these services provide a basic package for free, but if you want all the bells and whistles you’ll pay a premium. Registration is usually required, and tutorials are often self-help online presentations.
Here’s a list of just a few of the business programs available to increase your productivity, get you organized, and expand your company’s visibility in the global marketplace:
Voice Communications and Web Conferencing
Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers have been around for a while, furnishing inexpensive telephone service—usually around $25 per month—over the Internet.
One of the most popular is Skype, which offers free calling worldwide between callers using the Skype software and low-cost subscriptions (SkypeOut) to facilitate Skype to landline and cell-phone conversations. Skype is more than just free or low-cost telephone calls. Video calls and conferencing, instant messaging, and file sharing are all available to Skype users.
A Skype bonus is the ability to screen share, although you do lose the visual feature with the person at the other end of the line while you are viewing his desktop. Also, only one person at a time can share your screen, making it less than desirable for Web conferencing.
There are other drawbacks to using Skype. Skype customer service seems to be nonexistent and only reachable through an online Web form. SkypeOut may not be available if you are behind a firewall. Still, hundreds of thousands of users seem to prefer the free system over low-cost competitors.
Voice communications services are also available from Oovoo. Two-way video and audio calls are free. Free services also include the ability to embed a video chat room on a website, record and send video messages to email addresses, and text chat. Additional services and users can be added either through a monthly subscription plan or by purchasing credits to pay for premium services as you use them.
Yugma is a free service that lets you and your colleagues instantly connect via Web conferencing. It also offers content and idea sharing with just about any application or software. Regardless of whether you are using a Windows, Mac or Linux computer, you can share documents, applications and entire desktops in real time with coworkers, clients, friends and family. Yugma Free gives you free Web conferencing with up to 20 attendees.
Office Suites
OpenOffice.org is a free downloadable office suite that allows users to create text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, tables, mind maps and databases in much the same way other office suite programs work. The system closely resembles Microsoft Office 2003 and allows you to open, edit, and save documents in MS Office formats, PDF, HTML and XML. The system is compatible with all major file formats, so files created in OpenOffice.org can be shared with users of other office suite systems. In addition to basic document editing, OpenOffice.org can formulate equations and create complex and multipart documents with bibliographies, reference tables, and indices. The list of available extensions to the basic suite continues to grow, including an add-on feature that will format a screenplay and one to assist with blog publishing.
The system is totally free, so there is no monitoring of licensing expirations or concerns that employees may illegally download a purchased system to multiple computers.
Web-based Google Docs is a free spreadsheet and word-processing program. It allows you to choose who can access or update shared files from their own computers. Google Docs can be used to coordinate homework assignments for a group of students, as well as access a family to-do list from work or home. The program also lets you collaborate on business plans with remote colleagues. Google Docs allows you to import existing documents and spreadsheets or create new ones, plus you can edit documents from anywhere, create forms and put together presentations. Google Docs accepts most popular file formats, including DOC, RTF, XLS, CSV, ODS, ODT and more, which means you can publish documents and spreadsheets online with just a click, and they will have the appearance of Web pages without extra coding needed.
Additional programs available to increase productivity include:
Adobe Buzzword. Buzzword is a collaborative word-processing application that allows you to create and access documents from any computer. Users can make comments and respond to each other’s feedback.
CutePDF Writer. This PDF creator lets you create and exchange forms and documents around the world; free basic service.
The ability to edit PDFs still eludes the free marketplace. Some low-cost PDF editors can be found at www.pdfill.com ($19.99) and www.nitropdf.com ($99).
FreshBooks. This program offers invoicing, time tracking and expense service; free (up to three clients).
SurveyMonkey. SurveyMonkey allows you to publish pre-built online surveys or create your own custom surveys for as low as $19.95/month.
WuFoo. This is an HTML form builder for creating interactive forms; its free service is limited, and forms are deactivated once the monthly maximum (100 entries) is met.
Online File Storage
If you’re running low on hard-disk space or just want to protect your files against crashes, viruses, theft, and natural disasters, online storage could be a viable solution. Online storage systems are not susceptible to the damage possible with CD/disc backup systems, and they can provide access to your files from any computer connected to the Internet from anywhere.
For individuals and small businesses, the storage capacity and features of many of the free online services will suffice. Added capacity and downloading capability are usually reasonably priced.
Box.net offers 1 GB of free space with its “Lite” version. Included is a folder widget, public file sharing, and drag-and-drop loading. Paid services start at $9.95 per month for 5 GB of storage and go up to customized plans for businesses with 10 or more users.
IDrive Basic offers 2 GB of free personal storage space. Business plans vary from 50 GB ($9.95/month) to 500 GB ($49.95/month). Recurring, automatic backups can be scheduled and will run even if you are logged off your computer. Idrive is available for both PC and Mac users.
Esnips, with 5 GB of storage, offers one of the larger free services. Integrating social-networking tools with its storage capabilities allows for easy file sharing and online sales. Documents, video, music, photos, and entire Web pages can be grouped into folders, which you mark as public (open access), group (available to a private groups of friends, family, or colleagues), or personal (accessible only by you).
While most online storage systems are encrypted and many even have a second level of security through personalized passwords, extremely sensitive or confidential information should probably not be stored online.
Project Management and Collaboration Services
The free version of LogMeIn.com allows you total access to a remote PC. The service seems primarily geared to those who travel often and find themselves in need of accessing information still located on a home or office PC, but there are other benefits as well.
If you use off-site or contracted tech support, logmein.com can allow another user to access your machine for support purposes without dealing with network settings or firewall issues. LogMeIn even allows one-time or limited-access rights. The service can enable, disable, and delete accounts according to your specific needs.
Limitations to the free service include inability to print or download files remotely. For these and other premium capabilities, a subscription to LogMeIn Pro is available for $69.95 per year for one computer. Discounts are available for multiple PC packages. The free service does not expire and works with both Macs and PCs. Once you have either the free version or LogMeIn Pro enabled, Apple’s iTunes App store offers LogMeIn Ignition for $30. While the free edition is compatible with Windows Mobile phones, the Ignition application allows access to all the features of either the free or premium versions from all other phones.
Evernote is a quick, easy (and free) way to capture and manage data for any purpose. That may seem like a broad description, but, truth is, it’s an application as wide-ranging as the list of things people organize. For example, you might make an informed decision before purchasing your next big-ticket item by using Evernote to store product reviews. Compare product prices and features using its search capabilities.
Want to share photos with friends and colleagues? Upload the image to Evernote then just share the note (and the image) quickly and easily. The service also provides a web clipper, which allows you to bookmark a Web page, or a selection of pages. You can even edit the saved text or send it on to someone else. Got a college student awash in paperwork? Evernote can organize (and make fully searchable) class notes. Whether in a classroom or your next staff meeting, use that photo function to capture an image of a whiteboard or flip chart and upload it for later review.
Central Desktop on Workplace is a work suite that includes a calendar, spreadsheets, file sharing, and more. Under the terms of the free plan, Central Desktop users can create two Workspaces, store up to 25 megabytes of data and invite up to five members to each Workspace, but activities (emails, postings, etc.) are limited to 100 per month. If your company is project-driven, it may be wise to consider upgrading to a paid plan. The free version excludes access or usage of the site’s Web Meetings feature.
SlideShare allows you to share presentations, documents and PDFs with a wide audience. An additional benefit to SlideShare is its extensive, interactive professional community. Use it to collaborate, market and cultivate new business leads. Users regularly comment, share favorites, and offer content. Content also spreads virally through blogs and social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. The site is trafficking more than 17 million monthly visitors.
The following websites provide free services to facilitate project management and collaboration as well:
Dabble DB. Dabble lets you create, manage and share online databases; free basic service.
ProjectStat.us. Project Stat is a new site that offers project management solutions and updates—all for free (so far). While the company pledges to offer a free basic service permanently, premium components will soon be available for a fee.
Remember the Milk. This cleverly named site delivers task management solutions and to-do lists.
Team Task. Team Task offers collaborative project management and a community website builder.
There are so many free applications out there, that it should be easy for even the most inexperienced user to find sites and downloads that will make time spent working on the computer easier and vastly more efficient.
Martha Fry and Natalie Nichols Gillespie are freelance writers based in Georgia and Florida, respectively. They wrote this article exclusively for WEALTH magazine.
