Some cool computer services live in the cloud, but who really cares...So long as they work for you.
Right, I find I’ve been using the following cloud-based tools to increase my productivity for a while now. Cloud wha? Yah, well, some call it Software As A Service or SaaS, (BLAH BLAH) all you really need to know is the tools work via a browser, desktop or mobile app and usually sync between all the platforms…Your data is usually kept on the provider’s systems somewhere, out there…in the cloud as they call it.
The services I’ve been using are, in the order of most frequently used to least:
1. Evernote
2. Dropbox
3. TeuxDeux
4. FreshBooks
5. MailChimp
Do you manage or take notes on multiple client, project, situation or event happenings? Take a hard look at Evernote. This freemium app has been a solid tool in my kit running on 2 years now. Evernote has an iPhone, Android, iPad, Mac/PC and web browser based version. The website has all the details.
How the *&%$ am I going to share this 60MB file w/my pal without an FTP account? FT wha? Dropbox man…Dropbox. There are several competing services, but Dropbox is the iTunes of what I call passive FTP. Sign up, install, add the file to the Dropbox pubic folder, right click, copy, send, and your done. More advanced functionality is included.
Ok, now I’ve only just started using this to-do list manager, but I’ve launched it a few times, and keep adding stuff into its incredibly simple and efficient interface. Why the Apple Mail/iCal combo doesn’t do a better job of this is simply insane…
UPDATE: I’m now using Producteev – http://producteev.com and it’s pretty great. iPhone and Mac native apps, with elegant HTML 5 web availability on iPad/PC.
So, I’ve been using FreshBooks to invoice a couple of clients for a while now, and this Canadian team has been helpful, generous and tolerant (ask me about the customer dinner sometime). Create a simple company profile for your business, add clients, create projects, track time, and then email your clients the invoice as a PDF. Cost? Free for up to three clients…
Looking for a way to email your customers using a friendly system, that’s easy to set up and segment your folks with? Look no further, MailChimp is not only a great tool, they provide their amazing service at no charge for up to 1000 subscribers and up to 3000 sends a month. They also have an elegant iPhone app and very easy to use design templates. Deploying forms on your site is as near to joy as you’re ever going to come in email marketing.
Anyway, I thought I would share my hard won knowledge, happy to answer any questions via the comments, and you can sign up for my infrequent mailings (to steal from the good folks over at Coudal Partners), see the tab up at the top right.
Cheers,
Bouv.
