Three Small Business Tools I Can’t Live Without

At this time of year, it’s common for small business owners to assess what’s working in their business and what’s not so they can do more of what’s working (hopefully!) and get rid of what’s not.

Most of the time this activity is focused on marketing (because it’s sexy) rather than operations. But looking at operations can often reap a big reward for your business. That means looking at the tools you use.

The majority of small business owners have less than 10 people in their business. Tons of you are the single, solitary business of one. Oh, you might outsource a thing here and a thing there, but you are the meat of your business. And that means you need good tools to make your time and effort the most effective and useful.

So I thought I’d share three tools that are critical to keeping my business running in today’s virtual world. I’ve become so dependent on having these tools available, I think I’d go bonkers if something happened to them. Here you go.

1. Evernote – This tool was invented for me. I am famous for printing and keeping a lot of stuff because I think I’ll need it some day. I know, not very green is it? Causes a lot of clutter too — even though I kept it filed away and cataloged in my Paper Tiger system (which is awesome, btw). So once I got started in Evernote, I was hooked. Now I can keep pretty much anything I want and get it back via a simple search — whether I’m on my computer, my droid phone, or my iPad. And the best part is that it’s free to get started. I have a premium account (only $45 / year) which allows more uploads per month (no ads!), but the free account has a lot to offer. If you don’t yet have an account at Evernote, give it a try today. I bet you’ll be hooked – instantly -  like I was.
2. Mozy – You gotta have a back up. Think about how devastating it would be if you lost everything on your computer. Disasters happen. Mozy will make you feel safe. It’s not only easy, it’s free to start and runs in the background on your computer so you can set it and forget it — until you need it. And I have. It has saved me at least once. Mozy offers home and business accounts. The free version gives you 2GB of space and the paid version only runs about $50 a year. Isn’t your business worth it? Take a look at Mozy now.
3. Dropbox – Want a simple folder on all of your gadgets that stores the stuff you use most often? No more worrying about that file you left on your computer back at the office when you have Dropbox synced across all your devices. What you need is always with you whether you are on your computer, iPad, iPhone, or Droid. This is such a simple concept that anyone can use it. And for small business owners, it’s an absolute dream. The basic account is free with 2GB of space. You can upgrade to Pro (50 or 100 GB) for $10 to $20 per month. But what’s really cool is that you can get more space (up to 10GB) by inviting friends and colleagues. In the short time I’ve been using Dropbox, I can’t see how I will ever live without it. Hop on over and give Dopbox a try.  Not only will you love it, but if you decide it’s for you it will help me get a tiny bit more space!

So there you have it. My three most priceless tools that make business life better. And all of them are free. Do you use any of these tools? What do you think about them? Or do you have another “can’t live without it” tool? Let’s talk about it — please share in the comments.