Tools I Use
Here I will list the various tools I use to operate my business on a daily basis. You will find them grouped by category with a short example of how I use them.
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Project Management
Basecamp is an awesome tool. I would not be exaggerating if I said that since I started using it, my efficiency has increased by at least 30%, it’s that good. It use it as my main hub for all things project related. Exceptionally easy to use. Managing tasks is a cinch and the integration that Basecamp includes works well with the other tools I will talk about below.
Invoicing
To my shame one of the things I have struggled with the most in running a company is juggling the books and handling invoicing. This is where FreshBooks comes in real handy. It integrates seamlessly with BaseCamp so when I have completed a job, within a couple of clicks I have an Invoice ready to send the client complete with all the details and tasks that were created in Basecamp. Another sweet bonus is that it allows my clients to pay online using any number of options I can choose from, like PayPal, or AuthorizeNet.
Contact Management
BatchBook is a tool I only recently started using because of it’s integration with FreshBooks, and so far I love it. I was using SugarCRM for a while and while that too is a powerful tool, it can get complicated and the learning curve for many people can be pretty steep. BatchBook however is very simple. A nice clean interface and the ability to create custom “SuperTags” (tags that allow you to associate much more information), is very helpful.
Content Management
The concrete5 CMS is hands down the most intuitive CMS on the market. Easy to setup, easy to use, and extremely flexible if you need to customize it. Built on an MVC architecture you can make all the changes you want and don’t have to worry about applying future upgrades. They have a growing community of developers and designers and a very active forum to help those new to using concrete5. If you are looking for an effective solution for managing your content look no farther. The core of c5 is also free and Open Source. If you are looking for a hosted solution that uses concrete5 be sure to visit my company site at http://ideasponge.com (new window).
eCommerce
