The early days of entrepreneurship are often exciting, but insanely taxing and chaotic. I admit it’s nice to be a few years in, to have some core systems in place and to have learned my lesson about the difference the right tools can make. I’ve also learned that the tools and systems I’m using today, might not be right or functional next year. So staying up-to-date on the best and latest technology has become a priority for me. One of the (many) benefits to having a coworking space has been the information share that goes on here about what tools and systems other small business owners use. The tools we employ are the foundation of our businesses. They underlie the manner in which every task gets done around here, they are the bones to this body called COMMAND C. Every year, I like to inventory what we’re using and take note of how it’s working. Here’s this year’s overview:
Accounting & Invoicing:
QuickBooks
Designing:
Adobe Creative Suite
Wireframing:
Mockflow
Font Suitcase & Web Fonts
Typekit
Linotype Font Explorer
CRM & Project Management:
Basecamp & Highrise
Documents:
OpenOffice
Google Docs
Email:
Google Apps
Calendar:
Google Calendar
Alerts:
Google Alerts
Time Tracking:
Slimtimer
User Testing:
UserTesting.com
Backups & File Sharing:
Dropbox
Amazon Web Services
Social Media Management:
Hootsuite
Email Marketing:
MailChimp
Hosting:
Media Temple
General organization:
My iPhone
I’m sure I’ve probably missed a few, but you get the overall gist. What tools do you guys use? Do you prefer any to the ones I’ve listed above?
