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I haz gmail priority inbox
It's very exciting... The principle would be cool if applied to my
other "inboxes" of Evernote and Remember The Milk as I often email in
to them and would like some auto tagging, prioritising etc...
other "inboxes" of Evernote and Remember The Milk as I often email in
to them and would like some auto tagging, prioritising etc...
Store and share files in the cloud with Google Docs - via Official Google Enterprise Blog
Let's say you're about to make a very important presentation to a prospective client on the other side of the country. Before you depart on your business trip, you download all of your presentation materials and InDesign® hand-outs onto your trusty thumbdrive. Just in case, you also email the files to yourself.But while you're in the air, your colleagues back at the office are making last minute edits to the files and your copies are now out of date. Worse yet, when you arrive at your destination, you realize you left your thumbdrive at home.
Sound familiar? The good news is that things are about to become a whole lot easier.
Over the next couple of weeks, we are rolling out the ability for Google Apps users to easily upload and securely share any type of file internally and externally using Google Docs. You get 1 GB of storage per user, and you can upload files up to 250 MB in size.
Now accessing your work files doesn't require a connection to your internal office network. Nor do you need to email files to yourself, carry around a thumbdrive, or use a company network drive – you can access your files using Google Docs from any web-enabled computer.
Combined with shared folders in Google Docs, the upload feature is a great way to collaborate on files with coworkers and external parties. Instead of using cumbersome email attachments, you can upload files to a folder and share it with coworkers, who can then access and edit the files from a single place. You can even have your sales team securely share contracts with external clients for review.
And of course, by using Google Docs, you can quickly and easily search across all your files from one place, getting access to the right file when and where you need it.
Google Apps Premier Edition users can also use the Google Documents List Data API to upload files to Google Docs in batch, or purchase applications offered by third parties that enable you to migrate and sync your files to Google Docs:
Memeo Connect for Google Apps is a new desktop application that offers an easy way to access, migrate, and synchronize files to Google Docs across multiple computers. (PC and Mac) Syncplicity allows Google Apps users to synchronize, manage, and backup files across desktops and servers, making it easy to use Google Docs seamlessly with existing applications and files. (PC) Manymoon is an online project management platform that makes it simple to organize and share tasks and documents with coworkers and partners, including uploading files to Google Docs.
We're always looking for ways to make it easier for you to access and organize your information online and we hope you find the ability to store, share, and collaborate on files in Google Docs helpful. In the coming months, we will enable Google Apps Premier Edition customers to purchase additional storage for $3.50/GB/yr (or €3.00/gb/yr in the EU). If you'd like to be notified when additional storage can be purchased, please fill out this form and we will contact you as soon as it's available. As always, we’d love your feedback and if you have any questions, please check out our help forum.
The choices today for business collaboration is such that it's almost criminal not to be using such a system as Google Docs, Box.net or Drop.io etc
Sharing and collaborating on content is key for improving business productivity by making workflows simpler and working across locations and device platforms easier.
Get in touch for help in understanding how collaboration tools such as Google Docs can benefit your business.
Adding Tasks to a mindmap on MindMeister
MindMeister is a great tool for collaborating on ideas and projects. For the project side, this is a short tutorial for using Tasks as part of your mindmap.
Close business fast
Thinking about the impact of the snow today in the UK and one thing that may be affected is the speed of the mail system.
This need not be an issue though with Echosign. With Echosign you can quickly and easily get agreements signed and deals closed within 42 minutes on average. And it all takes place online with the same legal status of paper agreements. So why not take a look at Echosign and use it remover all that paper (good for reducing office costs and helping the environment) and try e-signing with Echosign. http://www.echosign.com/ (affiliate link)
Avoiding lost productivity to #uksnow
In southern England this morning at least there is some fairly heavy
snowfall. Based on recent experience this will mean many businesses
seeing staff working from home and meetings cancelled. This is often
equated to lost productivity.
productive. Here's a quick list of a few tools that may be very
helpful in keeping your appointments and goals for today on track. Presentation - If you were due to deliver a presentation today but
cannot physically get there take a look at one of the following for
giving the presentation remotely: Present.io - drop.io has dead simple rich web-presentation
functionality. no registration, no downloads, no installs. You can
upload your presentation files (documents, pictures, video, audio, and
more) and be giving your demo or walkthrough in seconds. With a free
conference call line and rich chat functionality, you have just what
you need http://present.io Google Docs - Viewing a presentation together is a breeze, as anyone
joined in a presentation can automatically follow along with the
presenter. http://docs.google.com Collaboratively finalising an asset such as a design graphic or
document proposal Box.net - Turn any folder of content into a shared online workspace
and invite others to view, edit, or add their own files. Exchange
feedback using the commenting and discussion features. Create
wiki-style web documents to share meeting notes, ideas, and manage
projects. Keep workflow organized by assigning tasks to approve,
review or update files http://www.box.net/strawberryway Drop.io - Use drop.io to privately share your files and collaborate in
real time by web, email, phone, mobile, and more. Create each drop in
two clicks and share what you want, how you want, with whom you want. http://drop.io Google Docs - Coworkers can share the same online copy of each doc,
spreadsheet or presentation. All revisions are saved and recoverable. http://docs.google.com Cummunication - need to stay in touch but your colleagues aren't at
their desk phones? Skype - Any size of company can use Skype to change the way they
communicate, collaborate and compete. Real-time communication tools
allow your business to work better, smarter and more efficiently.
Skype is a global solution that's easy to implement and manage all
your communication needs - employees work more productively, customers
can easily reach your company and your business stays ahead of the
game. http://skype.com TinyChat - Your webcam & microphone will just work, no fuss.
`Gathering friends for a meeting has never been easier. Enjoy high
quality live audio & video. Try it, you'll like it. http://tinychat.com So there you go, a few services which is by no means an exhaustive
list but these are possibly the quickets and easiest to pick up and
run with if you were to only use for today because of the snow. By doing so there really shouldn't be any lost productivity. NB I do see the making of snowmen as highly productive and so where
possible please step away from the internet and make one ;)
Freshbooks - simple, easy professional invoicing for your business
For small teams, freelancers and service providers it's hard to look beyond Freshbooks for estimating, invoicing and time tracking.
A great web based app it's quick and simple to get going with all the great features:
- Send and manage invoices online
- Track time online and on the go with various free add-ons for desktops and mobiles
- Custom branding for your estimates and invoices
- Manage contractors painlessly by adding them to your account to track project time for easy invoicing
- Track expenses and re-bill clients
Freshbooks is free for a maximum of three concurrent clients after which it's a paid service starting at $19 / month.
I use Freshbooks and if you want to too, you can sign up via my affiliate link here.
Let me know any questions on using Freshbooks in your business :)
Remember The Milk - Getting things done...
Remember The Milk is one of the best ways to manage your tasks.
A few of the things you can do include:
- Manage tasks quickly and easily
- Thanks to a natural language interface, adding tasks due "next friday" means just that and not fiddling around with a mini calendar
- Getting reminded, anywhere
- Reminders can be received pretty much anywhere such as email, SMS, Instant Messengers, Twitter and RSS
- Organising the way you want to
- Lists, tags and notes oh my! Remember The Milk has the flexible to power to make it as simple or feature rich as suits
- Locate your tasks
- Give tasks a location and see a map of where you need to be getting things done
- Collaboration
- Sharing, sending and publishing of tasks makes Remember The Milk an ideal application for project management and collaboration projects
- Add tasks wherever you are
- You can add tasks via email, web, twitter, your phone (there is an iPhone app) more. So you don't need to remember to write your task down in your system later!
Remember The Milk is free and also has a paid Pro version. There's a wealth of integrations in to services such as Google Mail and Calendar. Mobile apps for iPhone and Android are also available.
Remember The Milk is ideal for using in your business, when used collaboratively, for powerful group wide #gtd.
Let me know any queries on how to get your business managing it's tasks with Remember The Milk.
Zendesk - Love Your Helpdesk
Zendesk is a saas-based customer support / help desk product.
Its features include- email ticket tracking
- providing a customer self service portal
- and general help desk reporting and tracking
Here's a quick overview:
Zendesk is a great tool be used by freelancer's to support their client's during and beyond projects.
Being saas-based also means the product scaled up to support FTSE100 enterprises also. It's uniquely simple to use with a powerful feature set for dealing with any helpdesk environment including ITIL ones.
I use Zendesk to provide further value to clients by being able to support projects and build a knowledge base for ongoing operations.
The web is your Virtual Assistant
Web based applications can be key enablers for business change and improvement work.
Often the focus is on "big" apps like Box.net to enable workflow change for collaboration.
Today, I'm focusing on the little apps that just make business life easier.
In context of Virtual Assistants (VA), the web is possibly vastly underused for simple business administration.
The basic premise of a VA is outsourcing the tasks that are not the best use of your time to a better resource. Example activities of a VA include:
"Microsoft Office, Diary Management, Bookkeeping, Travel Arrangements, Event Management, Call Handling, Client Databases, Internet Research, Website Maintenance, e-newsletters, Advertising, PR, Copy Writing, Social Media"VAs are no doubt a great human resource helping business a lot.
Looking through the list though there are a number of web apps out there which take care of such administration and at a lower cost than human resource.
So what if the web was a virtual assistant?
Diary Management is taken care of by Tungle
Bookkeeping by Fresh/Clear/QuickBooks
Travel Arrangements by Tripit
Event Management by Eventbrite
Client Databases by CRM such as Tactile / Highrise
Newsletters done by MailChimp.
That's at least half of the list from above taken care of by the web. When factoring in the cost of the tools above your monthly VA 2.0 cost would be ~£50.
In context of delivering business improvement with measurable returns, it seems there is room for more web apps to reduce costs and simplify administration thus improving productivity.
For example just because a VA is handling your diary doesn't mean meetings are being booked quicker. With apps such as Tungle though the processing time for meetings does actually reduce.
With it being January many businesses are likely making resolutions around being more efficient and productive in context of the recessionary 2009.
The suggestion here is to look at the web for simplifying, expediting and reducing the costs of administration. Perhaps even if you're a VA, a VA 2.0 solution is for you too ;)
Processes and systems for project management
This post is inspired by @seanprice who recently asked:
"How do you manage projects either single projects or mulitple at the same time either personal or professional ones?" (Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanprice/status/7314573214) Firstly, systems. For me Drop.io and Box.net jump to the front of my mind. As background, both Drop.io and Box.net are designed for simple sharing and collaboration. Drop.io is built around drops which are realtime repositories of content which can then be shared, embedded, commented, downloaded and much more. Box.net is visually more analogous to a traditional files and folders system with much the same features as Drop.io but via the OpenBox eco-systems of integrations allows for use within structured business workflows. For example with Box.net it is possible to collaboratively author an agreement which, from Box, can be issued digitally via Echosign and the final signed copies be stored within Box making it a workflow hub. Other notable integrations include Salesforce, Google Apps, Zoho With Drop.io the collaboration functionality is equally there but inherently being designed around the drop, the workspace sits relatively outside the wider business workflow. And so to specifically answer @seanprice's question I would suggest that if for repeatable or always similar project workflows, especially within an established business environment of process and policy, the answer is Box.net. For everything else, be it small, larger, ad-hoc, personal or professional, then Drop.io. The second part of the answer is processes. Which to follow / learn from? Project management I believe has long suffered a schizophrenia of being about the personality of people whilst also having the cold regiment of repeatable, scalable process. Some project managers are successful for managing people, others for managing the process. In context of the social collaboration environment business are moving in to, I believe the people principle of project management will take a lead over success through process. Especially when considering the versatile tools such as Drop.io and Box.net which do not need nor care for a set process. So to answer @seanprice, the process for successful projects is to not rely on one. Instead focus on the facilitation of communication and collaboration. Within such an environment, inherently all the data needed to tweak and nudge productivity in the right direction, towards the team's common goal, will be available. Applications such as Milestone Planner from @socialoptic are a good example of this. The app is a gantt chart but the real feature of the app is bringing out the communication across the project team.So for me, the processes and systems, either personally or professionally for project management are:
Human and collaborative (for which Drop.io and Box.net are ideal). For further reading: Box.net for Project Management - http://www.box.net/solutions/project-managementDrop.io - http://drop.io/blog
Milestone Planner @socialoptic - http://socialoptic.com/
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