As a small business owner / consultant, I have found over time a few tools I cannot live without.
Invoicing / Time Tracking: Freshbooks.com – easy way to invoice my clients, track payments, track time and record my expenses.
Client Collaboration: BaseCamp – this tool does not work with every client, but for the long term client where file sharing, idea sharing and tracking messaging is important, you really can’t beat this tool.
Blog: I tried out Blogger and Tumblr before coming to WordPress. WordPress is my fav. Clean, crisp and professional. I currently use WordPress.com (versus self hosted). My ultimate goal is to merge my main website with my blog and try out self hosted.
Social Profiles: I use HootSuite to track profiles and mentions. It can also schedule messages ahead of time – but I typically stay away from this as live posting leads to better interaction / engagement.
Reputation Management: I use Google Alerts and SocialMention.com to track social mentions not only for me, but for my clients and potential clients.
Research: I seek out and follow leaders in the industry for any particular topic I am researching. I utilize Google Alerts to get auto feeds on topics I am interested in. You have to learn to browse quickly and pick up on relevant info and trash the rest.
Do you have favorite tools that you use? What helps you run your business smoothly?
