Finding the Right Tools

Ok so I like tools…a lot! All kinds of tools! I grew up with a father who worked in a tool and die shop. He spent a lot of his time building tools for jobs. One thing I have learned from my father is having the right tool makes a huge difference in fixing the problem! Whether we are talking about power tools or software tools they are all tools which solve problems. In today’s world, your business can live and die by the tools it uses. So here are some of the great tools we find simple, useful and effective.

Browsers

Mozilla FireFox  There is only one browser for this TCS Geek…FireFox! I refuse to use Internet Explorer for the simple fact, I spend too much time cleaning up PCs for friends and family who run IE. I have ran FireFox for many years now with little or no virus protection (not suggested) and never had a problem. FireFox also has great Add-ons for many different types of tools, which is a whole other blog post!

Educational

You thing you never want to do is use a tool you do not have some understanding of. Common Craft creates videos which are short, simple and to the point. They use cut-outs to explain the topics and breakdown complex topics. Check out the technology section to learn about computer hardware and software, social media , RSS and many more!

I ran across this blog when looking for a compact calendar to keep in my notebook. I try to get the most out of my day and this site has great tools for productivity and task management.

For someone who does not enjoy reading… I do a lot of it! I do believe we have to continue to learn and educate ourselves to make this world a better place to live! Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The only difference between you today and you five years from now ,are the books you read and the people you meet.” Today it is easier than ever to have content brought to you. I currently have 50+ websites I read or follow in my Google Reader. Anything from basic websites, blogs, forums, news, product releases (for all these great tools!) and many more. Google Reader uses a RSS feed to capture only the new items posted to a site. This way anytime I find a few quite minutes, I can quickly flip through the new posts and read only the content I want and I can even share content with others. Google Reader is my favorite of all the tools I use!

Collaborative Tools

Google Apps offers a wide range of online applications for businesses. I have had multiple Googles Apps accounts for well over a year and really like the shear simplicity of the tools. Gmail, Gtalk, Calendar, Sites, Webpages and Docs and Spreadsheets are all great tools for creating content online which you can share, or just get to it from anywhere! I have over 100 documents shared with many people from different areas of my life (family, work, church and friends) for various reasons. Check it out, it will change the way you work! Here is a review from PC Magazine.

I recently saw this tool used in a webinar. The host put all the steps to a complex process in MindManager and I was surprise how easy it was to follow. Use it to visually connect ideas and information to help you save time, solve real business problems, improve business processes, and drive innovation. By visually organizing all your information, you’ll have the big picture clearly before you, while still tracking the smallest details.

There are some truly great tools available today and taking advantage of them could take your company to the next level. Enjoy.