Big Business for Small Business on the Web
In a previous article I mentioned CNET Networks and its subsidiary website, BNET. They recently listed several web sites especially designed for small business as the Top Web Services of 2007, and since business folks rarely have the luxury of mousing around the web for the heck of it, we’ll report some of these items from time to time.
Of course, there’s Google, but CNET points out that it’s a lot more than a search engine. There’s Google Docs where you can share files, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Notebook, and on and on.
As instant messaging (IM) grows in the business space as a quick means of communicating, a website that provides the service is Meebo.com. Meebo works inside your browser and allows you to IM anyone anywhere form any computer, whether they’re on AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, OCQ or Jabber. There are no downloads or installs, and it’s FREE! Meebo is currently transmitting 100 million IMs per day.
If customer relationship management (CRM) is important to your operation, you’ll want to check out SplendidCRM. This FREE online service manages your customer and sales data. From managing email campaigns to database backup, SplendidCRM provides a full range of crm services, plus a demo and free trial so you can check it out without risk. the 2.0 Open Source version is FREE, while the Professional 2.0 version is more robust and carries a fee.
With travel costs rising, and prices of airline tix fluctuating by as much as 400%, you may want to take a look at Yapta.com. Yapta allows you to tag flights from your favorite airline sites and they email you when prices drop – then if the price drops below what you paid, they help you get a voucher or refund from the airline! A great money saver.
CNET says that the Web’s most robust browser-based word processor is Zoho Writer. For openers it allows you to access, edit, share documents from anywhere. It provides a WYSIWYG editor to let you create, edit and re-format documents. Multiple users can work on a document simultaneously. You can import Microsoft Word (DOC), OpenOffice text (ODT & SXW), and HTML, RTF, JPG, GIF PNG files. You can save the hassles of attaching files by sharing documents with your friends or publish them for public view, and more.
Finally, one of the most important tasks you have is tracking employee performance. As CNET’s sister site, BNET, points out, “You invest heavily to recruit, train and retain the best. But is it paying off? Are you finding the right talent? Can your managers tell how their direct reports are doing against individual, team and organizational goals? Today, automated systems for managing talent acquisition and performance evaluations can help take the guesswork out of your company’s recruiting and review processes.” BNET then offer a rundown of FREE white papers on a range of topics around employee performance systems, performance reviews, managing the talent supply chain and more.
