12 Most Helpful Online Productivity Tools for Small Business Leaders

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Many people dream of being their own boss and this dream is realized more often than ever these days through successful small and independent business ventures. Though the idea of running a business by one’s self is daunting, the satisfaction earned in the end more than makes up for it.

Thankfully, there are many online tools that allow a small business owner to take the fate of their company into his or her own hands and cut expenses by completing tasks that might have required people in the past. These online productivity tools can replace secretaries, accountants, bookkeepers, and expensive software as well, cutting expenses even further, and giving a small business owner more control over his or her company without unnecessary stress and spending.

Let’s take a look at the 12 most helpful online productivity tools for people who are running a small business.

1. Google Docs

Thanks to Google Docs, you will be able to save money by avoiding Microsoft Office. Use Google Docs for word processing, creating spreadsheets, putting together presentations and easily sharing all of this information with the rest of your colleagues. The best part of Google Docs is that it is not only free but completely mobile, allowing you to work on your files from anywhere, online or offline.

2. Google Calendar

Who needs a secretary when you have Google Calendar? Organize all of your events and obligations, highlight your most important meetings, and set up reminders for yourself no matter where you are.

3. Google Reader

Google Reader makes research easier than ever. This tool keeps you in the know by gathering news and information from all of your favorite sites in one place and making it readily available to you and easy to browse. If you need to research and learn about a certain topic, customize a feed with Google Reader that will narrow down and serve to you endless streams of information from news sites related to your topic of interest. Reader also makes it easy to stay on top of what’s going on in your field and keep an eye on what your competition is doing.

4. Evernote

This digital note-taking tool allows you to not only store your own notes that you want to jot down for later, but also keep track of sites that you find interesting, along with other various content you might find on the Web. You can also store photos and PDFs with this tool and the best part is that the search function is excellent and will let you find and easily refer back to something that you have previously noted as being of interest to you.

5. Manage My Ideas

This virtual notebook enables you to keep track of your ideas and let your creativity flow. The best part is that you will have these ideas available to you no matter where you are, and you will also be able to share these ideas easily with coworkers and discuss new business plans.

6. Remember the Milk

Forget about post-its all over your desk and computer, Remember the Milk is a much better way to stay organized and remember anything. You can make a list of tasks that you need to perform and then check them off as you complete them, keeping you organized and in control of your obligations.

7. Freshbooks

Cut out the middle man and do all of the bookkeeping for your company yourself with Freshbooks. This online invoicing tool lets you easily keep track of expenses and wages so that you know where your money is going and are able to keep your finances in order without having to hire someone to do it for you.

8. Outright

Outright will allow you to pay your own taxes without having to hire an accountant. You can also integrate Freshbooks with Outright and synchronize your invoices and payments from FreshBooks, making it even easier to keep track of your money.

9. FreeCRM

This free software offers automation tools for your sales team (or yourself) to use that will make life easier for everyone involved. FreeCRM offers features that will also make customer service and relations much simpler and less time-consuming.  It’s an excellent tool for lead tracking, sales and contact management, and overall business management strategies.

10. SugarSync

One of the best cloud storage sites, SugarSync gives you more than enough room to store all of the files that you may need while traveling and lets you access everything you need even when you are thousands of miles away from your personal computer at the office. It also makes it easy to share files with coworkers and collaborate on projects even when you are not in the same time zone by allowing you to sync files from more than one computer.

11. Cometdocs

The ultimate online conversion site, especially if you are regularly working with PDF files. Cometdocs allows you to easily and quickly convert your files from one format into another when necessary and you can do it all online without downloading any tedious desktop tools.  The site also takes the privacy of your documents very seriously and will make sure that your files will always be secure and protected.

12. Lovely Charts

There is no need to hire someone to create presentations for you anymore thanks to Lovely Charts.  They make it simple for you to create professional looking charts, diagrams and graphs for all your presentations. There is no artistic prowess needed to create and design exceptional visual aids for your company using this service.

All of these online tools make it easier than ever to branch out on your own, realize your ambitions, lead a successful small business, and cut down on many expenses that weren’t avoidable less than ten years ago. Thanks to tools such as these, there has never been a better time, practically speaking, to become your own boss.

Photo courtesy of Sanja Gjenero, used under creative commons. Some rights reserved.

David Lazar

http://www.pdfconverter.com

David Lazar is a blogger at PdfConverter.com. With a background in journalism, he enjoys writing about and following all of the latest trends related to technology and new media.