Use Free Office Productivity Software
Money Saving Technology Tip 16
Use Free Office Productivity Software
“Instead of costly productivity tool applications from Microsoft, use equivalent free tools. Google offers free versions of email, word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet applications. Sun offers a suite of free productivity tools called the OpenOffice Suite, including a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application. Mozilla offers a free email client, Thunderbird, which does most of the things Microsoft Outlook does.”
Keith Klundt, Orange Soda, @OrangeSoda
I switched to Gmail from Outlook two years ago and have never looked back. Which applications from Google do you most often use? If you’re still purchasing productivity tools, what keeps you from switching?
Courtesy of Small Business Trends
Bragging Rights. Who Has Yours?
About a year before Clay Shirky’s recent blog post in which he explores how women are less willing to take risks in self-promotion than men, I had an “Aha Moment.”
Resentful. Angry. Frustrated.
“I know so much more than he does, and yet he’s on stage teaching people about shiny tools he doesn’t use or understand himself.“
“I taught him about Twitter, now he’s on a national platform acting as if he ‘get’s it’ and doesn’t have the balls to even give credit where credit is due.“
“Time after time I submit a proposal only to later discover the guy who calls me for assistance all the time is presenting instead. What’s the deal?“
True to my southern heritage, the social culture of my age group, and a host of other outside variables, I was stuck.
Stop Waiting for Someone to Recommend You
You should know that you almost never find a prophet in your own backyard. The reverse is also true. To be recognized as a credible resource with a unique blend of experience and skills travel is often required.
Social media tools enable you to “travel” without leaving your desk.
A targeted, well defined, strategic social business marketing campaign introduces you to:
- new people
- new ideas
- new freedoms
- new industries
- new skills
- new opportunities
- new revenue
What’s your experience?
Are you sitting in a little red wagon, like I was, waiting for someone to come along and pull you where you want to go?
Do you think self-promotion is rude? When is it okay to brag about yourself?
Share your thoughts in the comments. Together, we can learn to pull our own damn wagon.
Keep Your Old Computers an Extra Generation
Money Saving Technology Tip 15
Keep Your Old Computers an Extra Generation
“You do not NEED ‘State of the Art info-tech’. Use one-generation old computers and software. They are much less expensive; the bugs have been worked out; most of the important stuff runs just fine on it; they are still good for 3 years+/-, by which time a lot more will have changed anyway. ‘Keeping up with the Newest’ when it comes to technology is a big waste of money and time. Let the Nerds be the early adopters. You have a business to run and customers to serve — don’t spend your valuable time debugging new info-tech. Make your policy to buy and use ‘State of the Need’.”
John Mariotti, The Enterprise Group, @Johnentgrp
I recently ditched my 8-year old laptop when the cost of repairs was almost as much as a new notebook. My BlackBerry 8300 is the original Curve. The longevity of both are directly related to the economy…
What are your recommendations? Are you hanging on to tech gadgets longer? Is it your habit to purchase first-generation technology?
Courtesy of Small Business Trends
Other Places We Can Connect
