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10 Top Online Applications: Big Company Feel, Small Company Cost

As a small business owner, I’m always looking for ways to maximize my productivity and impact and minimize the cost to my business.  It’s not always easy to do, but on the web there are applications and services that can make it easier to reach that goal.

And I’m not talking Social Media sites or Web Site creators.  These are genuine business tools that once cost lots of money to set up or support for larger companies, or didn’t even exist, but now you can have that large company feel for little or no cost.

I should emphasize that these are not just for technology professionals, and you don’t necessarily need to be proficient in all things web in order to use them.  That said, there is a learning curve, and you need to be at least comfortable at using a computer in order to use these tools effectively.

1. DimDim – In concept, I love this tool.  DimDim is an Open Source tool that gives you the opportunity to create a collaborative online web conference, complete with desktop sharing, slideshow presentations and voice chat.  Basic service is free, which means you can have up to 20 people attend your meeting.  There are a couple of other levels to choose from as your business gets bigger, but costs for all of them are still relatively low.  I had one problem some time ago where the interface wasn’t as responsive as I would have liked, so be sure to test your setup before initiating any big conferences.
2. QuickBooks – Every company needs a way to handle finances, and Intuit’s QuickBooks is the gold standard for small companies.  I was skeptical when my business partner set us up online that the web application would be as good as what we used on our PCs, but I have to say, this is worth every penny we spend on it.  There is a free version that can provide a start-up business with some great tools to manage their finances and store up to 20 customers, and their paid plans with unlimited customer management start at $9.95/month.  There are plenty of services and add-ons that make this a great management system for any back-office work that you might have (and they’ve just announced support for Mac’s Safari browser, very near and dear to my heart!).
3. iBackup – iBackup is one of many online storage solutions that give you the ability to store important electronic files on a single hard drive.  Even in a one-person shop, it’s important to keep you most critical data safe, and online storage is a good way to do it.  They’ll handle backups for you, and all the information is off-site, so should you someday face a situation where both your computer and the backup drive you have attached to it end up being stolen or destroyed, you can still get at your most critical data.
4. YouSendIt – Ever have an instance where you needed to send a huge file to a client, but your email provider didn’t allow you to send a big attachment?  What about if your client had a mailbox that didn’t allow big files to be delivered, or was too full to accept your email?  Enter “YouSendIt,” which allows you to send email much bigger than is typically allowed by web hosts.  The free service allows files of up to 100MB, which is probably fine for most businesses, but if you want advanced features such as the ability to send files securely and a 2GB limit on your files, plans start at $9.95/month.
5. jConnect – This is another service I’ve been using since the company started.  For a low monthly fee of $19.95, you can set up a number that can receive voice mail or faxes and have them directed to one or several email accounts.  Outbound faxes can be sent from the web site, you just need to be able to scan in the document to your computer.  Outbound faxes are $0.10 per page, and there are conference call options as well.  There are other virtual receptionists out there, but if all you’re looking for is a simple, straightforward telephony system for your office, this might be for you.
6. FreeConferenceCall.com – I’ve used jConnect’s conference call service and it’s great, but I have to pay for each use.  FreeConferenceCall will set up a conference call for you with up to 96 spots.  The call is not to an 800 number, but that shouldn’t matter too much since most calling plans include long distance now anyway.  They also can record your most recent call and you can download it and archive it if you wish.  Toll-free calling is available for $0.06/minute, and includes everything the long-distance calling option does.
7. Wakerupper.com - Ever wish you could schedule your wake-up calls from anywhere?  This little service allows you to go to a web site (they also have a mobile site) and set up a scheduled automated call and a short message to go along with it.  You can schedule a single (or several) calls for free from the main site, but you can’t manage them once they’ve been created without setting up an account.  Accounts are free but the calls you make from them are $0.05/minute, and most calls are generally about that long.  They’re good if you travel a lot, or don’t like to wake up using your alarm clock.
8. Google Docs – While not necessarily a replacement for Microsoft Office, this ever-evolving suite of applications allows you to create word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations and really simple forms online.  What’s more, you can share your creations with colleagues easily and freely — you need only set up a Google account.  There are other great alternatives out there as well, such as Zoho or thinkfree.com, so you have an expanding marketplace of office productivity applications that won’t take a heavy toll on your budget.
9. eventbrite – I was just introduced to this service by a colleague at Bluetux a few days ago, so I don’t know everything there is to know about this app, but from what I can tell this application is great for small companies or non-profits looking for an easy and inexpensive way to create a site for an event and collet money for said event.  You pay only a portion of your ticket sales (2.5%) and don’t have to go through the hassle of setting up a payment gateway or ecommerce solution on your own site. 
10. Basecamp – 37 Signal’s Basecamp application is simple to understand and quick to set up, but its powerful project management and collaboration help keep all team members informed and aware of tasks that need to be completed.  We’ve used it extensively in a couple of projects now, and I have to say that it’s very appropriate for development, but also non-development projects.  Track time, to-do items and milestones using its simple interface, and use its communication tools such as the whiteboard to help your team conceptualize your ideas.

This is certainly not a complete list by any means.  I’m sure there are hundreds of others out there that can provide a unique service or function to your business.  As you’re going through and building your online suite of tools, however, be sure to remember that your ultimate goal in using these tools is productivity; anything that doesn’t work towards that goal is candy and could lead to more distraction than productivity down the road.

Got something you think belongs on this list?  Comment below and let us know what else you think should be there!

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