There are a lot of web-based applications out there today that function very effectively for the modern business owner. These apps give you the benefits of a desktop computer program with the flexibility to access your information from any location - and from any computer!!
While many online apps can’t compete with their desktop counterparts, there are some that can. Here’s a list of my favorites:
Google Documents
Google Docs is an online office suite made available for free by Google. You can create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online, as well as upload and share existing documents you’ve created. You can choose the people you want to view your document. The best part are the collaboration tools: Multiple people can view and make changes at the same time. There’s an on-screen chat window for spreadsheets, and document revisions show you exactly who changed what, and when.
Prezi
Prezi is a great web app to create stunning & professional looking presentation material - a good replacement for Microsoft Powerpoint
LastPass
LastPass is an online password manager to keep all of your passwords vaulted in one place. It’s the last password you’ll ever have to remember.
Instacalc
InstaCalc is a fast, simple and powerful calculator. Normal calculators and spreadsheets make you type and press Enter. Change the numbers, press Enter. Change the numbers again, press Enter. With Instacalc, your answers appear as you type. There are also features to create graphs, create equations, and help with programming functions (HEX value conversion, etc.). This is a great and powerful tool that will surely replace your desktop calculator.
CurdBee
CurdBee provides online invoicing for small businesses. This is one I personally use. Why? It provides me with an easy, fast and secure online billing experience. CurdBee is all your billing in one convenient location. Estimate, invoice, and get paid - it’s that simple.
Join.me
Join.me is a a staggeringly simple and effective way to work collaboratively, allowing you to share your computer screen with another person at a different location- you can even take control of the other computer in order to troubleshoot problems or contribute to a document. Use it for impromtu meetings, or, if you’re like me, to fix your dad’s computer when it’s running slow.
Goplan
Goplan is a project management tool lets you keep track of your projects and collaborate with your colleagues securely through an intuitive user interface. Companies like Mozilla, Boxee and Digital Kitchen use Goplan to manage their projects. It has great, easy-to-use tools for task management, issue tracking, project calendars, and file management.
PDFescape
PDFescape is an online app that can replace many of the functions of Adobe Reader. Use PDFescape to read and edit PDF documents and fill out and/or design PDF forms.
Talon
Talon is a screenshot tool that offers a nice replacement to SnagIt. Take screen captures INSTANTLY. Save them to your clipboard, desktop or even online. Add this application to your web browser (Firefox or Chrome) and it will perform a screen capture and then open the image in a basic image editor where you can do markup (draw arrows and rectangles), edit (crop, rotate and resize) and get the exact pixel colors of the image.
Zoomit
Zoomit is a presentation utility for zooming and drawing on the screen. Use it to circle, draw arrows, and call attention to areas of the screen while you’re presenting to your audience.
Have any more online apps to share? We’d love to hear about them.
-Amy
