If you’ve taken a look at the new section of the site on our Web Applications, you’ll have seen that we’re close to releasing our first Software as a Service (SaaS) product. There are lots of web-based alternatives to desktop software now available for managing all types of small (and larger) businesses. I’ve found they offer lots of advantages, such as being more cost effective, more available (access from anywhere & from different devices), and more suited to collaboration & sharing.
When I started out, I spent quite a bit of time looking into the applications & services people were using. I tried out lots to manage different parts of the business; here are some of the ones I settled on:
Communications
There are lots of web-based technologies for staying in touch. Some I’ve found most useful are:
- Google’s Gmail, which lets you manage a number of different email accounts and has Instant Messaging to others with Gmail accounts. Google Talk is a desktop application that gives you the same messaging options, with the ability to talk to contacts over the web.
- Skype – while not web-based, it offers a handy service for messaging & talking over the web. It also provides voicemail & lets you buy local telephone numbers.
- Fring -again, not web-based, but it gives you access to Skype, MSN & Google Talk, Twitter and more from your mobile; handy if you’re away from your computer.
Project Management
After using the open source version of ActiveCollab for a while (which has now moved to a paid version), I’ve since settled into using BaseCamp. It’s a well designed, easy to use web app that makes managing a project (everything from setting up milestones & to-do lists, to collaborating with others) really easy. For times when tracking the amount of time spent on different parts of a project are needed I’ve used 1time online time tracking; it’s a handy Irish web app that I’ve talked about before as part of the Tuesday Push. Google Docs is also something I’ve been using from time to time when shared or remote-access to word-processing & spreadsheets is needed.
Web Stats
For analysing performance of websites, another Google product, Analytics, features. It’s free and has a wide range of reports available, with the option to schedule sending reports by email – a feature I’ve found really helpful for certain clients. Another alternative to Analytics that I’ve been using recently is Irish-based StatCounter. I’ve found the level of detail in some of the reports to be great, although it doesn’t look as nice as Analytics, there is a paid version available for access to more information.
Code Management
I spent quite a while developing code on a local machine (while keeping an automated backup…always keep backups!). That was until I picked up on code versioning with Subversion and Springloops. Springloops is a web-based tool that allows you to manage your source code as you work on it, collaborate with others, and deploy it to servers when the time comes. It has made a huge difference to workflow when developing bigger web applications.
Client Management
When trying to keep track of who’s who and what needs to be done for them (CRM – Customer Relationship Management), I’ve been using another web app by 37signals, Highrise. As with Basecamp, it’s a simple & easy to use service that lets you manage contacts, tasks etc. I’ve found it an easy way of keeping on top of what I should be doing for everyone.
Staying in Touch
While not directly related to the day-to-day work, there are lots of other web-based services that are useful for keeping in touch with what’s going on. Doing so helps stay on top of trends, industry & competitor news, helps with learning new skills, and gives a way to plug into the various communies out there. Some of the most useful I’ve found are tools like Google Alerts, Google Reader, Twitter and LinkedIn .
Lots of Options
That gives a small picture of some of the web-based tools available for managing business. Some are most useful to web designers & developers, but many will be helpful to lots of others (and if you’re in the beauty sector, be sure to check out our newest app!). If you’re a linkedIn user you can also connect through LinkedIn.
For the first time, Bizcamp is being run in Galway this September.
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It can be difficult to hear, and more importantly, listen to criticism of your website, business, product or service. Having people from the outside telling you that parts of your website don’t work, or that improvements are needed to how you conduct business can be a painful process. This is especially true for small businesses where one person has spent a lot of time transforming their vision into reality. 
