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Archive for the ‘Zoho’ Category

Business, Productivity & Collaboration Application service, Zoho is celebrating its fifth year.

I have been recommending Zoho to my fellow  Solopreneurs for many years now and I continue to use several of Zoho’s office suite services to this day. My ultimate favorite is ZohoCRM.  ZohoMeeting has been the perfect web based tool for most of my virtual training sessions and I use ZohoNote book daily to keep track of client notes and website bookmarks.

Zoho has recently collaborated with Google and can now be linked to your Google Apps email and calendar. So congratulations again Zoho for making it to the five year threshold.

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Robert Scoble the author of the Blog “Scobleizer” does and in depth interview with Sridhar Vembu the CEO and Raju Vegesna the Evangelist of Zoho. Zoho is number 1 on my list of Top 10 Web 2.0 Sites for Solopreneurs. I use the Zoho Suite almost every day to help run my business.

Solopreneurs and small businesses really need to take a good look at utilizing a service like Zoho in order to keep your business productive and more cost efficient.

Zoho is giving companies like Google, Salesforce and even Microsoft a run for their money. Where else can you get to use an office suite similar to Microsoft Office, Google Apps and Salesforce CRM all for FREE.

Take a look at this interview and let me know your thoughts.

All the best

JB

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Since I use most of these sites to help me run my business I wanted to list them so that you can make mention of some of the Web 2.0 sites that help you run your business. I have given a brief description on how I use each of these sites.
Please post comments on your top 10 Web 2.0 sites.

1. Zoho.com
2. PayPal.com
3. WordPress.com
4. Google Apps
5. Facebook.com
6. iContact.com
7. Logmein.com
8. Microsoft Live Small Business
9. Skype.com
10. Picnik.com

These 10 Web 2.0 website are actually in order of importance to my business. Your top 10 may look totally different and also might not be in the same order as mine. The top 5 are website I use daily. I do have many others that I use as well but these 10 are the ones I cannot do without.

1. Zoho.com (CRM, Spreadsheet, Word Processor,  Presentations, Database, Project Management, Organizer, Web Conferencing and many more)
Even though Zoho.com has not been around to long I still see it as my number one because of the way it helps me run my business. I mainly use it for the awesome and yes Free CRM but its all in one running a business capabilities are literately outstanding.

2. PayPal.com (Online Credit Card Payment System)
I have used PayPal.com the longest, going on 8 years now. I will talk more about PayPal.com in coming blog entries but for now I will only say it is a must have for any Solopreneurs business person that wants to get paid for their service or product via credit card today.

3. WordPress.com (Blogging)
This blog is using the WordPress.com technology. If you are just starting out in the blog world I suggest you start with Google’s Blogger.com but for a more professional and state of the art look and feel I would recommend WordPress.com.

4. Google Apps (Gmail, Google Doc + Spreadsheet, Google Calendar, Google Notebook, Google Adsense, Google Adwords, Google Anylitics, , , and many more)
Google Apps is a combination of Applications and Tools that can have a very big impact on your business. Gogge Apps could be considered a number one for most Solopreneurs and should be in most cases. It may move them up on my list in the coming months. In the mean time I will keep them here because my top 4 have just a little more influence on how my business runs everyday.

5. Facebook.com (Social Networking)
Facebook has taken everyone buy storm. If you don’t have a Facebook profile page get one today. Social networking is the future of business marketplace for Solopreneurs and business owners alike. Myspace is for the kids, dating and entertainment. Facebook is for those of us who want to market and promote our business to millions of like minded people.

6. iContact.com (Email Marketing)
Email marketing at its best. All the features your business needs to send out professional email campaigns. Remember email is still the most inexpensive and fastest way you can market your business to your targeted prospect and customer.

7. Logmein.com (Remote Support and Training)
I use this service both as a way to remotely log into my home computers when I am on the road or at a client site. I also use it to remotely train my clients without leaving the comforts of my home office. All you need is a quickly installed plugin and a Fast Access connection to the Internet on both ends.

8. Microsoft Live Small Business (Websites, Email, Online Advertising, CRM, Chat)
I can’t say enough about Microsoft Live Small Business because I regard it as the Best way a Soloprenuer can start out on the web. Where else can you get a starter website with domain name and branded email all for Free. Please see my previous blog post “Don’t Already Have a Website For Your Business? With Microsoft You Have No More ” for more information.
 
9. Skype.com (Long Distance and International Phone Calls, Chat, Video Conferencing)
Skype is the future of Internet Communication as far as I am concerned. I use it for making calls all over the united states and the world. Skype to Skype call are always free and Skype to land lines are really inexpensive. It is also a great video conferencing tool that will work with most of your existing web cam software.

10. Picnik.com (Graphics Editor, Photo Editing and Alteration)
Here is a great site for those of you who don’t want to pay an outrageous price for some of these photo and graphic editing software. Think of it as “Web 2.0 PhotoShop” without the cost and installation.

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If you are a small business and you are thinking of purchasing software to run your business like the most well known business suite of software made by Microsoft Office, then you may want to read on and take a better look at what is out there.

Microsoft Office for Windows which consist of a suite of software programs that include Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher and Power Point. These programs are the core of software used by many small to large businesses. The most well know of the suite and most widely used is Microsoft Word which is a word processing program.

Zoho.com is a web based service that offers their own suite of programs for businesses. The one great thing about these online programs is that most of them are absolutely FREE. I am currently using 5 of the 12 main programs Zoho Writer (Word Processor), Zoho Sheet (Spreadsheet Program) Zoho Planner (Online Organizer) Zoho Project (Project Manager) and last but not least Zoho CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) .

My favorite program right now is Zoho Planner. Zoho Planner is a way for me to keep track of my business ideas and personal goals with an automated to do list. It also lets me stay organized by storing my documents and images while also sending me email reminders on what I need to get done for the day. The one thing that sets these online programs apart from their off line competition is the ability to share and collaborate with others in your business.

At a press of a button I am sharing my to do list with my wife, my spreadsheet with my coworker and my latest invoice with my accountant. All one needs is an email address to be put on a list for sharing secure access to any of my Zoho suite of programs.

The only draw back to this great way of sharing thoughts, ideas and documents is the fact that you have to be on the Internet to use the programs. If for some reason you don’t have a continuous connection to the Internet you can’t do business. Here is where the off line Microsoft products have their advantage.

So as a business owner I would need to way the circumstances and needs of my business. If being able to access your work off line is important to you, and you want to sacrifice speed, mobility and collaboration, then the more traditional Microsoft products may be your way to go.

Zoho.com has me hooked on business in real time. I totally enjoy being online almost all the time and reaping the benefits updated information that I can get right now. I also enjoy not having to be tied to a desk to do my most important work. I can do my work whenever and where ever I please in the world that has an Internet connection.

Zoho.com suite of online programs will give your business an affordable, fast and mobile way to conduct its operations.

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