Tools you should be using… Speedfiler and SnagIt.

There are a ton of tools out there to help small business owners stay organized, communicate better, and be more efficient.  Here are two of my favorites I think everyone should check out.

1. Speedfiler - This is, without a doubt, the tool that makes managing my inbox almost bearable.  Speedfiler is an add-on for Microsoft Outlook.   Outlook itself is a good tool, but I always had a hard time maintaining my inbox and keeping track of the emails I sent out.  I have a lot of folders and it was always a pain to file email messages in the correct folder.  Then, if I wanted to file a sent message I would have to go into my “Sent” folder and manually drag the message into the appropriate client’s folder. Speedfiler to the rescue!

   This handy tool has several key pieces of functionality that address these pain points. With Speedfiler you can:

   • Quickly file received messages -  It even suggests folders to file the message in based on whom the email is from and the text contained in the email.
   • File outgoing messages when you send them – This alone is worth the cost of the software (which starts at $24.95).

   • Automatically delete messages after you send them – This can really help keep down the size of your “Sent” folder.

2. SnagIt - How often do you use screen captures when you communicate with people? In my line of business, having a quality “screen capturing” utility is a must.  Ctrl +”Print Screen” just doesn’t cut it.  I have been using SnagIt for 4 years and the people at TechSmith keep making the tool better.

   Here are some key features:

   • Capture an entire webpage – SnagIt has what is called the “Scrolling Window” profile.  If you’re looking at a webpage that doesn’t all fit on your screen, you can use this profile and SnagIt will automatically scroll through the webpage and make a single screen capture of the entire window.
   • Capture just a portion of a screen – There was a time when I would use Ctrl + “Print Screen” and then edit the screen shot in Paint.  A single screen capture would take several minutes.  With SnagIt, I can do the same thing in a matter of seconds.
   • SnagIt Editor – After you make a screen capture, you can use the SnagIt Editor to polish it up.  There are too many features in this tool to mention in this post, but here is a sample of what you can do in the editor. I think you’ll see how this can help facilitate communication. You can:
     • highlight text
     • add comments
     • apply different border types
     • much more…

Here are links to download free trials.   I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

• Speedfiler
• SnagIt

Give them a try and let me know what you think.  Also, are there other tools you use that others might benefit from? Comment on this post and let me know.