Tools I’m Using Behind the Scenes

This post is probably only going to be beneficial to a limited number of folks who follow my blog. I think it might be helpful for freelancers and entrepreneurs who are launching their own businesses. These are the tools I’m using behind the scenes to keep up with life outside of my role at West Ridge.

Highrise – I decided to invest a little more and made the switch from Salesforce to Highrise a few weeks ago. I use Highrise to track all my conversations, email messages and tasks associated with the various churches and organizations I’m working with. It’s very intuitive, and the Android app is the icing on the cake.

LessAccounting – Love this web app because it automatically downloads transactions for my business checking, credit card and PayPal accounts, but it still allows me to enter transactions manually. Among other things, I’m using LessAccounting for invoicing and tracking payments.

Expensify – This is Google’s free tool for tracking business expenses. I only use it for instances when I’m being reimbursed for expenses from partners and clients I’m serving. I’m able to request reimbursements through email without any paperwork.

Adobe Connect Pro – This is the web solution I’m using for my web coaching network and for any online meetings. I pay for this tool even though there are free options available because of the reliability of the service and the functions that the solution offers.

Evernote – If I’m ever at your church for a consulting engagement, you’ll see me taking pictures and taking notes on my phone. I use Evernote to capture everything. That makes it easy to generate summaries at the conclusion of each visit.

Wufoo – Every form that’s completed on my website uses Wufoo. Not only is it easy to create new forms, but it makes the follow up conversations very simple. Every time a form is submitted, I receive an email message in my inbox and Highrise is automatically updated. That’s right…no data entry!

PayPal – Yes, there are cheaper options out there for receiving payments, but PayPal is still the easiest option for the folks I work with and my team. (For the most part, that’s me.) Of course, it’s a bonus that PayPal also integrates with LessAccounting, and there’s also an Android app available.

Google Apps – Since my life is connected with teammates and partners across the country, there’s really no better solution for email, calendar and sharing documents. It works with either PC or Mac platform. I don’t have to maintain a server. I can access anything I need anywhere there’s web access…including my Google phone. And, I can share access to everything with any of my teammates and partners.

Here are a few things to note about these solutions:

• They are all web apps. I don’t have any software or hardware to maintain for any of these solutions to work. That means there’s no IT department.
• I pay for several of these tools. It’s part of my overhead costs to simplify my life and still serve churches well.
• Many of these solutions are integrated. That reduces time spent on data entry and other administrative tasks which allows me to spend more time interacting with people.

I’m always on the lookout for new solutions to make my life easier. Anything I’m missing?