Creating An Almost Free Virtual Global Office

by Kipp

Note: This post assumes that the person setting up the office has a computer and a broadband connection and an existing e-mail account.

Most people want the ability to work from anywhere, but many don’t want to have to deal with the costs that can be involved. So I sought out to put together services that combined to make a cheap and productive virtual global office. So here is what you need to do…

·Word Processing, Spreadsheets, and Presentations – Sign up for an account at ThinkFree which is a great Web 2.0 application that allows you to create, upload and export all of your documents in generic file formats or Microsoft Office compatible file extensions. The best part about this service is the ability to collaborate with others and make comments on documents without tracking changes and re-saving documents a 100 times. Price: Free

·Time tracking – Sign up for Tick this is a great way to track time for billing clients or time management. Tracking time is always important when working out of the office and this application gives you a straight forward solution. Price: Free

·Desktop E-mail –Thunderbird – Most people know about Thunderbird but it is really a great e-mail software product that is easy to use and better than outlook. Price: Free

·Voice Communication – Skype – There has been a lot of buzz since Ebay’s purchase of Skype but it is a great tool to communicate with co-workers and clients. Most functions are free but you will have to pay for your own call in number and international calls. This is a great option for communication especially if you have a Bluetooth headset and can talk wirelessly within the given range of your computer.

·Monitoring the Competition – In business you always want to know what you competition is doing so create watch lists on Technorati and Google Alerts to learn about news and commentary about your competition as it happens.

By utilizing these service you can now manage you e-mail, create business documents, track and manage your time, make or receive calls with anyone in the world, and track your competition’s latest moves. What else do you need? If you can think of anything let me know, if not then unchain yourself from that office and go set up shop at a more appealing location; the beach, your favorite restaurant, a park the possibilities are endless. Who would ever know?

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