Software & Systems
Advice: Psst… what’s the password?
Passwords, PIN numbers and security access codes – they seem like the bane of 21st century living. It’s so easy to forget which combination goes with which web site or with which credit card. Remembering passwords is almost a skill in itself. But with more and more of our lives going online, the first and foremost line of defence against unwanted intruders is the strength of our passwords.
Advice: Two screens are better than one
What used to be the height of luxury for computer professionals has now become an affordable and very real productivity boost for small businesses: adding a second monitor to your computer.
Folio: Hendrey Consulting
Hendrey Consulting came to ReBusiness late in 2008 in need of a business system – an automated assistant to keep track of their inbound, in-progress, and outbound property valuations.
Folio: Tinybeans.com logo
Working remotely with a client based in Sydney, the brief was to fully develop his business from his initial mockup, to a fully formed web application.
Advice: Crossing the digital divide: 5 steps to filing with style
The ‘digital divide’ is said to delineate ‘Generation X’ from ‘Generation Y’ – those who grew up with personal computers vs those who grew up before them. While the definitions of the range of ages of these two generations differs depending on who you talk to, I would suggest that it’s not so much age-based, but confidence-based.
That said, let me pose a few typical computer filing situations, and show you how to ‘file with style’ in the virtual world, and feel more confident with your own digital information.
Advice: The Science of Getting Things Done – Part Two
Last month I introduced a concept of ‘Getting Things Done’ – a bit of an Internet phoenomenon, whereby all your emails in your inbox, and all your files on your computer are attended to with a firm application of some really easy to follow rules – rather than let lie dormant for weeks or months on end.
This month, we continue – onwards and upwards!
Advice: The Science of Getting Things Done – Part One
If you’re anything like me, your computer is more than just a tool that you use for work – it’s likely that your computer is your virtual ‘filing cabinet’ – full of projects and work in progress, special applications for special purposes, resources and documents for reference when things get tricky, as well as a treasure trove of emails dating back to the last millennium.
We often file things away badly, and often, we don’t file at all. Our productivity in the real world is seen as critical, but our productivity in the virtual world is often way behind. Sound familiar? Read on!
Advice: Carpe Diem, et al: making the most of your opportunities…
Whether you make New Year’s Resolutions or not, January is the perfect time to do a little bit of navel gazing, and take a long hard look at your business – to think about the direction you want to take your business over the next 12 months.
Advice: Cheap but not nasty: open source software
The following list highlights a range of different genres of software and applications, giving some of the leading options of commercial software and/or commercial web site/web application offerings.
Advice: Expert systems: automating your brain
It’s not as scary as it sounds – by using an expert system to automate repetitive, but specialist tasks unique to your business, you can save time, offload tasks, or put your ‘brain’ online for profit. So, who’s first for an electronic cerebrectomy then?
Right off the bat, let’s tackle the most obvious question: what is an expert system?