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In a crashing economy, sometimes who you partner with can help a lot. This article isn't so much about Google offering free bailouts, but about how what you use and how you use it can make a big difference. I know that I'm not the first to post a guide on using Google Apps, but I want to share some of the ways I use it to keep my business flowing smoothly. The key services that I use are the Start Page, Mail, Docs, Calendar, Sites, Reader, and Talk. The start page is great because it gives me the chance to add different parts to my page and keep up on everything from one standard screen. So let's begin on how my business processes flow through Google Apps.
Google Start Page On my start page, I have it arranged in the traditional 3 column layout. All the information is for business, relating to SprocketWD, personal stuff is for my GMail. The left column contains Mail, a notes widget that tracks article ideas, and a notes widget that is truly for notes. The center column contains my To-Do List and Google Calendar widgets. Finally, the right column has Weather, Bookmarks, Docs, and Google Talk. See the diagram below. This arrangement allows me to to get a quick look of what all I need to do. It helps a lot for keeping up on what still needs to be done, and with a couple quick clicks, I can open most of these items in a new tab if I need to modify. Google Mail By using Google Apps for Email, I am allowed over 7GB of storage, and I have my main email set up as a catch all. So now I receive all the email clients or fans are using to get ahold of me. Everything from steve@sprocketwd.com to support@sprocketwd.com to alkdhfuoi@sprocketwd.com is all in one location with quick access, and nothing gets missed. As I register for different work related forums, I can use emails such as forumsubs@sprocketwd.com so that I can easily filter and apply appropriate labels. I can also send email from different addresses easily from within the Account Settings page, so that I can send emails to clients from billing@sprocketwd.com. Google Docs Google Documents are the best thing to happen to word processing in a long time. I can type up articles, draft up agreements and then share them with clients, create invoices quickly with the templates available, and even create simple presentations if a client needs a little more convincing. All documents can be shared, and you can give users or groups contribute or read-only access. Autosave is another great feature that has been really useful during my deployment. The power goes out a lot and I never lose much. When I get home and I have to get up to chase my daughter around the house, it will be handy, knowing that at any moment, I am free to be a father whenever I need to be. I am actually writing this article right now from within Google Docs, and the diagram of my start page, yea, a Google Docs presentation.
Google Calendar
I use Google Calendar to track all of my work related events. It helps to segregate my personal from work life. It also interfaces very well with the Start Page, and so there is not much to compain about. There are also several Joomla extensions that I can use to put the calendar onto my site, which will be coming soon after I get back to The States. Everything about Google Apps interfaces very well with everything else you may need. If you want to export your calendar, you can do it with just a few clicks. Google Sites Google Sites might be able to be used for some people's sites, but doesn't offer as much customization as I feel my clients deserve. I use it for a small intranet right now. A place where multiple people can share files in a file library. Users can post announcements, create lists, and share links. Almost like a simple SharePoint solution, for businesses that don't want to spend several thousand dollars for the same features. Google Talk If my clients are using Google Talk or AIM, I can quickly get ahold of them and they can see when I'm online if they have any questions. Support is important to me and so I try to make myself as available as possible. Google Reader This is one that had to save for last because it has made my life so much easier. I used to have to constantly remember to go through my favorites to get the latest news from my favorites, such as FreelanceSwitch Life Hacker and Entrepreneur. I also keep an eye out on several SEO, Marketing, Web Development, and computer security blogs/forums. When I am having trouble finding something to write about, I can go to Google Reader, read up on what problems businesses are having, and then try to explain how businesses can use their sites to fix the problems. So whether you use it to keep up and quickly browse the latest news, or use it as a business tool, Google Reader is almost as important to business as email. The only bad thing I can say is that Google Apps for Domain Owners. Do you have any other ways you use Google Apps for your business? Let me hear about it in the comments! |
