Many of the free resources you’ll find on dot org can save organizations time & money, break down walls you didn’t know existed, work well for teams, etc. BUT we’ve also found some awesome tools that, even just knowing they’re out there, can make you a better professional. This entry is going to identify a handful of those freesources. If you have some of your own, please send them our way!
1) LogMeIn Free
If you’re like most, you probably have a computer hooked up at home that you don’t take everywhere you go. LogMeIn has a free version of their remote access software that literally can be set up in 2 minutes. Once the set up is done, you can log into your PC or Mac from anywhere in the world, for free. And even if LogMeIn isn’t for you, next time someone you know has a “Oh Sh*t” moment, you can recommend the program to them!
2) Bit.ly
Please tell me you’re already using this! That’s rhetorical, because I know some of you aren’t. Bit.ly takes big links and makes them small. There are lots of programs like Bit.ly out there, but few with the real time tracking and advanced features. What do I mean by real time tracking? You can see how many people clicked your link, where they’re located, and possibly even where they got the link from to click it. I’d start with watching the number of clicks, check the other data when those numbers get interesting. Aside from all the advanced features, Bit.ly is simply great for sharing links that take up too much space; especially in social media status updates or emails.
3) LinkedIn
Now this time I mean it – Please tell me you’re already using this! LinkedIn can be an extremely powerful tool for all professionals. The platform is very dynamic, so I’m only going to cover a couple basics on why it’s important. At a bottom line level, you should maintain your contacts somewhere outside of facebook, and not all of your contacts belong on facebook. LinkedIn is professional, and makes having a professional network easy and rewarding. If nothing else, use it to keep* and keep in touch with the people you care about and want to stay connected to.
Next: You, and your business, should be in control of your online brand/presence. And after having a website, LinkedIn comes next. Here’s why: easily earned top Google Search results & increased visibility/awareness both with those you know, and those checking you out. It’s a must.
4) PDFtoWord
This one’s a little easier to digest. This is a simple and beautiful PDF to Word conversion site. You won’t use it everyday, but knowing it’s there will save you a ton of pain and time when you remember it. I would go check this one out just to see how slick they’ve done it.
And that’s all folks! Until next time, freesource out!
