As mobile computer services and remote pc access devices - such as smart phones, iPads and other tablets - proliferate, organizations and their employees are gaining more flexibility.

If you're looking to make your business more flexible, you need tools that will ensure your operations run smoothly in the absence of having staff you can monitor and oversee everyday. Having staff that telecommute as well as a virtual storefront may present unique challenges to the daily management of a virtual company. Here are five free or inexpensive tools you can use that we have found to be extremely helpful in training, management and operations.

1. Yahoo Instant Messenger (IM)

For a virtual company, IM is essential. We use both Yahoo and GTalk (Google) but some small virtual firms like to use Skype or other IM clients. With Yahoo IM, we are able to record and save the IM conversations. In addition, YIM allows you to share files such an jpegs, pdfs and Word docs, directly across the IM network while you chat in real time. IM is also helpful for training especially when it isn't possible for you to phone conference or train in person.

2. Yahoo PingBox

Along the same lines, Yahoo Pingbox is a chat client that is embeddable on a website or blog. Visitors to your website can chat with you via the embedded chat box. We've found that Pingbox can dramatically improve your website's performance in terms of its conversion rates and the stickiness of a website.

3. Free Conference Call

FreeConferenceCall.Com offers a powerful conference calling service, all for free. You can record conference calls, play them back at a later date and even have them transcribed into text (for a small fee). Also, the service is nice because it gives you a report of all call participants along with their phone numbers at the end of each call. A must have for virtual teams.


4. Phone.com – Automated Phone Answering Service

If you have a virtual team and each member has h/er own phone number, then you know how challenging it can be to make sure all calls to your business are being handled efficiently and expediently. Phone.Com helps to solve this common problem by giving you VoIP (Voice over IP) services. You can record a professional-sounding voicemail by simply typing text in; you don't need a person to speak anything, and the software will convert it to an .mp3 voice message recording. And if a caller leaves a message, you can have the system send the message to you as an .mp3 in an email. Or, have the voicemail transcribed to text and sent via email.

In addition, you can set up sophisticated call handling rules and call forwarding rules. For example, you can have one number, when called, to ring a second line. Phone.Com even offers International Long Distance calling numbers, making international commerce easier. Rates start as low as $6/mo.

5. MediaWiki As An Intranet

Though it is a bit more complex to install and configure, the MediaWiki open source software is superb for use as an internal company intranet. We use MediaWiki - the same software the runs Wikipedia - for group collaboration, workflow management, standard operating procedures and other important internal documents. With MediaWiki, you can easily allow your staff to upload/download files, edit and contribute to each other's work and keep shared notes on sales prospects.

These five free or inexpensive tools that can really made a difference for your business have been provided by guest-blogger Eric Bryant, Director - Gnosis Arts Multimedia Communications LLC.

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Have you ever wanted to just be able to find a definition using Google without having to scroll through a ton of results?

Do you get frustrated when working on multiple emails or documents in Microsoft Office?

Houston IT Consulting expert, Cheryl Smith, has a few shortcuts for Google & Microsoft Office to help you save time and increase productivity.   

Google Search Tips

·         Phone number lookup - Enter a full phone number with area code to display the name and address associated with that phone number.

·         Calculator - Use the Google Search engine as a calculator by typing a math problem in the search. For example, typing: 100 + 500 would display results as 600.

·         Definitions - Pull up the definition of the word by typing define followed by the word you want the definition for. For example, typing: define historical would display the definition of that word.

Keyboard Shortcut Tips

·         F1 - Open “help” for the program you're in.

·         Alt + Tab or Alt + Esc - Quickly switch between open programs.

Outlook Email Shortcut Tips

·         Ctrl & R - will open reply email to selected email

·         Ctrl & N - will open a new email

·         Ctrl & F-  will open a forward of a selected email

Computer Mouse Tip

Many programs that allow you to edit text support the ability to quickly highlight all or portions of text by using the Shift key and the mouse. For example, move the cursor to the beginning of the text you wish to highlight, hold down the shift key, and click at the end of the text you wish to highlight. If supported and done properly this will highlight all text in-between the points you clicked.

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While our primary business is IT consulting in Houston, we are heavily involved in helping clients creative a more flexible and efficient workplace through the use of computer services and tele-working, and we have recently recognized for exemplarily workplace practices as an Honorable Mention recipient of the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Award.

 It doesn’t appear that tele-working will ever fully-replace the conventional office setup. There are just some sectors and circumstances in which it won’t work optimally.

Teleworking is part of today’s business culture

I recall a similar conversation in the mid to late 90s with regard to e-commerce vs. brick-and-mortar. Some “projections” were asserting that brick-and-mortar would dissipate in the wake of the online store. Certainly, it’s revolutionized the way in which we shop, which I’m sure we all anticipated, but not the extent of the “extinction projections”.

There is also a “green” and “workplace morale” element involved in the telecommuting movement. Organizations such as When Work Works and the Flexible Workplace Initiative have worked collaboratively with local officials and business leaders across the US in creating a more flexible workplace environment, thereby reducing traffic and related gas emissions.

So regardless of how short telecommuting fell of expectations and predictions, I do believe that it also enables businesses to attract better talent, retain that talent by working more collaboratively within the employee‘s personal life, create a more efficient work environment, and help an organization’s social reputation by being more “green”.

Have you ever lost a “meeting request” you accepted in Outlook?

You clicked the “Accept” button - and it was gone?

Would you like to keep these meeting requests in your email or subfolder for future reference? Or just keep it in your Inbox until after the meeting actually takes place?

Turn off “default settings” to save your meeting requests

When an appointment is accepted in Outlook, it automatically gets placed onto the calendar and automatically deletes from you Email Inbox.

If you want to keep a copy of the email, the default setting must be changed. Houston IT support expert, Cheryl Smith, shows you how:

1. On the Tools menu
2. Click Options
3. Click E-mail Options
4. Click Advanced E-mail Options.
5. Clear the Check mark from the Delete meeting request from Inbox when responding. 

Now, your meeting will appear on your calendar and stay in your inbox until you decide what action you would like to do next.

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Have you ever wanted to send a picture of your screen via email or inserted in a document and you just didn’t know how?

Did you receive an error message that was long and you didn’t want to write the entire thing down to remember it?

Wouldn’t it be great to take a picture of an error message and send it within an email to the helpdesk?  

You can. With the Print “Screen Function”

If you desire the entire screen shot:

·         Select the Print Screen key on your keyboard, sometimes you may have to use Ctrl-Print Screen.

This acts as a copy function, taking a picture of the screen.

If you only want the “active” or “front” window on your screen:

·         Press and hold the ALT key and then hit the Print Screen key.

This will save you time and it is a great way to show someone what you are seeing instead of explaining it.

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This week we’re taking a break from IT support tips to lend a hand to those having a tough time understanding “Text-Lingo”.

Have you ever had a co-worker or associate email with an acronym like, “EOD”, “CYL”, or “FYI” – and you were too embarrassed to ask what it meant?

Business text messaging shorthand jargon has become "foreign language" that many business people today need to know in order to keep up to date at work, understand instant messages from co-workers, and get the meaning of office emails.

Houston IT consultant Cheryl Smith helps you “get hip with this tip”:

Popular business text shorthand phrases:

  AFAIC - As Far As I'm Concerned

  ASAP - As Soon As Possible

  BRB - Be Right Back

  BSUS - Business

  BTW - By The Way

  CLM - Career Limiting Move

  DD - Due Diligence

  DRIB - Don't Read If Busy

  EOD - End Of Day

  EOM - End Of Message

  EOT - End Of Thread

  FYI - For Your Information

  GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike

  HIOOC - Help, I'm Out Of Coffee

  IAITS - It's All In The Subject

  IANAL - I Am Not A Lawyer

  IM – Instant Message

  KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid

  LOPSOD - Long On Promises; Short On Delivery

  MOTD - Message Of The Day

  MTFBWY - May The Force Be With You

  MYOB - Mind Your Own Business

  NRN - No Reply Necessary

  NWR - Not Work Related

  OTP - On The Phone

  P&C - Private & Confidential

  PEBCAK - Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard

  QQ - Quick Question

  RFD - Request For Discussion

  RFP - Request For Proposal

  SME - Subject Matter Expert

  STD - Seal The Deal

  TBA - To Be Announced

  TBD - To Be Determined

  TWIMC - To Whom It May Concern

  TIA - Thanks In Advance

  WIIFM - What's In It For Me

  WOMBAT - Waste Of Money, Brains And Time

  WTG - Way To Go

  YW - You're Welcome

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The 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility recognizes employers across the country that are successfully using flexibility to meet both business and employee goals.

This year, In addition to the luncheon, we will be having an early panel discussion starting at 9:30 am on the "Future of Workplace Flexibility".  

The panel participants will speak on topics of workplace flexibility, such as policy development, IT services, wellness, and implementation and future impacts of flexibility.

Victor Grinshtein, President of Houston computer services company, Xvand Technology, will discuss technology as it relates to workplace flexibility

For more information about the panelists, visit Panelist Information.

For more information on this program, visit http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e2xxsft7da4ba7f4

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