Home Office Site

Well, I wrote a while back that I was trying out both JotForm and ZOHO Creator for creating online forms. Since then I have definitely settled upon ZOHO Creator. The ease of use, quick response from support, and the ability to adapt many forms in their Marketplace have me sold. The cost is minimal…..If I continue to use it at work for a lot of data I may need to upgrade to their backup services, but for now I feel like I can back-up form data myself.

ZOHO Creator allows you to build and run your online databases without any infrastructure costs. They also have a marketplace where you can buy the services of a database expert to create a customized solution to your needs. Frankly, I am mulling over the possibility of doing this, but instead have been playing around with taking apart different solutions out there and seeing if I can figure my own solution out. That is just my learning style.

Give ZOHO Creator a try….it is free until you need more than three applications. Very cheap for the basic program. I am currently only spending $15 a month, but organizations should be willing to cough up the $45 per month for the professional package if they have serious needs. The pricing structure is here, and if you would like to see an in-depth description of their product visit ZOHO Creators detail page.

I have been looking for a way to incorporate forms into my business management. My priorities include privacy, efficiency, ease of use. I want to be able to tell a worker that they can go to a defined page and enter information that I can accumulate and use elsewhere.

Well I’ve tried out more than I bargained for. I don’t have much of a budget, but I will be willing to pay a small amount eventually….at least if the forms create more business.

The two I have looked at the most are Zoho Creator and JotForm. Both are free until you want more…..I haven’t gotten to the point of choosing more.

ZoHo is going to deserve a long dedicated post of its own…..it is downright amazing all of the free services offered by this site. I have already used it for formatting and submitting an excel sheet into a blog, for instance. I have created a online job application form with this also.

Now I have finally started a Google Payment account and want a form program that will integrate with Google the best. I am leaning towards using Jotform, because it is so clear what I am will get for $9 a month. You wouldn’t believe how many companies I have eliminated from consideration because they bury their pricing information…….on the assumption that if they loop you in with a free trial you will jump on board. Me….I get pissed off that they will waste my time by surprising me with the cost after I’ve delved into the program for a day. I just don’t give those suckers a second look any more. If you can’t be upfront and easy about what you charge I don’t want to deal with you. I don’t have time, thank you very much!

So JotForm is the one I will try for payment…..to be continued. Gotta pick up my high school freshman. Be right back!
love and peace

A very useful and free tool to increase your computer protection is OpenDNS.This free service allows you to easily configure filtering of malicious websites.

Anyone who surfes the web is ihttp://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0427/040-technology-hackers-security-no-phishing-zone.htmln danger of being “hijacked” by websites that “pfish” for our personal information.  Surf the web while using this free service and provide yourself with reliable protection.

It is very simple to set Gmail as your default email client in FireFox.

Open your Tools tab and click on Options.  Then open the applications tab and scroll down until you see the mailto:  in the content type list.  Set it to Gmail and now when you click on a mailto: link Gmail will open up a compose window for you.

Google Labs has come up with a new feature where you can attach a Google document to your event listing.  This is very handy if you want someone to be able to print out details.  Do you have a flyer for the event that you would like those who share the calendar to post? Well this is one heck of an easy way to do it.

Here is an image of a calendar event with a document attached.

NETGEAR has announced the general availability of the two newest additions to their Powerline Adapter Ethernet/Network series, the  Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (XAVB101) and the  Powerline HD Plus Ethernet Adapter Kit (HDXB111).

Wow…..now  this is a neat idea.  If this works, people can save big bucks……..just plug into existing wiring to network to another location….no re-wiring!!!!!

Read about this here.

I wrote a few days ago about QuickBooks.  Since then I was surprised to discover that they have a free  product available to small business owners called Online Invoices.

What’s included?

Unlimited Invoicing
Multiple Invoice Templates
Address Book Management
Accept Credit Cards & eChecks*

If you want recurrent invoicing, or you want to create and send estimates, the  cost is only $9.95  per month.

It  seems to me that using this product is a complete no-brainer.  I have many friends and acquaintances who operate small  businesses out of their  homes.    Cash flow  needs to  be a top priority for all of us, and  having  an organized system of invoicing customers (especially those late  in payment) is critical for your success.  I am not an affiliate with Intuit (maybe I should work on that) …….I  am giving this recommendation to  you to help you out!  If you don’t  have the money to invest in  QuickBooks…….start here.

I think I have given up on a normal lifestyle. Working late creating the budget for Food Works for next year.

Every time I use QuickBooks I think of all the things I wish it would do for me. I mean, it is all right there.

For instance, my customer list has gotten enormous. And often times I won’t know what the customer name was listed as before (please realize that I’m sharing Quickbooks with several other programs operated by MWH and I’m not who set up all the customers). I should be able to do a simple search based (sort of like google) so if I put in Women’s Affairs I go straight to that office. As it is now, I don’t know if it is listed as Women’s Affairs, IU office of Women’s Affairs, Indiana University Department of ……well you get my drift. Perhaps this isn’t a problem for others, but I bet it is. Other organizations are larger than ours. This one small improvement would save me a bunch of time.