Friday, January 9, 2009

#12 Technology

Admittedly, I profess to be a technology junkie.  If there's some cool new gadget or software out there I am usually one of the first to get a hold of it.

Listed below are technologies that I have used in business that have seriously increased my bottom line profits over the years:

Computers- When I first started in business I had a Dell laptop computer that I got some pretty good use out of.  However, it wasn't until I got my 20-inch iMac back in 2005 that my technology testosterone really started raging.  When I first set it up on my desk (a fold out table) I felt rich.  No, I felt super rich!!!

When you have a great computer and an even better operating system that's easy to use and doesn't crash on a regular basis, it really makes business and life cruise at warp speed.

Digital cameras- I can seriously remember the time when I no longer had to have film developed.  In my roofing business I take a lot of photos of my work.  Back in the day I spent a lot of time and money getting them developed.  They also took up a lot of space.  Now, with the use of digital cameras, I can store thousands of photos on my iMac.

When I bought my first high-quality camera I paid about $800 for a 5-megapixel Minolta.  Now, I can get a 12-megapixel camera that's twice as awesome for the same price. 

iPhone- January 2007 was a great month.  I can still remember the keynote speech by Apple's Steve Jobs at the MacWorld Expo where he announced and showed off the new iPhone.  Here I was for years thinking that it would be really cool if there was a way to have the best features of my iMac in a cell phone and then Steve Jobs says, "Tom, here's a way!"  I was really stoked.

Of course, I have an iPhone now and it is everything it was hyped up to be.  I swear one of these days I will be able to have a conversation with my iPhone, well at least a conversation where it actually talks back to me.

Mind Manager- If you like to brainstorm and organize your ideas, Mind Manager software from MindJet.com is awesome.  I use it everyday to unload all the crazy, inspirational clutter that occupies my brain on a constant basis.

I use Mind Manager for organizing ideas, structuring my businesses and work flow, marketing campaigns, business plans, flow charts, etc.  If you are an entrepreneur, Mind Manager is worth checking out!

GotVMail.com- A friend of mine turned me on to GotVmail.com recently and I signed up immediately.  GotVMail is a service that provides professional phone services at an unbeatable price.

Below are some of the features directly from GotVMail.com's website (click the image for a larger view):