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Tech Tools for the Home Office

Professional Organizer, Brandie Kajino, is today’s guest blogger.  Check out her recommended tech tools  for the home office.

I have some tricks up my sleeve. If you work from home, or have a home office, you probably do, too. I have some favorite tools that keep me together and organized. Here’s my top three favorites:

Google Apps: I have been using Google Apps for over a year. One thing people ask is, ”Why Google Apps and not Gmail?” Google Apps is what’s called a “cloud technology” software as a service application. That’s a whole lotta words for a software you use online, not installed directly on your computer. Google Apps is best for business, meaning I can use it for my business email account, calendar and included software called Google Docs. Google Docs is like Microsoft Office, only you use it online like a website. You can share documents with other people, collaborate on projects and have access to your documents anywhere in the world. Love that!

The last thing I love about Apps is the Calendar and Email. Apps has the ability to sync with a PDA or smartphone, just like Outlook. The difference is having my calendar backed up (away from the inevitable PC crash) and available to me in two places. It was easy to set up, which is a big bonus in my book!

iPhone: Ok, so yes, there are lots of us who swoon over this handy little device. Let me just say this about it: The iPhone is a game changer. I’ve used a Palm Treo (and other models), Blackberries and other devices. The first thing that I loved about my iPhone was how easy it was to set up and maintain. It just WORKS. It took minutes, not a weekend (like one of the other previous devices, which shall remain nameless), to set up. It made me a believer right out of the box. There’s lots of other great things, like thousands of Apps, syncing my music library and generally just being fun to use. (I still stare at it occasionally and just wonder how I was able to see this little wonder in my lifetime!)

The thing I like most is feeling in control of email and other communications like Twitter. My iPhone lets me decide when I want to be connected and when I don’t. The best part? I don’t carry my laptop around nearly as much anymore, and my shoulders and neck are thanking me!

ActiveWords: I could not live without this little program. I’ve written about it on my blog, talked it up on my podcasts and generally given it the love and devotion it deserves. Think of ActiveWords like a treasure trove of “action words” you use like saying a magic spell. “Abracadabra, launch my email program.” “Alacazam, take me to Wikipedia.” “Hocus, pocus, show me my Facebook page.” All joking, and bad magic spell attempts, aside, this is one powerful tool!

With ActiveWords, you set up “active words” to do any number of things, like launch a program, navigate to a website or substitute text. It cuts down the mouse clicks you incur and saves you little bits of time throughout your day. It will even tell you how much your accumulated saved time is worth! Last time I checked, it had saved me over 88 hours of time! Now, that’s productive!

What are some of your favorite home office techie tools?

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About The Author

Brandie Kajino, The Home Office Organizer, is a dynamic speaker, author and “organizing muse.”  Empowering clients with information, tools and simple organizing solutions are her specialty. For more information on her services, product downloads, a link to her podcast & radio show, her blog and free organizing tips, visit her website: www.thehomeofficeorganizer.com or call 360-907-6485.

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