Forget useless desktop apps and piles of paperwork: there are now
thousands of small and medium-sized businesses managing all their
affairs with online applications. After an exhaustive hunt this week,
we’ve rounded up more than 230 of the leading online applications for
super-productive companies.
Accounting, Billing, Invoicing, Estimating & Contracts
BillingOrchard – Online billing software that maintains hourly billing time as well as flat fee or recurring billing.
Bill My Clients – A hassle-free way to create and print invoices (you can email them too) and send them via the USPS.
Blinksale – Create elegant
invoices using professionally designed templates (or create your own)
and send them to anyone with an email address.
Cashboard – Estimating, invoicing and time tracking for you, your employees and subcontractors.
DocuSign – Electronic signature services that allow you to get legally binding electronic signatures on your contracts.
EchoSign – A fast & easy way to get electronic contracts signed.
eSignForms – Online signature platform to make getting signed contracts easier.
Fluttervoice – Create invoices and send them to anyone with email.
FreshBooks – Online invoicing and time tracking that’s easy to use and free to try.
Honeypitch – A proposal
automation solution that combines CRM and business productivity tools
to allow you to quickly combine a presentation, proposal, estimate and
contract that can be negotiated online.
Invoice Genie – Online
invoicing, time tracking, contact management, scheduling and financial
management software that’s simple and intuitive to use.
Invoices Made Easy – A free invoicing service that allows you to send invoices and have them paid online.
InvoicePlace – Invoicing, payment tracking and quoting from any computer with an internet connection.
invotrak – Track the invoices you send to clients for free.
LessAccounting – Ridiculously simple, intuitive accounting program that is just for accounting and nothing else.
Saasu – Complete online
accounting suite with invoices, payroll, purchases, time sheets,
inventory, customers, suppliers, prospects & employees.
SantexQ – Time reporting, task management and billing all handled from one place.
Sertifi – Electronic contract delivery and signing.
simplifythis – Invoice your customers and get paid online.
Simplybill – Simplified invoice management without extra features that nobody uses anyway.
Simply Invoices – The simplest way to invoice your time from Basecamp.
The Invoice Machine – Create PDF invoices for free, without having to register or store information (unless you want to).
Time:59 – Web-based billing that includes time and expense tracking, as well as invoicing and accounts receivable.
Vebio – Online accounting designed for freelance professionals, independent contractors, and self-employed people.
Yozons Technology – Electronic signature service.
Xero – Online accounting that’s
accessible from anywhere 24/7, with free upgrades, automated bank fees,
and no minimum subscription period.
Calendars & Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling – Allow your clients and customers to schedule appointments with you online.
Calendar Hub – Create an
online calendar and either keep it private or publish it. You can also
search published calendars to find new events to add to your own.
epointment – Online scheduling that can be used by any professional whose business involves appointments, as well as for personal use.
Collaboration & Workgroups
See also: 60+ Collaborative Tools for Groups
Campfire – Password protected group chat rooms that can be created in seconds.
CentralDesktop – Simple project collaboration platform for business teams.
Comapping – Create mind maps that you can share with your colleagues using your browser.
Copper – Web-based project and task management that allows for commercial team collaboration.
Coventi Pages – Create documents and invite others to give you feedback.
Cozimo – Online collaboration on
digital media, including images and video; archives a complete record
of all content related communications, and has the ability to host live
online review sessions.
cyn.in – A web platform for
building, collaborating, managing and publishing content that offers
solutions for knowledge management, document management, secure online
file storage, group collaboration, digital asset management and more.
eProject – Project management software that integrates with Outlook.
HiveLive’s Hive Community 2.0 Platform – Allows your company or workgroup to manage and share information and allows for quick adaptation as needed.
Huddle – Share documents and ideas, plan projects, collaborate with others and manage multiple projects from one interface.
inventionDB -
Project-blogging platform that allows anyone to build an online project
portfolio and connect with multiple team members, project resources and
more.
itensil – An online process
modeler, wiki, document manager, process executer, content manager,
collaboration tool, and more with a 100% web-based user interface that
requires no plug-ins or desktop components.
Joyent Connector Collaboration Suite – Collaboration application suite that features search, tagging, and RSS feeds.
Kayuda – Allows businesses to collaborate on projects.
letsproveVO – A project management and team collaboration web application.
LooseStitch – Online outliner that allows you to share outlines you create.
mind42 – Collaborative web-based mind mapping.
MindQuarry – On-demand, open-source team collaboration platform.
Netcipia – A blog and wiki package designed for workgroup collaboration.
Octopz – Allows collaboration on
a range of document types (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, video,
audio, animations, Flash files, and more).
OpenTeams – Online hosted collaborative wiki aimed at creating a more entrepreneurial spirit at your company.
Pytagor – Online desktop and
web collaboration platform that allows you to access your documents,
bookmarks and more online from anywhere.
Synthetron – Brainstorming tool for large organizations that lets up to 1000 participants take part in structured collaborative sessions.
Teamspinner – Online collaboration platform that allows you to create a custom environment for your projects.
TeamWork Live – Secure web-based project management and collaboration that’s intuitive and promotes accountability among team members.
TheOpenDoc – An online
collaboration space that allows registered users to create multiple
workspaces (each can contain multiple text documents) and then invite
multiple users to work on those documents.
TotoExpress – Online content delivery for creative professionals that enables collaboration on documents with clients.
Uhuroo – Online application for teams to share information and collaborate while keeping information secure but still available.
Vyew – A next-generation collaboration and web conferencing service.
WhoDo.es – Online project management that includes a workspace, document repository and journal.
wridea – Create categories to organize your ideas and create online brainstorming sessions.
Conferences, Presentations & Meetings
authorSTREAM – Share your PowerPoint presentation online, and discover presentations that others have created.
Confabb – Confabb is a huge
online database of conferences all over the world that allows you to
search, track, discuss and review any conference, speaker or session.
Demofuse – Create website tours online, with seamless integration into your site.
Dimdim – Free open source web
conferencing platform that allows you to show presentations,
applications and your desktop to others over the internet.
Gaboogie – A conference call platform that calls you and your attendees so no one is late again.
PPTExchange – A marketplace where all of your PowerPoint presentations can be shared, exchanged and sold.
PreZentit – Create presentations online and then share and show them.
Screencast-o-Matic – Create a video recording of your screen and host it for free (great for website or software demonstrations).
Slide Aware – PowerPoint presentation lifecycle management.
SlideBurner – Online slideshow sharing.
SlideShare – Publish your slideshows for the world to see, and find & download other people’s slideshows that are of interest to you.
Spresent – Free alternative to PowerPoint that’s web-based and built with Flash.
Thumbstacks.com! – Make and share presentations online.
Viewbook – Online platform for hosting slideshows, presentations, photo albums and portfolios.
Yugma – Free online collaboration with real-time desktop sharing, virtual meetings and more.
Zentation – Upload your presentation videos as well as the accompanying PowerPoint presentations.
Crowdsourcing, Networking, & Community
companyloop – Professional
networking service that’s only open to people at your company; use it
to share ideas and information with your co-workers.
IconnectE – Network with start-ups, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and others to create more business opportunities for yourself.
introNetworks – Create
and manage private business communities with world-class, easy-to-use
tools that display relationships between people, companies and products
visually.
PartnerUp – Find potential
business partners, employees or employers; network with other business
people; and find resources for your business and your career.
Referral Key – Create your
own referral network of trusted business associates that can provide
each other with qualified customer referrals.
Spoke – An open network for
business people with access to over 35 million people at more than
900,000 companies; allows you to discover other business people and
leverage your professional network to reach your targets.
Visible Path – Search for things you have in common with the people you want to meet in order to form stronger relationships.
Customer Relationship Management & Contact Management
24SevenOffice – The #1 CRM in Europe featuring sales management, group calendaring, document management and reports.
BigContacts – A web-based
contact manager that’s ideal for small teams and features a shared
calendar, shared contacts, notes, history and more.
ClientScribe – Keep track of all the activity between you and your clients, from phone calls to faxes, proposals and email.
Entellium – CRM software with award-winning design, free support, no annual contracts and 99.7% uptime guaranteed.
Heap – A simple CRM system with messaging, calendars and contacts that works well with email.
Highrise – Track communication
and conversations with customers, prospects and others; also has
integrated email and allows you to share contact information with
co-workers.
Keepm – Create, manage and search an
unlimited number of contacts, share contacts and export information
about your contacts for free.
Pipeline Deals – A CRM
tool with an easy-to-use notebook format that allows you to organize
your files, notes, documents and more as well as manage your deals and
prospects.
Plaxo – Plaxo offers toolbars for
major email clients and web browsers (at least in Beta release) to keep
your address book updated across all the applications that you use.
ProjectStat.us – Keep your customers updated on their project status and allow them to see updates at their convenience.
Relationals – The leading CRM and sales force automation tool for the media industry that’s easy to use and increases productivity.
Relenta CRM – A CRM with full email integration that’s easy to use and also has group calendar and newsletter marketing features.
SalesForce – On-demand customer relationship management that’s very full-featured and scalable to your organization’s size.
SalesGenius – Allows salespeople to track how prospects are responding to email with no programming required.
SugarCRM – Commercial open source CRM application that helps drive sales performance and marketing effectiveness.
vtiger – An open source CRM
that’s focused mainly on small to medium sized businesses and features
sales force automation, customer support & service, marketing
automation, inventory management, and more.
Zoho CRM – An easily customizable on-demand customer relationship management application.
Database, File Storage and Information Management
Bubbl.us – Brainstorm online, create colorful mind maps, and even share and work with others.
Cebase – A database featuring
point-and-click form design and easy data entry, plus sharing and other
features you’d expect in a web-based application.
cogmap – Organization chart wiki that lets you create company organization charts online.
Confluence – An enterprise wiki platform that’s made for sharing knowledge and collaboration.
DabbleDB – Easy to use, flexible, and powerful database builder and hosting.
Domain Log Book – Keep track of the domains you own and view their Google Rank, Alexa Rank and more.
eUnifyDB – Create databases
for whatever your company needs, whether it’s inventory tracking,
customer management, development tracking or project management.
File123 – Keep records of all of your electronic and paper files by faxing, scanning, uploading or emailing.
FLEXlists – Create simple databases and lists with all the fields you need.
Fluxiom – Digital asset
management for your company that allows you to host your media assets,
marketing materials, contracts, images and more.
iOutliner – Online outlining program for managing your tasks, ideas, projects and more in structured lists.
Lazybase – An online database
that’s easy to use and doesn’t require a login (instead they give you a
“secret URL” to access your database).
MyownDB – Another online database that’s multi-user, easy to configure & use, and has an integrated help feature.
OrgPlus Live – Create online organizational charts for your company.
QuickBase – A web-based database solution from Intuit that you can use for project management, sales management and other applications.
ShareMethods – Centralized document creation and sharing that’s secure and available from anywhere, anytime.
SocialText – Another enterprise level wiki platform that’s built to be secure, scalable and easy to use.
StarterBase – Easy to use database that allows you to create your own web applications and also allows sharing of your data via XML or RSS.
TeamDesk – Hosted web-based database application system that comes with predefined solutions.
Trackivia – A powerful,
easy-to-use database that includes starter databases, filtering &
search capability, and one-click Excel export.
TrueShare – Secure online file sharing and file backup.
9cays – Group email that creates a conversation between people, and archives that conversation on an easy to read web page.
BlueTie – Free and pro plans available; offers web-based email (with domain support), calendaring and file sharing.
DropSend – Send files up to 1GB in size, and back up all your files online.
Breeze – Create and send email campaigns and then track their results.
iContact – Email marketing
application that allows for the creation, publishing and tracking of
newsletters, surveys, autoresponders and more.
mailbigfile – Send email attachments of up to 100MB.
Send6 – Send large files in a branded system with delivery tracking.
Sproutit Mailroom – Simple email management that allows teams to manage customer inquiries that come in through your website.
Employee Management, Payroll and Human Resources
1time – Timesheet recording
that also includes email reminders for employers who haven’t entered
their timesheets, as well as project management with Basecamp
integration.
CATS – A free, open source applicant tracking system that helps streamline your hiring process.
ClickTime – Timesheet and
expense tracking accessible from anywhere (including your mobile
device) with flexible reports and exportable data.
Clockspot – Web based time clock that allows employees to clock in and out from the internet or phone.
Harvest – Track what your employees are doing with their time and get graphical reports, all from a simple and usable interface.
Kudos – An employee recognition system that helps you recognize, reward, and retain good employees.
mindsalt – Easy to use time tracking and expense tracking online.
Pacific Timesheet – Web-based timesheets with an array of features to meet your requirements.
PayCycle – Paycheck calculations, instant checks, direct deposit, taxes, and more are all handled from one place.
Perquest – Easy to use payroll system that’s simple to learn and is ideal for small to medium sized businesses.
TeleTimecard – Call-in timecard system for employees that can be managed in real-time online.
timeXchange – Manage the entire time-reporting process for your company online.
WhosOff – Free online staff vacation scheduler.
Zed Office – Online time sheet and expense report tracking that’s built to work with QuickBooks.
Mail Handling
eSnailer – Write a letter and
have it sent via the U.S. Postal Service free of charge; you just have
to accept one of their free offers (ads).
Stenographr – Write a letter online and they’ll mail it to whoever you want for only $2.
EasyPost.ca – A mail service that will send to any address in Canada, and it’s free for a limited time.
Postful – Send letters using email for only $.99 (for one full-color page).
Marketing & Publicity
ClearSMS – Web-based application for sending bulk SMS messages to your customers and contacts.
ConfirmIt – Survey software for feedback management and market research (including community panels).
embracemobile – Enables you to create market research surveys that can be presented over mobile phones.
Headlight – Define, plan, execute and measure how effective your marketing efforts are online and offline.
Marketo – Pay per click
advertising management software that helps increase revenue and
accountability. Also landing page testing and optimization.
Mobivity – Affordable mobile marketing solutions.
MyMediaRoom – A platform
that allows organizations to publish their press releases, event
announcements, blog and more on a dedicated website.
vflyer – Create a standardized classified ad that can be used online or in print.
Zoomerang – Create online surveys, invite people to participate and analyze the results to improve your marketing efforts.
Money Making & eCommerce Solutions
blinkcart – Shopping cart software that allows you to put a shopping cart on any page that supports html links or javascript code.
E-Junkie – Shopping cart & buy it now buttons that can be put on any website for selling downloads or tangible goods.
FlyingCart – Online store hosting that’s free, accepts all major credit cards, and is search engine optimized.
Kagi – A complete set of services for online business transactions.
Near-Time Premium – Set up commercial collaboration spaces, set your price, and then invite new members to pay for your knowledge and expertise.
uShops – Online channel for selling creative and niche products.
Vendio – Complete multi-channel online merchandising solution for eCommerce success.
Volusion – Complete ecommerce
solution that includes product management and administration, shipping
tools, credit card processing, live updates, and more.
WeSquare – Use Skype to market your time and make money with your knowledge.
Zazzle – Create your own online store and sell your own unique designs for T-Shirts, mugs, and more.
Office Applications
Approver – Create documents and
then invite colleagues to view them and provide feedback; you receive
an alert whenever the document is edited.
Docly – An online word processor that has built-in copyright protection, and lets you set a price for others to purchase your work.
BuzzWord – Buzzword is a new full-featured online word processor.
GreenDOC – A simple online text editor with an environmental slant.
iNetWord – Another full-featured online word processor.
SmartSheet – Combination spreadsheet, email and file sharing platform with task assignment, history tracking, and more.
Solodox – Collaborative document creation and editing as well as project management.
Writeboard – Sharable web-based text documents that allow you to roll back to previous edits and compare changes.
writewith – Group writing online that also features chat, task assignment and tracking.
xcellery – Allows multiple people to edit the same Excel file simultaneously for free.
YourDraft – An online word processor that allows you to create and share drafts without the need for registration.
Organization & Management
FlowChart – Create flowcharts online with no software or plugins to install.
foldera – Create, organize, and share your documents from anywhere, anytime.
FunctionFox – Time and project tracking for creative professionals.
My Milemarker – Keep track of
your mileage by telling them whenever you fuel up your car. You can
also input your data from your phone of with Twitter.
sendPO – Purchase order tracking for any accounting system that provides confirmation that your PO was received.
Side Job Track – Job tracking,
invoicing, project management and reporting that’s completely web-based
and made specifically for part-time independent contractors.
Skemma – Business Process
Management tool that allows companies to automate communications
between departments and others, along with other tools.
Phone & Voicemail
Callwave – Have your voicemail converted to text without changing your phone number.
Gizmo Call – Free browser-based phone service.
GrandCentral – One phone number that will ring all of your phone lines and organize all of your voicemail into one mailbox.
Jajah – Save up to 98% on your long distance, and calls between members are free.
Packet8 – Offers a complete hosted business phone system.
SKY-click – Create a call center for your business to take orders for only $10 per operator per month.
via:talk – Internet phone service that features e911, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding and more.
Planning
PlanHQ – Business plan collaboration application that allows you to create, update and track your business plan.
Startup Business School – Online business planning tool that includes video tutorials, easy-to-update sections and an exportable format.
Time Management & Tracking and Project Management
88 Miles – Unobtrusive time
tracking that allows you to punch in and out of projects as you’re
working, and includes on-screen timers that show you how much time
you’ve clocked.
ActionThis – Web-based team
management app that includes a centralized project management system as
well as a way to keep track of work assignments and key business
information.
Celoxis – Task tracking, scheduling, project management, business process tracking, time & expense tracking, and collaboration.
Clarizen – Collaborative project management.
Clocking IT – Time and task tracking in one, with tagging, search, milestones, an integrated wiki, and activity log.
Emergent Task Timer
- The Emergent Task Timer that follows David Seah’s The Printable CEO;
includes a timer and breaks down tasks into fifteen minute bubbles.
fourteenDayz – Time tracking for teams that includes project management and reports.
intervals – Time tracking with the ability to centralize projects and manage tasks.
Project Insight – Mid-range web based project management and collaboration software that’s intuitive and easy to use.
ProWorkflow – Web based project management, time tracking, and task management to increase efficiency and individual accountability.
PunchyTime – Time tracking tool for creative companies that allows time tracking as you work instead of after the fact.
RescueTime – Increase your own productivity by seeing exactly how you spend your time.
Rotaboard – Organize and track employee work schedules.
SlimTimer – Create tasks and track your time on each one, and then share them with coworkers or your boss.
Tiktrac – Time management that also includes the ability for clients to login and view how the time they’re paying for is being used.
Timepost – A project timer
that will automatically get all your projects and to-dos from different
web project managers, saving you the hassle of having to re-enter
things.
Time IQ – Track internal project, freelance & contractor time, and get daily, weekly & monthly reports.
TimmyOnTime – IM-based time
management tool that works with MSN, AIM, GoogleTalk, and others and
features reminders (it’ll even nudge you if you’re not working when
you’re supposed to be).
Toggl – A free online timetracker that allows you to track your time anywhere and create team projects.
Virtual Office Platforms
Actionize – Contact
management and project management rolled into one that includes an
address book, tasks, networking, milestones, task & action
tracking, and file management.
Averiware – A business
management application suite that includes customer relationship
management, sales force automation, accounting & financial
management, ecommerce, supply chain management, and human resources.
Business IT Online
- Free online small business applications including CalendarOnline,
CashflowOnline, ContactsOnline, DocumentsOnline, and MarketingOnline.
clevertools – Project
management, invoices & estimates, timesheets, lead management, bug
tracking and a whiteboard system rolled into one.
ContactOffice – Complete
office data management, including email, contacts, documents, tasks,
meetings, and more, in one centralized location.
CreativePro Office -
Online office management tools including a client manager, project
manager, time tracker, invoicing & expense tracking, and calendar.
MyQuire – Networking and
project tools in one environment that also includes online file
storage, task management, group sharing, calendar and chat.
NetSuite -
An integrated system for managing your entire business that includes
accounting & back-office applications, customer relationship
management and an ecommerce solution.
OvoSuite – An online office
suite that includes a calendar, document management, forums, user
audits, file audits, voting, content management, RSS feeds and more.
Panthius eBusiness Suite – A
full-service business suite that includes accounting, customer
relationship management, ecommerce solutions, task management,
tracking, calendar management, inventory & supply planning and more.
SynapseLife – A suite of five
free web-based applications that includes a calendar, contact manager,
feed reader, bookmarking and lists & ledger program.
Veetro – A very full-featured
office suite that includes billing & invoices, document management,
sales & lead management, email marketing, electronic timesheets,
project & task management, blog publishing, customer help desk and
real-time reporting.
WebAsyst – File management,
photo management, a simple CRM, email marketing and newsletters,
project management, issue tracker, notes & memos and pages for
tutorials, manuals, etc. all in one centralized place.
WebOffice – WebOffice from
WebEx provides an entire platform for running your business, including
a document manager, online calendar, meeting platform, email, task
manager, database, discussion forum, contact list, expense reports,
opinion polls, and more.
Industry-Specific
Barracuda Suite – Retail
management suite that handles inventory, order fulfillment, and more
and allows you to manage your business from anywhere.
ProposalPath from Bluebuzzard – Hospitality sales management application that allows you to send, organize, and track your customer communications.
Flyinside – A free online platform for creating real estate virtual tours using your own digital photos.
Pawtracker – Dog kennel management system that’s completely web-based with real-time information, accounting, and more.
Propertize – Rental property management app that keeps your information in an easy to use format.
Miscellaneous
koolwire – Create PDF files via email.
Lightspoke – Create
customized business applications in 15 minutes, including project
management, sales automation, contact management, web forms, asset
management and more.
PDFescape – An online PDF creator and editor.
Shipwire – Complete product fulfillment application that will receive, store, and ship your products for you.
uShip – List the items you need to ship and get bids from different shipping companies for the best price.
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