Web 2.0 Tools for Modern Business

Andrew Martin Creative Director

As part owner of a small business, I am always on the lookout for methods to save time and money. Luckily, there are many great tools for businesses that came about during the 'web 2.0 revolution.' Either free or inexpensive, many of these tools can save your business thousands of hours, and, in turn, thousands of dollars. While there are too many to list, I've listed our three favorites, in hopes that I may help a fellow business owner find the outstanding benefits we have from these great tools.

The best part of the apps I've chosen to highlight is that they all integrate with each other! Manage a project in Basecamp, invoice with Freshbooks, and record the income in Outright. Short of an all encompassing system, it couldn't be any easier. I tip my hat to the creators of these great apps. Cheers!

Beginning Blogging Series: Free and Low Cost Imagery

Andrew Martin Creative Director

A great way to enhance the look and feel of your blog or website is through the use of quality graphics and photography. Equally, an otherwise visually appealing web page can be totally ruined via poor quality imagery. While many beginning bloggers don't look past their office application suite to obtain art, there are several far superior sources, which are either free or very affordable.

Firstly, most of the Microsoft Office Clip Art Colletion is awful. Most of the art is in an early 1990s style, even in the Office 2007 release. Additionally, this series of clip art has been used ad nauseam. If I see the graphic with the shadowy stick figure guy getting an idea one more time, I think I am going to have to resort to violence. While some of the photography is reasonably good, there are far, far better options for illustrations, even without spending a dime.

Beginning Blogging Series: How NOT to Use Type

Andrew Martin Creative Director

Everyone has seen an ugly PowerPoint presentation, a tacky and difficult to read flyer, or a painfully bad Yellow Pages ad. Chances are you've seen all three of these examples in abundance. One of the classic methods of ruining a printed piece is through the use of bad typographic practices. Unfortunately, shortly after the internet revolutionized into a forum for the general public, these ill-advised practices began popping up on web pages world wide.

Bloggers and web content self-publishers. Please, please, I beg you - avoid these top three typographic taboos and do the entire seeing world a favor!