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Useful Tools For Running Your Business

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    Useful Tools For Running Your Business

    How about a list of useful resources, similar to must have apps but for other areas we use as contractors to run our business, add them as a post and I will update the first page

    Non-Geographical Numbers

    Just 0845 Numbers
    No set up fees, good choice of numbers and can be forwarded to a standard geographical number for free, or mobile for £4.95 a month

    The Telephone Number Company - Works for me. Forwarding to landline/mobile, voicemail or SIP. Responsive technical support on the few occasions it's been needed. The package I have has no ongoing subscription cost but it seems that is £10/yr for new accounts.

    Conference Calling

    WhyPay
    No set up fees, also a 033 number to call for the conference which are usually included in mobile phone free minute bundles rather than 0845/0800 number

    Screen Sharing
    https://join.me/
    up to 10 meeting participants

    Cisco WebEx Web Conferencing, Online Meetings, Desktop Sharing, Video Conferencing
    Only 3 users for free, but more likely to be allowed on ClinetCo sites

    Mileage Tracker

    https://hubo.herokuapp.com

    Accounting/Payroll Software

    http://www.12pay.co.uk/
    Free software which does all of your pay calculations and handles all of your HMRC filing (such as RTI).

    http://www.diyaccounting.co.uk/
    DIY Accounting provides small business & finance accounting software, small business accounting software and tax accounting software that produces the self employed tax return, plus limited liability company returns

    VoIP/SIP
    Voipfone - Works for me. Beats Skype hands down any day. No ongoing subscription cost for the basic package.

    http://www.sipgate.co.uk to the VOIP/SIP category, free UK telephone numbers (one per account), incoming calls are free, outgoing calls are cheap but are a PAYG type payments or you can pay £5 a month for 1000 minutes to landlines etc which is pretty handy.



    Web hosting
    Vidahost

    Packages starting at £17 a year for hosting and 1 domain

    Virtual Private Serveers
    Note: these are unmanaged services, basically a Linux box with root access that you get to do whatever you want with. Every tech. needs their own hobby box.
    Low End Box - Cheap VPS Hosting & Reviews
    BuyVM
    RamNode
    Digital Ocean $5 a month

    Note Taking

    Evernote
    The Evernote family of products help you remember and act upon ideas, projects and experiences across all the computers, phones and tablets you use.
    (Free premium subscription if you are with O2

    Microsoft One Note

    Misc

    For when we're not available by phone we use Telephone Answering Service | Answer.co.uk these guys are £1 per answered call, you can mark calls as "sales" and get your money back for that call. Highly recommended.
    Last edited by SimonMac; 8 September 2014, 10:30.
    Originally posted by Stevie Wonder Boy
    I can't see any way to do it can you please advise?

    I want my account deleted and all of my information removed, I want to invoke my right to be forgotten.

    #2
    An accountant.

    http://join.me (screen sharing)
    Originally posted by MaryPoppins
    I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
    Originally posted by vetran
    Urine is quite nourishing

    Comment


      #3
      ContractorUK Search - Font of all contracting knowledge.
      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
        NLUK - Font of all contracting knowledge.
        FTFY
        When freedom comes along, don't PISH in the water supply.....

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by SimonMac View Post
          How about a list of useful resources, similar to must have apps but for other areas we use as contractors to run our business, add them as a post and I will update the first page

          Non-Geographical Numbers:

          Just 0845 Numbers
          No set up fees, good choice of numbers and can be forwarded to a standard geographical number for free, or mobile for £4.95 a month

          Conference Calling

          03TALK
          No set up fees, also a 033 number to call for the conference which are usually included in mobile phone free minute bundles rather than 0845/0800 number

          Screen Sharing
          https://join.me/
          up to 10 meeting participants

          Cisco WebEx Web Conferencing, Online Meetings, Desktop Sharing, Video Conferencing
          Only 3 users for free, but more likely to be allowed on ClinetCo sites
          All available with Webex. Pay for a proper account as opposed to the 3 free licenses you tight arse.
          What happens in General, stays in General.
          You know what they say about assumptions!

          Comment


            #6
            I use https://hubo.herokuapp.com for claiming my business mileage.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Cenobite View Post
              I use https://hubo.herokuapp.com for claiming my business mileage.
              Looks good!
              Originally posted by Stevie Wonder Boy
              I can't see any way to do it can you please advise?

              I want my account deleted and all of my information removed, I want to invoke my right to be forgotten.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Cenobite View Post
                I use https://hubo.herokuapp.com for claiming my business mileage.
                Nice one, cheers.
                I'm not even an atheist so much as I am an antitheist; I not only maintain that all religions are versions of the same untruth, but I hold that the influence of churches, and the effect of religious belief, is positively harmful. [Christopher Hitchens]

                Comment


                  #9
                  cashbook android to track expenses and mileage
                  12pay to print employee payslips
                  tresorit for cloud based file backup and file share
                  keepass to manage all passwords (accountant portal, bank accounts, hmrc)

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Local & Non-Geographical Numbers:
                    The Telephone Number Company - Works for me. Forwarding to landline/mobile, voicemail or SIP. Responsive technical support on the few occasions it's been needed. The package I have has no ongoing subscription cost but it seems that is £10/yr for new accounts.

                    VoIP/SIP
                    Voipfone - Works for me. Beats Skype hands down any day. No ongoing subscription cost for the basic package.

                    Internet hosting
                    Note: these are unmanaged services, basically a Linux box with root access that you get to do whatever you want with. Every tech. needs their own hobby box. Low End Box - Cheap VPS Hosting & Reviews
                    I have a couple set up as mail/web/DNS server and for automated off-site backup. BuyVM & RamNode

                    Software
                    ok, you said not apps but these are the tools I consider vital to smooth running of the business - bookkeeping, invoices, contract management, etc.

                    Subversion repository installed on a server locally. Windows front-end using TortoiseSVN. Preaching the benefits of VCS should be teaching people here to suck eggs. Absolutely ALL business related data gets stuffed into version control (working copy maintained on the laptop HDD) where it is both safe and available across the network. I don't bother with NaS, USB-drives, or manual backups. The repo itself is backed up incrementally to the VPS's overnight.

                    ESET NOD32 Antivirus £60 for 2-PC 2-year licence. After corp. tax saving that's £1/mo. per PC. For peace of mind a no-brainer IMHO.

                    LibreOffice has its quirks, but I've been using Openoffice/Libreoffice for over 10 years now and never once pined for the loss of Excel or Word.

                    Comment

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