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My Favorite Online Tools that Fulfill the 3 E's:
Ease-of-Use, Efficiency and Effectiveness
Over time, I've come across some truly exceptional tools that I now use on a regular basis. Most of these are free and can be found online. While the following isn't an exhaustive list, it does include the tools that I consider most effective.
 Dropbox
Files saved on one computer can be available on all your computers and mobile devices automatically, so that no matter where you are, you can access your files. Dropbox allows you to bring all your photos, videos and documents anywhere, and it ensures that if you update something in a file, it will be automatically updated everywhere.
 Basecamp
Basecamp is project management software that enables a team of people in various locations to easily communicate, post files, edit files, keep a calendar, and stay updated on what everyone is doing at all times, so everyone's "on the same page." In fact, Basecamp has a single-page design that shows an entire project on one page, allowing nothing to get lost, and everyone on the team knows where things are.
 Awesome Screenshot
Awesome Screenshot gives you a quick way to capture a screenshot, annotate it with rectangles, circles, lines and text, and then easily upload to share. It allows you to capture the whole page, or only a portion, and is available on Firefox, Chrome and Safari browsers.
 HostGator
HostGator is a web hosting service that offers great service at a low price. On HostGator you can build a new website, move from another web host and rent a dedicated server. If you're doing a web transfer, they will transfer your domain, files, database and scripts all for free.
 Color Picker
This is a great website for finding the color of your choice, and the accompanying HTML color codes. With a sliding tool, you can view virtually any color or shade imaginable. It also allows you to compare or match a number of colors, so that you can create a color scheme.
 iStockPhoto
This is a great stock photo website where you find the perfect stock photo, vector illustration, video or music track for your projects on a huge variety of subjects. They have millions of high-quality files that you can buy with iStock credits or through a subscription plan.
 Constant Contact
Constant Contact is a leading email service provider, allowing marketers to send professional-quality emails, surveys and event marketing to their customers and prospects. Two subset tools of Constant Contact are SaveLocal, a competitor to Groupon (offering a more economical deal to the merchant), and SocialCampaigns, an effective program that helps you increase your Facebook fans.
 Join.me
As their home page states, "Have the conference, skip the room." With Join.me, you can share your screen with someone else, or join someone else's screen. This tool is really great for showing your team exactly what you're looking at, or for training a client.
 Screencast-O-Matic
With just one click you can record anything on your screen, and you can drag and resize the frame to surround the recording area. You can record in various sizes including HD sizes which are great for YouTube or in full screen as well. It also allows you to use your microphone and choose the optimal recording level for your screen cast, or record from a webcam.
NutshellMail
Save time monitoring and managing your brand on social media platforms. This free service tracks your social media activity and delivers a summary to your email inbox on your schedule.
 I use these tools regularly because they provide real time savings. Even a 5-minute daily time savings can make a big difference. In fact, 5 minutes saved every day becomes 30 hours in a year. What would you do with an extra 30 hours?
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wonder how we ever got along without the fantastic tools available on the internet today. As Solutions for Growth has grown as a business, so has my need to be as efficient as possible in managing time, my multi-faceted team, and the various marketing and communication jobs we handle. 
