The cost to start up a business these days is lower then ever. As the needs for technology and communication sophistication keep increasing, the cost for these tools keeps dropping, at least to get started and prove your concept. Voice phone calls and voice mail is free (once you pay for Internet access) with Google Voice and many other solutions. Video conferencing is free with a little technical know how using Skype and other services. The list goes on (I keep trying to keep an updated list, but the best in breed and abilities change so frequently).
One of the ways of determining some of the best of breed is to look at the many (many, many) end of year “best of” lists. These often consolidate and update the author’s finds from throughout the year.
Here are some cool types of tools for businesses looking for low cost (free on up) solutions to business communication and learning challenges. Cloud solutions are going mainstream. Even the GSA (goverment Services Administration) is using the cloud (they choose Google Apps and will save 50% of email costs in 5 years).
From the Mashable site http://insr.us/SeoDamian5Essential
Comment on what are your favorite tools that you could not live without, and what tools have you discovered this past year that you are keeping in your tool box for 2011
