3 Ways to Save Yourself Time & Money Today

"3 Ways To Save Yourself Time & Money Today"

Do you ever feel like technology has made your life more complicated?

I actually thought that all these great advances in how we communicate via cell phones, social media like Facebook, and texting in addition to the amount of information and tools that can be accessed via the internet would simplify my life.

Unfortunately, this has not turned out to be the case. Instead of saving time, many of these devices actually demand more from us.

Here are 3 of my favorite tactics to save time using technology. And because many of them are free, they are also a great way to save money.

Plus as someone I'm connected with via Twitter, Jennifer Davey, once tweeted, "Time is money for any business, but especially for the small business."

1. Have your voicemail messages transcribed: If you are on the go a lot or just not that fast a typist, you can save a lot of time by speaking your sales copy, articles, or email messages and having someone else transcribe them. Here are 2 services that take your voice mail messages and translate them into print for you:

   1. Google Voice: A new and free service from the clever folks at Google, this service has too many features to mention here. But my favorite is the fact that it transcribes my new voice mail messages and sends them to me both as a text message and as an email. I often leave myself messages when I am out and about (like at the beach) that I can retrieve later. Back at the office, I copy and paste the contents into a website, email, or word document and save myself all that typing. They are currently only allowing new users to sign up by invitation only but you can sign up to get on the waiting list.

   2. Jott.com: This is another great service that I recommended when they were completely free and in beta testing mode. Since then they have listened to their users, made significant upgrades and now charge for different services which includes voicemail transcriptions. You can try it for free for 7 days.

2. Have an "assistant" schedule your meetings: If you have a lot of meetings to schedule, it can be a hassle to manage it all yourself. Plus the margin for messing up a time zone or even getting the days mixed up can be pretty huge. These online services handle everything for you, from allowing clients to select a session time, to having them answer specific questions in advance, sending you both written notification and reminders, and translating time zones.

   1. Timedriver.com: This is the service I currently use and, although it is not without its glitches, it has saved me hours of time. Currently offering 90 days free, $29.95/year

   2. Clickbook.net: This one has more bells and whistles than I personally need but offers their service for free.

   3. GenBook.com: A third option with a service level that is completely free. You can upgrade if you want more features such as text reminders or want to book appointments past 30 days.

3. Ask people what they want: As simple as it sounds, this one can save you hundreds of hours potentially wasted on developing products, services, or marketing campaigns. Conducting periodic surveys truly keeps you in touch with what your clients want the most. And online surveys can quickly compile the information for you so you can keep things organized.

   1. Zoomerang.com: Free service level allows up to 30 questions, 100 responses per survey.

   2. SurveyMonkey.com: Free service level allows up to 10 questions, 100 responses per survey.

   3. FreeOnlineSurveys.com: Free service level allows up to 20 questions, 50 responses per survey.

With all of these options, take the time to check out which one suit your style of learning and personality the best.

Remember, life is short. Don't miss it.