The new Strobe from Visioneer is a tool that I use to track names, contacts, important papers, articles and more. The fact that it now provides color makes it incredibly cool!!

However, just buying the tools is not enough. Too many decision makers think that by just making a purchase that the magical fairy of increased sales will bless their bank account. It doesn’t work that way on this planet! You have to learn how to use the tools and then learn how to use those tools to generate the kinds of results that you want.

There are several essential tools that will work in today’s environment. With the right tools, you’ll be able to increase the top as well as the bottom line.

Tools You Can Use

• Visioneer PaperPort Strobe. This tool is a personal scanner which is the next generation of the venerable PaperPort. The Strobe comes with enhanced software for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to read documents better. It also has an improved file management system for storing documents. However, the biggest benefit is that it now scans color documents. This can be good for snap shots and quick pictures of clients that you might want to reproduce on a color printer and send (see below for information on the right kind of printer to use). This tool is great for use in staying in touch with people.
• FrontPage97. This software, from Microsoft, allows you to create and edit your own home page with accompanying support pages. Many Websites are using FrontPage as their standard for page design. It will take a bit of work initially to understand all the components of a product like FrontPage. However, once you’ve got the basic formula down that you want to use, you can create new text in your word processor and then "pour" the text into the form. Standards are and have always been important in this industry. FrontPage is now the standard by which all other Web page design software are judged. Get it. Learn it. Use it.
• Color Printer. It used to be that printers were relegated to black and white output for all but the most expensive printers. Today that has changed dramatically. The new Epson Stylus Photo uses a unique six-color processing to provide dazzling, photo-quality images. Instead of taking your pictures to be developed at the local photo store, you can have them printed on your printer in dazzling color. The trick is to use the right paper. The best paper to use is the photo quality glossy paper. It is very expensive ranging from 52 cents to 70 cents per page (not counting the ink used). Figure on spending about $1.00 or slightly more for all costs (paper, ink, depreciation on equipment, etc.) per page. However, you can print several pictures from each page, customize it the way you want and more. This is a great tool for marketing purposes. You can create customized fliers, brochures and letters to prospects, existing customers and others quickly and easily. As with other procedures in computers, you’ll need to spend some time up front learning the basics. However, once you have the basic form and design mastered, you can use this technique in many ways to increase your marketing ability dramatically. Good models to consider today include the Epson Stylus 600 and 800. The Hewlett-Packard 870Cse and 820Cse offer good value and quality also.
• Office97. This is the suite to beat. It is the standard now. Microsoft has demonstrated why they are the dominate player in today’s market. If you have the professional version (includes packages for word processing, spreadsheets, database management, contact and time management, presentation software and more) you’ll have most all the tools that a growing business will need to compete effectively. Since the tools recognize each other, this is a great way to make sure that you get the work done with minimal hassle sending data from one program to another.
• Solid Internet Connection. The standard pricing today is around $20 per month. However, don’t just decide on an Internet Service Provider (ISP) based on price. Check out the kinds of lines they use (T1? T3? How many lines are in place?), do they provide service to others providing Internet access (this can slow-down the process time) and how often to you get busy signals. CompuServe offers solid performance over time (although they aren’t doing as well in their marketing), AT&T WorldNet and Sprint also offer good quality service. AOL is sporadic, but improving in recent months as they add more capacity to their network.
• Regular Training. Training is often left out of the picture. Simply getting the hardware and tools is not sufficient. People need to have regular training on how to maximize their potential with the tools. A great source of this remains with classroom training, consultants as well as CD-ROM and video-based training. Find the tools you need and work with them.
• Office Rover from Hello Direct. This is a tool that many have found to be enormously beneficial in small as well as large offices. It is a headset that allows you to roam freely within a 100-foot radius from the base unit. You connect the base unit to your office phone system and can roam the office hands-free to get done what you need to do. It is a great productivity booster in that it allows you to do more than one thing at a time.

These tools, coupled with others that you will use from time to time, can give your business a solid boost in productivity. Get the tools and then learn how to use them. They can pay rich dividends for you and your business in the future.

Terry Brock is an internationally recognized professional speaker, consultant and author in the fields of business productivity, technology and marketing. His is a syndicated columnist for Business Journals across America and can be reached at 407-363-0505 or by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com.