Blog of Peter Torr Smith

These are some of the tools I use to keep on top of things.

I try to avoid double entry, but I find there is a lovely balance between paper/writing and electronic/online tools. So I have most of my life online, with some client apps (still Windows), and a small leather Filofax

For Hire Things

Google Hosted Services (ghs)

Where some of the hirethings.com subdomains resolve to, enabling gmail.hirethings.com, docs.hirethings.com, calendar.hirethings.com, & person@hirethings.com

Gmail

Most @hirethings.com mail goes via gmail (a facility of Google hosted domains/apps), and the team members have therir user@hirethings.com gmail account they use.

Google Docs

Generally docs, but sometimes spreadsheets / forms / presentations)

Calendar & Time recording

We each have a calendar and that’s where we say when we are planning to do things, and what we actually did do.

Wiki / Google Sites

Google sites is a great way to get a team or company wiki up and running fast, and means anyone in your team can just jot down lists, plans, processes, requirements, and anyone can edit / contribute to them.

Unfuddle.com - For workflow/tickets and Version Control

I recommend chosing this or BaseCamp, or an equivalent, and stick with it. There’s only room in a team for one place for the business workflow.

I have yet to use WorkFlowMax yet. Your thoughts?

Unfuddle also provides Subversion or GIT version control hosting as part of the package.  We use this.

Xero

The world’s best SME accounting system by a million miles!! Awesome product, really easy to use, gets you on top of your finances and keeps you there easily. A must.

My Mini Filofax

For Life

My FiloFax

Really handy for a quick list of what’s most important now / today / this week. Or for taking numbers, or dumping ideas. Most things created here generally end up being placed “in the cloud” on my online calendar / pages.

Online banking with ASB.

Easy and powerful. Could do with some statement search ability (can do that on Xero).

LinkedIn

For keeping abreast of my professional network of colleagues/friends/associates/etc

A Freinds Group on Drupal

I host a friends online group called “The Crew” using Drupal (fun CMS, powerful and reasonably easy to use).

PowerShop.co.nz

Buying our power the simple and fun way.

and of course…

HireThings.co.nz

To really see what Hire Things is like to use, and to make some extra money, I hire out a few things from time to time. Most weekends or weeks I’ve got at least something going out or coming back. I’ve got lighting and sound gear for parties, a good selection of camping gear, and other out door stuff, and even a guitar I love the fact that I can run a complete hire business using nothing but Hire Things and the Xero accouting system.