Subject line: [Flawless Financials] Productivity Tools Flawless Financials the Financial Forecasting Online Newsletter from Minotaur Financial and David Brode December, 2003 Sent monthly to over 400 subscribers. Please pass on Flawless Financials to those in your network. To leave Flawless Financials, follow instructions at bottom. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * This month: Productivity Tools * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * As the year draws to a close, it's natural to reflect on how to improve in the coming year. Following are ten tools I use on a daily basis. They enhance my productivity; consider this list an early holiday gift. Software 1. File and Email Assistant Overview: I spend a lot of time in Excel. For years, I was frustrated by the nine-file limitation of the Recently Opened Files list at the bottom of the File menu. File and Email Assistant becomes a menu choice on the file menu. When you invoke it, it keeps track of the last 100 files you've opened. And, unlike Excel's list, it keeps track of files that you open from Windows Explorer or from Outlook. It can sort the list by the order in which you opened the files, by path, or by recently invoked folders. This has saved me time and frustration every week, and I consider it money well spent. URL: http://www.add-ins.com/file_assistant.htm Pricing: $24.95, full money-back guarantee. 2. Adobe Acrobat (full version w/Writer software.) Overview: By this time, even my parents are viewing PDF files. PDF has become the standard format for sending uneditable output files. It eliminates the hassles of the recipient not having the right version of the software you used to create the file. And, as an added benefit, if you PDF a spreadsheet, people can't ask questions about the formulas. Adobe gives away the free Reader software, but charges for the software to create PDF files. URL: http://www.adobe.com/store/products/master.jhtml?id=catAcrobat Pricing: $299 retail for Acrobat Standard Free Version: If don't want to spend money, get free PDF Writer at www.pdf995.com/download.html. The feature set is more limited than Adobe's, but hey, it's free. 3. Scopeware Overview: Find File on Steroids. Ever try to find an email that you sent six months ago or a Word document with a particular phrase? Type the text in to Scopeware and it gives back results in an amazing interface. This is the kind of functionality I expect to find in Windows Explorer or Outlook's search capability, but Scopeware puts them to shame. URL: www.scopeware.com Pricing: Starting at $21 per user 4. WinZip Overview: Winzip is the standard for sending (or receiving) big files. Also handy if you want to send a few dozen small files without having the recipient have to process them one at a time. URL: www.winzip.com Pricing: Evaluation version is free, but paying for it is only $29. It's worth supporting these guys and you don't have to click an extra button each time you use it. 5. MailShield Overview: Captures email that rhymes with "ham". I've had the same email address for many years, and I get over 100 unwanted emails per day. Mailshield does a good job of keeping them out of my inbox. Can "whitelist" and "blacklist" by address and content. URL: http://www.lyris.com/products/mailshield/desktop/index.html Pricing: $60.00 Services 6. eFax.com Overview: Sign up for a free—but random--fax number (mine's in Idaho!), and when people fax to you, you get an email. Open the attachment with the free eFax reader software, and voila: you have a fax which you can save and file on your computer or print out and have on paper. If you mostly receive faxes, you don't need a physical fax line anymore. Pay $12.95 per month to get a local fax number, and the ability to send faxes from your computer. URL: www.efax.com Pricing: free to $12.95/mo 7. Connected Online Backup Overview: What's your backup strategy? If you're an independent or a small company, do you do daily backups? That's what Connected does for you. In the middle of the night, their software archives what you changed during the day. In case of mishap, download files one by one or order a CD for re-installation. A great supplement to regular full tape backups and a very easy-to-use interface. URL: www.connected.com Pricing: Starting at $14.95/mo 8. WhaleMail Overview: How do you send a huge file to someone with a Hotmail account or a corporate account that can't accept large attachments? Whalemail is the answer. Upload your file to Whalemail's server using a web interface. Then use that interface to send the recipient an email that contains a URL link. To the recipient, it looks like a downloadable file from the Internet--problem solved. URL: www.whalemail.com Pricing: 100M capacity: $7.50/month or $75/year. 9. GoToMyPC Overview: Wow. I use GoToMyPC every day. It's the single most important tool of these ten for me. I installed a small application on my PC at work. Then, using Internet Explorer from home, I can access my work desktop and it's just like I'm sitting at my office, typing on my keyboard. Goodbye syncing clients! I can transfer files from work to home or vice versa. I also use gotomypc.com to allow other people to see my desktop as I talk to them by phone. With a few clicks, I send an "invitation" web link via email and seconds later, the recipient—using only Internet Explorer—can see what's on my screen. Great for walking someone a PowerPoint deck or to explore a spreadsheet. URL: www.gotomypc.com Pricing: Starting at $180/year or $20/mo 10. GoodContacts Overview: One of a few companies which are focused on keeping your contacts up to date. GoodContacts lets you email sets of your Outlook contacts and show them what information you have for them. If people want to update this data, they get a link to a GoodContacts website page. Upon completion, GoodContacts updates Outlook, and nicely checks in with you regarding any conflicting information. URL: www.goodcontacts.com Pricing: $99.95 per year Until next month, all the best, David Brode – Minotaur Financial Removing Financial Issues as a Deal Roadblock * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE AVAILABLE Make sure to visit the Minotaur Financial website for the Newsletter Archive at http://www.brode.net/resources/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * http://www.brode.net mailto:David@Brode.net 1919 14th Street, Suite 510 Boulder, CO 80302 (303) 444-3300 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ABOUT DAVID BRODE I’m a financial modeling specialist. Over the last fifteen years I’ve completed dozens of models and certainly thousands of versions to support corporate development, M&A, strategic planning, and debt and equity transactions. These models have raised over $1B in debt and $100M in venture capital and private equity. Over time I’ve consistently revised software tools and work processes to get the job done quickly and well. If you have a financial forecasting issue, I’d love to help. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (c) 2003 Minotaur Financial, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the Flawless Financials newsletter in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read: "By David Brode of Minotaur Financial. More articles on financial forecasting can be found at http://www.brode.net " * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Are you struggling to convince others to do a deal which you think is a no-brainer? To discuss how you can take numbers off the table as a deal roadblock, call (303) 444-3300. I'm very accessible and glad to help. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * DO YOU LIKE THIS NEWSLETTER? You are welcome to share this email with colleagues who would benefit from better numbers. Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated. Write in to mailto:feedback@brode.net. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PRIVACY POLICY: I never rent, trade, or sell my email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list. To SUBSCRIBE FREE to this newsletter, send an email to mailto:subscribe@brode.net. 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