I created this presentation for entrepreneurs who need online tools to make their ideas happen (I gave it earlier this year at the Professional Women's Association in Milan).
The presentation "Tools for Entrepreneurs: Create. Collaborate. Communicate." started out as a way to explain very technical things to non-technical people, but I quickly realized that most people when approaching technology get intimidated by the "What's DNS? Do I need a dedicated server?" kind of questions and therefore feel they can't understand technology.
I feel that this technology intimidation is really due to the fact that they don't really own their idea, and better understanding it will guide any decisions they have to make with their idea moving forward.
So I focus on how to further refine your idea so you can move it forward, even with help, by having a better mastery over what you need and what your users need. I also cover some techniques and tools for collaborating with developers, external consultants, and other remote workers. Then, I briefly touch on communication strategies online and how your site won't be the only place communication happens but it should be the digital hub with the most useful and authoritative information about your company, and how you can develop a communication strategy that spans several types of networks.
The appendix includes some open source software alternatives for growing a business on a bootstrap budget.
44. “Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors,
scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative
work with the freedoms they want it to carry.You can use
CC to change your copyright terms from ‘All Rights
Reserved’ to ‘Some Rights Reserved.’”
In parallel with copyright, not instead of copyright.
48. Operating System
• Proprietary: Windows, Mac OS
• Open Source:
• Linux (generale) http://www.linux.it
• Ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com/
• Debian http://www.debian.org
49. Web Browser
• Proprietary: Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Google
Chrome
• Open Source:
• Firefox
• http://www.mozilla.com/firefox
• Flock
• http://www.flock.com/
• K-Meleon
• http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
56. Various Tools
• Web Statistics: AWStats
• http://awstats.sourceforge.net/
• Create Podcasts & edit audio: Audacity
• http://audacity.sourceforge.net
• Manage Projects: GANTTProject
• http://ganttproject.biz
• OpenProj
• http://openproj.org/
• Mind Map: Free Mind
• http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
57. Various Tools
• Modify Images: GIMP
• http://www.gimp.org
• XAMPP – package of web server apps
installable on your PC
• http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html
• Delete files, forever: Inferno
• http://inferno.sourceforge.net/
58. PC Backup
• Proprietary: DropBox.net, Norton Ghost,
Mozy
• Open Source:
• Amanda
• http://amanda.zmanda.com/
• BackupPC
• http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/
59. Database
• Proprietary: MS Access, MS SQL, IBM DB2, Oracle database
• Open Source:
• MySQL
• http://www.mysql.com/products/database/
• GNOME-DB
• http://www.gnome-db.org/
• SQLite
• http://www.sqlite.org/
• InnoDB
• http://www.innodb.com/
60. Server Web & Mail
• Proprietary: Microsoft IIS & Exchange
• Open Source:
• Sendmail
• http://www.sendmail.org
• Apache web server
• http://www.apache.org
65. Ebook links
• Sigil open source software • Smashwords style guide
• http://code.google.com/p/sigil/ • http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/
52
• Barnes & Noble’s pubit!
• Creating ePub files with (Apple) Pages
• http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/
pubit_app/bn?t=pi_reg_home • http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4168
• Kindle self-publishing • Calibre for managing and converting ebook
formats
• https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/
signin • http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/
• General Kindle self-pub Help & FAQ for them • An Ebook formatting tutorial
• https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/ • http://amalthia.mediawood.net/tutorials/
help ebooks/index.html
• Amazon professional conversion services: • Baker Ebook framework for iPad & iPhone
• https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/ • http://bakerframework.com/tutorials/
help?topicId=A3RRQXI478DDG7 basic
66. Miscellaneous
• MailChimp newsletter service
• http://mailchimp.com/
• Skype for Business
• http://www.skype.com/intl/en/business/
• Twitter for Business
• http://business.twitter.com/
• IRC (Inter-relay chat)
• http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/networks/
• Google Data Liberation
• http://www.dataliberation.org/
• Google Code repository