MY Top Ten invites media practitioners to identify their top ten websites, apps, software tools and gadgets, etc, and here it is the turn of Ryan Falconer, founder of online software training start-up, Skillstep, which offers users access to online training package for business productivity software, such as Microsoft Office.
1. Gmail Apps – family of apps – In their quest to build the ultimate tech empire, Google have put a lot of work into making some of the best web apps around. I use Gmail the most, but I also use Google Drive. It’s a great way to store, edit and share documents.
2. Basecamp – project management platform – Basecamp is an amazing tool. It’s invaluable for keeping on top of project management when developing new products. Combined with teamgantt.com‘s brilliant scheduling plugin it can’t be rivalled.
3. Adobe Creative Cloud – software tools – As a freelance UX designer, this one pretty much goes without saying. It would be virtually impossible to do my job without the help of tools like Illustrator, InDesign and – of course – Photoshop. Sure, there are other tools out there, but they just aren’t in the same league.
4. PeoplePerHour – freelance resource – An excellent freelancing and working platform that I use to find talent for projects I am working on. Mostly, I use it to find copywriters, researchers, web developers and digital marketing specialists.
5. YouTube – video sharing website – You can fritter away a lot of time on this website, but I find it useful for a lot of very productive purposes. I can set a playlist of my favourite music while I work, for example. I also use it to find useful and informative business – or personal development-related videos.
6. Foundation.kr – entrepreneur video website – This website is home to a fantastic selection of videos from tech entrepreneurs. The videos are inspiring and packed with useful information for finding success. The site is run by web business bod, Kevin Rose, who now lends his skills to Google.
7. Skillstep.com – Microsoft Office training platform – This is my new start-up offering online software training, and is certainly a website that absorbs my time. I’m putting in constant effort to improve it, bolster the quality of the product, and boost conversion rates. Skillstep.com provides comprehensive online training courses for Microsoft Office software such as Excel or Powerpoint.
8. Microsoft Office (online version) – software suite – Just as Adobe Creative Cloud is the market-leading and industry-standard suite of creative programs, so Microsoft Office is irreplaceable as an office package. The online version makes it portable, and allows me to make sure that all my preferences and default settings are carried across different devices and locations.
9. LinkedIn.com – business networking website – LinkedIn is one of the most valuable online destinations when it comes to business networking. Social media sites with mass popularity such as Facebook and Twitter are great for getting in touch with consumers, but for business-to-business purposes I much prefer this professional counterpart. Skillstep’s can be found, here.
10. Mashable.com – technology news website – Mashable is one of the leading sources of tech news from across the globe, and in my view it is the best. It combines comprehensive coverage of what is happening in the tech industry with an insightful and informative style of journalism. It’s a winning combination.
