Professional Email Address

If you don't have a website, you can still have a professional-sounding email address, e.g., yourname@yourname.com. For $9.95 per year at GoDaddy.com you can get your own custom email address. Yahoo! has a similar service that is $35 per year, but has more storage space.

Electronic Faxing

Even if you already have a fax machine, consider getting an electronic fax service. You can receive faxes on the web or in your email from any computer, which comes in handy when you are physically away from your fax machine. If you receive fewer than 20 pages per month, you can get free service at Efax. If you want to send faxes over the Internet as well, you'll have to upgrade to their paid service. Other online fax services include Segway Communications, MyFax, Faxaway and RapidFax. Prices range from $8 to $13 per month.

You might want to consider switching completely to online faxing. You have a choice as to whether to print them out, thus saving paper. Electronically faxed documents can be stored on your computer or on a remote server that gives you access from any computer. They can be forwarded to one person or many, just like regular email.

Encrypted Email

Sending email through your regular Internet service provider is not entirely secure. It can be intercepted and read by someone else. If you want to ensure the security of your messages, they must be encrypted.

You can download free software to do this yourself at Devotechs, or you can use an online service such as CertifiedMail or Hushmail

Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is a person or company that provides admininistrative, technical or creative services to support your business. VAs do tasks such as transcribing, mailing, creating newsletters and websites, taking phone calls, processing medical claims, processing orders, and more.

This is a growing industry that now has an international association. At their website, you can learn more about virtual assistants and get referrals to someone whose skills match your needs.

Credit Card Processing and Online Payment

Paypal offers a variety of business services. You can send and receive money through either bank transfer or credit card. You can also send people bills and invoices through Paypal.

Propay.com allows you to accept credit cards in your office (or via e-mail) and process them over the phone or online. The annual fee begins at around $59.00 for Visa, Mastercard and Discover and there are per-transaction fees. Unlike Paypal, funds are not immediately available in your account and require about three days to clear then can be transferred to your bank account.

Most banks offer credit card processing for payments made to you by credit card. You will need a terminal (machine) to do this. Some offer online processing, where you input the client's or customer's card number on a secure website. You can also arrange to receive payments through your own website. For an overview of online credit card processing, you can download a free guide from VeriSign, a company that provides security services to businesses. (You'll have to fill out a form before downloading.)

Online Self-help Tools

Links to dozens of online tools for various aspects of self-improvement are at Coaching for Success

. . . (more to come)

Business Card and Brochure Printing

You can print stationery, credit cards and brochures yourself from your own computer, using your word processor or software designed for this purpose. You can also design these products on line at VistaPrint and similar services. These resources are especially helpful if you want brilliant color or raised lettering.