1. Guardian Error Handling System
   http://www.xav.com/scripts/guardian/

Guardian helps keep you from losing valuable visitors, by displaying helpful error messages to visitors whenever something goes wrong. It also can log the error to a file and/or send you an e-mail alert.

One of the things I like most about Guardian is the ability to create specific rules to respond to each different incoming error. For instance, you could display a custom error message based on which file was requested, what browser was used, or even where the visitor linked in from.

TIP: Something like this would be useful when  another site still links to one of your pages that  no longer exists. When you can't get in touch with  the webmaster to update the link for you, you can display a message specifically for visitors from that site.

You could also skip the display of error messages entirely, and simply redirect the visitor to the right Web page or file.

I REALLY love the site's automated install option for the script. Just plug in a few fields about your site's server, and it installs the script FOR you! :-D No need to fiddle with any code, check script values, upload -- nothing.

Cool!

2. !Quick Screen Capture
    http://idesignsoft.com

This screen capture software and image editor allows you to take screenshots in 10 different ways, and save images in BMP/JPG/GIF formats. You can edit your screenshots right in the software, by drawing shapes, arrows, text, color filling, cropping, resizing, and more.

It's REALLY easy to use, with no learning curve. (I just guessed which buttons to use and started capturing away! I didn't read the manual. <G>)

Your free trial let's you save your screenshots 30 times. After that, !Quick is only $19.95. When you want to make precision images, it's a lot easier and MUCH faster to use than the "Print Screen" function on most computers.

Print screen does just that -- print the *entire* screen -- while with !Quick, you can select only the amount of the screen you want to capture. If you have a lot of captures to make at once, !Quick is a lot more efficient than having to print a screen, paste that into an image editor, and make it look how you want.

I'd rather just pay the $20 to keep using !Quick. ;-)

3. FreeConference.com
   http://www.freeconference.com

Okay, okay ... so I've been holding out on this one for a while. A few years even. :-D

This site allows you to get telephone numbers to hold conference calls with up to 32 people on the line, at absolutely no cost to you. (Of course, normal domestic long distance rates charged by the participants' long distance carriers probably apply.)

They offer "reservation-less" and "Web-scheduled" conferences. I definitely recommend scheduled. This just means that you'll have a *guaranteed slot* open on their server at the specific time and date you reserve, for a specific number of participants.

Just reserve your slot in advance, then call the number they issue you a few minutes before your call's scheduled time. There's no limit on the amount of conference call numbers you can have.

4. The Phone Company's (TPC) Remote Printing Service
   http://www.tpc.int

This service allows you to send a fax to several locations around the world, without any additional software or a fax machine, and completely without charge. All you need is the ability to send e- mail, which of course you already have.

All you do is verify < http://www.tpc.int/verify.html > that the number you're faxing to is within their coverage area (putting a country code BEFORE the number; Ex: Format U.S.-based numbers as 1-222-333-3333). After you've done that, click the link on that page to send your fax using your e-mail OR their Web form.

I loved that the service knows how you want your fax to LOOK, just by how you set up the e-mail address to fax to. This really is neat. (You should generally avoid ASCII characters, which may not look right when faxed this way.)

5. Smarterwork
   http://www.SmarterWork.com

Running your own business takes work and lots of time, once you get to be really well-known (read: BUSY) in your field. There's customer service, tech support & biz proposal e-mails to answer, marketing to do, joint venture partners to find, articles to submit, new sites to design, and more.

And more.

And MORE!

And did I mention all the E-MAIL to answer? :-/

Once it gets to be too much to handle, visit Smarterwork.com to find a qualified virtual assistant to help lessen your workload.

First, you post your project, specifying exactly what you need and when you want it to be completed. Service providers then offer to complete your project for the price they suggest (their "bid"). Then you get to sit back and feel mighty important, and CHOOSE the most qualified -- and hopefully cheapest -- contractor from the list of bidders.

You post your project at no cost (though you'll eventually, of course, need to pay the person you choose to complete your project for their services). The best part about Smarterwork is, bid are usually about 75%-200% cheaper than http://eLance.com .

Hey ... finding help at Smarterwork IS smarter!

WANT MORE? If you'd like to see the original article, "5 Fast, Free Ways to Make e-Business Easier", go to: http://HarmonyMajor.com/articles/5-fast-free.shtml