Read Blogs
They've been the buzzword for a few years now, and you may be thinking that blogs are more of a time waster than a time saver. That can be true, but if you use blogs wisely they can save you time. Specialized blogs focusing on your industry can keep you up-to-date and informed.

RSS
Blogs can be addicting and spill into that time waster category. That's where RSS comes in. RSS allows you to subscribe to the blogs you read and notifies you when new updates appear. You can use a reader like Bloglines or Google Reader and only read your blogs when there's something new.

Write a Blog
You can also take the leap and join the millions who are blogging. A blog can be a quick and convenient way to communicate with your clients, your donors, or even your friends. Most blogging software like Blogger or Typepad are easy enough to figure out that you don't need a techie to make updates to your web site.

Podcasts
Stuck in traffic? Put that wasted time to work by listening to podcasts. Like RSS, podcasts allow you to subscribe to radio shows and automatically download new shows to your digital music player. You can find podcasts for about anything, including your industry (check iTunes or Yahoo for lists of podcasts).

Search Engines
Everybody knows about search engines. But have you used search engines to find out what people are saying about your company? Several blog-specific search engines like Technorati or Google let you keep tabs on the blogosphere and know what people are saying about your organization. Being in the know can give you that extra bit of lead-time when disaster strikes.

del.icio.us
Always finding cool stuff on the web but never able to remember it all? Enter del.icio.us. It's an online bookmarking system that lets you file and sort links. The bonus is that it's all web-based so you can access it from anywhere. Find and file interesting articles or resources as you come across them and come back when you're not as busy.

Craigslist
It's the classifieds on steroids. Craigslist is an online community site that offers local classifieds in metro areas around the U.S. and throughout the world. Looking to hire a freelancer short term? Need some cheap furniture for the office? Need to dump some furniture from the office? Plus you can subscribe to RSS feeds for any category that appeals to you.

Technology keeps on moving and it's not always easy to keep pace. But sometimes a new web site or a new feature can make you work that much faster. And that's smart.

We want to help you work smarter, not harder. We're always willing to share what works for us, and hopefully it can work for you.