I spent several years working for a phone book publisher, designing ads for their business listings. I finally got tired of working on the same simple designs over and over and decided it was time for a change. So I made the leap and started my own small graphic design firm, Howdon Graphics. Now I create product brochures, ads, logos, trade show graphics and even web sites for all sorts of companies and organizations. Juggling lots of different projects really keeps my creative juices flowing.
When business gets too hectic, I farm out some of the work to colleagues who have experience and skills that complement my own. I just finished a project with my friend Brian. He is a free-lance writer in another state who has excellent skills and can write killer copy. We recently collaborated on a big project creating a 50-page catalog for one of my clients, a small mail order company that recreates vintage wallpaper for historic homes and buildings. I designed the catalog and he added the descriptions of the wallpaper patterns, books and accessories. In the past, I wasted so much time trying to email huge files or upload them to an FTP site because, as a small business owner, I couldn’t afford all the fancy business software used by the big design firms.
Now I use 123Together.com’s Microsoft SharePoint service. It provides a central location that both Brian and I use as our master filing cabinet and workspace for things like client graphics, photo libraries, meeting notes, corporate logos and 
text files. SharePoint’s version control feature also guarantees that the files we are working on are always the most current. Now neither of us is wasting time searching through emails or calling to check on the status of a document because everything is in one place.
My clients think I’m a miracle worker. They love my “team” of experts and know they can count on projects being delivered on time and often ahead of schedule. And, since all of the documents live on SharePoint, both Brian and I have access to everything we need from any web browser at any time – even in the middle of the night. I’ve worked on projects at my desk, at home, and over a blueberry scone at my local coffee shop that has free Wi-Fi service. All I need is an internet connection and I’m ready to go.
Since I’m not an IT guru it’s also nice to know that I can use 123Together.com’s SharePoint service without having to worry about any of the technical stuff that happens on the back end. That’s what the idea of hosting is all about. 123Together.com has this great business tool that they manage. They store and secure all of my data for me and I can access all of it via the internet whenever and wherever I need it. No muss, no fuss, no expensive software or equipment to buy and no contractors or consultants to pay to get me going.
123Together.com’s SharePoint is my small business secret weapon. The ability to work on projects, with all of the materials available to both of us at the click of a mouse, makes it feel like Brian is sitting right next to me when he’s really hundreds of miles away. It’s incredible how increased efficiency and collaboration has enabled my small business to grow so quickly and enabled me to spend more time adding new clients and doing more for existing customers.
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