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2022 | Book

Office Productivity, Note-Taking, Accounting, and PDF Creation Read chapter Read first chapter

Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business

Money-Saving Options for Small Enterprises

Author: Phillip Whitt

Publisher: Apress

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book will point the way to numerous free, low-cost, and open-source software solutions that could provide viable alternatives to their paid counterparts. Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business is now in its Second Edition; it has been thoroughly revised and updated. This book covers the most up-to-date software versions. Software described in the First Edition that is no longer available has been replaced with comparable titles when possible.

The book starts with an office productivity tool known as OfficeLibre and goes on to explain CRM and compression software. You will then learn about desktop publishing, illustration, 3D modeling, and photo editing software. As we progress further, you will learn more about audio-video capture and editing software along with Openshot, an easy-to-use free video editor. You will also learn about available project planning and time tracking software, and much more. By the end of the book, you will have also gained knowledge about security programs, as well as how to use Linux on Windows and MacOS.

With the challenging economic times we find ourselves in, this book may be more important than ever to help small business owners eliminate and reduce costs, and keep more money in their business. .

What You Will Learn

Understand the important differences between freeware and open-source software.Discern which paid commercial software the free version replaces (when applicable).Gain insight into how organizations and municipalities around the world adopting open-source software to save money on licensing fees.

Who This Book Is For

Primarily small business owners, solo entrepreneurs or freelancers on a budget, and cost efficiency experts.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Office Productivity, Note-Taking, Accounting, and PDF Creation
Abstract
Everyone in the civilized world has heard of software programs like Microsoft Word, QuickBooks, etc. Although the alternative software titles we’ll look at shortly have been around for years and are no secret, I’d venture to guess that there are many business owners who have never heard of them (or at least not all of them).
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 2. Point-of-Sale, CRM, Backup, and Compression Software
Abstract
This chapter looks at several solutions for handling day-to-day sales transactions, managing customer relationships, backing up data, and file compression.
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 3. Desktop Publishing, Illustration, Painting, and 3D Modeling Software
Abstract
Imagine the local printshop quotes twice the amount you envisioned spending on the marketing materials you plan to use to announce your grand opening. Having marketing materials such as brochures, business cards, and flyers designed (the expensive part of the process) and printed can cut into the budget. As a business owner, wouldn’t it be nice to have the means to create your own marketing materials without breaking the bank? This chapter looks at a two free desktop publishing solutions that can aid in creating your own marketing materials (such as postcards, brochures, and newsletters). If you don’t need (or want) to go the route of Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Publisher, or QuarkXpress, these solutions can be perfect for small businesses with tight marketing budgets.
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 4. Photo Editing Software
Abstract
When you think of photo editing, Adobe Photoshop probably springs to mind. It is the industry standard and the ultimate in photo editing software. There are many professionals who use Adobe products because they are involved with very high-end print production and photography or just locked into an Adobe workflow. However, for many small business owners, freelance photographers, and designers, Photoshop is either too expensive (even at $20.99 per month for the subscription service, people don’t like the idea of “renting” software), or it’s just overkill.
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 5. Audio-Video Capture, Conversion, and Editing Software
Abstract
The prevalence of video hosting sites such as YouTube affords the opportunity for small businesses to get their message out in a way not possible in the not-too-distant past. It’s possible to digitize your old radio commercials from cassette tapes or make your own commercials, tutorials, or slideshows for posting on the Web. For the business owner who is a novice when it comes to working with audio and video, there are some no-cost options for capturing, converting, and editing audio and video files.
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 6. Project Planning, Inventory Management, and Time-Tracking Software
Abstract
Organization and accuracy are crucial in any business. During my early days in the retail hardware business, projects were planned on pen and paper. Inventory specialists did physical counts of the store’s inventory twice a year (in those days, we were not computerized). Tracking the time invested in business activities was largely guesswork.
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 7. Website Creation Software and Web Browsers
Abstract
This chapter introduces a couple of no-cost/low-cost tools for creating websites or blogging, as well as free web browsers for security and privacy.
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 8. Content Management Solutions
Abstract
This chapter takes a look at the following alternatives to expensive CMS programs such as Microsoft SharePoint:
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 9. Network and Security Utilities
Abstract
Security is always a high priority in business. If you’re on budget, but you require solutions for areas such as network security, password security, antivirus, and mobile device privacy, there are some no-cost options. Here’s a look at the software programs covered in this chapter.
Phillip Whitt
Chapter 10. Linux: The Free Alternative to Windows and macOS
Abstract
Microsoft Windows and Macintosh need no introduction. Certainly, most readers of this book are using Windows and the others are no doubt using a Mac. You may be wondering why anyone would consider using a different operating system. While Linux isn’t for everyone, it offers some advantages that are well worth considering, such as security and free software.
Phillip Whitt
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business
Author
Phillip Whitt
Copyright Year
2022
Publisher
Apress
Electronic ISBN
978-1-4842-8841-2
Print ISBN
978-1-4842-8840-5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-8841-2

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