The Internet has become the source of first and last resort for small businesses looking to get an advantage. This week we focus on some of the practical things you can do with the Net. Just make sure you have a fast Internet connection!

Get the Application You Want

Finding just the right tool is critical. One website focuses on applications that you can use for various options. They offer applications in several areas including business (ASP, HR, Purchasing), Productivity Tools (calendars, e-mail, web design, etc.), Computers, Finance and Investing, Knowledge and Reference, Entertainment and the Arts, Home and Family, Travel and Leisure, Learning, Health and Fitness.

There are several advantages to using these web apps. These applications are free, you don't have to install them or continually update them and they are available anywhere you have a connection to the Net.

www.apps.com

Banking Applications

Banks are always looking to get through the paperwork faster to serve customers more. This site is designed for bankers to serve customers by knowing what they need, asking the right questions for loans and refusing to submit the loan unless all the necessary details have been completed. If you are a bank, this warrants investigation. If you are a small business looking for a loan, this is a good program to share with your bank. I recently did a program for this company and found their service and support to be outstanding. Check it out.

www.bank2business.com

Express Search for CEOs

Searching the web is wonderful. It can also be overwhelming with all the data that is given when you perform a given search. Here are some sites that I've found particularly helpful to get what you need and eliminate the clutter.

www.dogpile.com, www.c4.com, http://multi1.ceoexpress.com/qs/search.htm, and www.metacrawler.com. I've found that in searching for topics and ideas it is good to have more than one reference. Each of these looks at more than one search engine and then eliminates duplicates. They can be a significant boost to your productivity and searching.

Check Your Speed

So how fast are you really? Find out your Internet connection speed at a given moment by going to this website. You can find the Kbps (kilobytes per second) that you're processing and the rate at which data passes through.

You'll want to bookmark this one and keep it handy to find just how fast that new cable modem, DSL line or even that old dial up connection is doing for you.

Go to the site below and click on SpeedTest. After a few moments wait while the computer sends data back to the server, you'll see the results. It is as easy and useful as that!

http://computingcentral.msn.com/

Computer News

There are lots of sites on the web that discuss computers. One of my favorites is produced by C-Net. It provides updated information in the form of text, audio and video. You can find what is going on in this fast-changing industry at this point quickly and easily. Check it out.

www.news.com

Terry Brock is an internationally recognized professional speaker, consultant and author in the fields of business productivity, technology and marketing. He is a syndicated columnist for Business Journals across America and can be reached at 407-363-0505 or by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com.