My Favorite Tool for Staying Organized

Entrepreneur Teresa Meyer explains how she uses Evernote to stay organized.

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Teresa Meyer
Owner, Stage A Star
Cincinnati

My company helps people stage their homes for sale. It's hard to keep track of all the details. So, last year, I did a Google search for small business organizing and a Web-based tool called Evernote came up. I've been using it ever since.

After setting up a free account, you can type notes, clip out webpages, and upload files or photos and assign them to different Evernote "notebooks." I create a notebook for each of my clients, label it with the property name, and assign searchable tags to it. Then, I fill it with proposals, contracts, bills, and information such as home security codes. I have a variety of notebooks, including one filled with Web clippings of light fixtures.

Evernote integrates with a number of programs and devices. Its Microsoft Outlook plug-in, for example, lets me send client e-mails directly to their notebooks. I can also scan a document or image on my portable Doxie scanner and save it directly to Evernote. My online account syncs with my Evernote iPhone app, so I can pull up information when I'm visiting clients.

I recently upgraded to Evernote's premium version, which costs $5 a month. Now, I can store up to 1GB of data and allow my assistants to add and edit notebook contents.

J.J. McCorvey is a reporter at Inc. magazine, where he covers a wide range of topics, including technology and business research. He has covered metro news for The Detroit News, and his work has been featured in Men's Fitness. @jmccorvey