My Favorite Tool for Prioritizing E-mail

Entrepreneur Patrick Rhone explains how he uses AwayFind to keep up with urgent e-mail messages on the go.

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Erica Meyer/Courtesy Subject

Patrick Rhone, founder of Machine Methods Consulting in St. Paul

My IT consulting company caters to individuals and small businesses. I like to give my full attention to clients during consultations, but I also want to keep up with urgent e-mails. AwayFind, a Web app that works with my Gmail accounts, helps me do just that.

On AwayFind.com or on my AwayFind iPhone app, I can type in the e-mail addresses of important contacts, then set filters so I'll be alerted by text, push notification, or voice call if they e-mail me. For instance, I can choose to receive a push notification on my iPhone if my programmer e-mails me during a client meeting, just in case he has an important update on the account. I can also choose to get voice alerts for certain e-mails. Then, when I'm driving back to the office after meetings, I listen to audio versions of the messages using my Bluetooth headset. Another great feature: When I'm traveling, I add an AwayFind contact form to my "out of office" message. If someone needs to reach me urgently, he can fill out the short form, and I'll get an alert.

I pay $15 a month for the premium version of AwayFind, which monitors both my personal and business Gmail accounts. AwayFind gives me the freedom to ignore the clutter in my inbox.

Patrick Rhone, Founder
Machine Methods Consulting
St. Paul