Free Desktop Software To Power Your Small Business

Capsule reviews of eight free business applications available to download from the Web, ranging from communications programs such as Jing, to productivity apps like Google Desktop, to security software such as TrueCrypt.

"There has been a lot of hype for cloud-based apps lately, and understandably so. Cloud based apps let you do all of your business online, and let you pay relatively little for their services. That being said, there are still a lot of great desktop apps that can help your business as well. As for cost effectiveness, the cloud isn’t the only place to find cheap software tools. The following list of desktop apps is sure to come in handy around your office, and they can all be downloaded for free. Communication:

Jing – Jing is a free and functional desktop application used anytime you want to share what you see on your screen with someone else. Jing allows an easy interface for capturing, editing, and sharing screenshots for online conversations, marketing, web-posting, email, or whatever else you can think to use it for. Exclusively for the Mac, Skitch is equally effective, and just as free."