10 tools I couldn't live without

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In no particular order:

Skype - free calls to anywhere and IM too

Maximizer - the best contact management system there is

Brownbook.net - the best online business directory available and FREE too!

Digsby - where all my IMs live (apart from Skype)

Tagle.it - tagged bookmarks and files (bye bye folders). Heaven!

Ping.fm - it updates 50 sites in one go!

HootSuite - is there any other way to use Twitter (I think not)

Picasa - astounding face recognition software

Spotify - instant music without the fuss or adverts (almost)

IDrive.com - backup without the worry

Which tools could you not live without and why? Please comment or tweet me at @uptone

Brownbook - the local search business directory that has everything

With the recent addition of a ShareThis button and 12 prepared widgets, in addition to all the other cutting edge features it offers that I wrote about in my previous blog post, Brownbook.net really is the online local search business directory that has everything

The new 12 just-add-username widgets (almost)

Brownbook.net now surely deserves an award for being the world's coolest business directory. With its latest enhancements, it's packed with so many online marketing gadgets, it wouldn't be out of place in a James Bond movie!

It addition to the fact that Brownbook already:

• is truly global, allowing listings in 240 countries
• is completely free
• can be edited by anyone
• allows full customization
• provides a QR Code for every business listing as standard
• provides page views and clickthrough stats
  
• includes IM, VoIP, Twitter and Blog fields
  
• allows B2B endorsements, and
  
• allows sections of business listings to be used as widgets on other sites (bidgets)
  

it now ALSO has replaced its "Twitter This" button with a ShareThis button on every page:

Brownbook.net's new ShareThis button

and it has made available 12 widgets for easy addition to business listing pages; pretty much all you have to do now is give your username! The 12 widgets are:

• Skype
• MSN Live Messenger
• Meebo
• Twitter recent posts
• Wordpress recent posts
• Blogger recent posts
• Facebook profile
• LinkedIn profile
• Flickr photostream
• YouTube channel
• Google Street View
• Bookingbug (see also: http://blog.brownbook.net/2009/10/take-live-bookings-and-availability-in-your-brownbook-business-page/)
  

There's no doubt about it - Brownbook.net is very cool!

Brownbook.net enjoying steady growth

Here are two recent Brownbook stat graphs that show healthy and steady growth

Alexa stats of Brownbook compared with trustedplaces.com and touchlocal.com. This shows Brownbook's rapid convergence with two very established online directories. Great news for all the small businesses that are marketing themselves in Brownbook.

And this is compete.com's equivalent graph 

Brownbook's goal is to be the Wikipedia of the directories world. It lists 27 million businesses in 240 countries, and it’s available on the web http://www.brownbook.net and on mobile http://m.brownbook.net

More info on the Brownbook blog – http://blog.brownbook.net

Follow the founders, Dave Ingram and Marc Lyne on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/daveingram, and http://www.twitter.com/marc_lyne

Is your business on Brownbook yet? If not, why not? Directories increase the visibility of businesses on the internet. If you don't have the time, then why not outsource it? Here's a company that will manage your online directory listings for you at a reasonable price. ;)