Top 5 Note Taking Tools
Have you even written down an important note, only to have it get lost somewhere on your desk? ARGH! As a small business owner, you can’t afford to lose important notes such as phone numbers, ideas and meeting details.
I admit that I am old school and love my steno pad and pen which sits front and center of my desk every day. I write EVERYTHING in it. Short, cryptic notes that mean everything to me but would seem gibberish to others.
Note Taking Problem
George calls me two months later asking for the phone number of the accountant we talk with about XYZ. I know I have the number in my notebook but goodness where is that thing. Did I swap out my notebook since I wrote the note?
Note Taking Solution
And the end of the day or if I am really swamped at the end of the week, I transcribe everything into a computer notebook system for access across systems and devices. Some can even be shared with my clients.
Basically these tools are what you wish pen and paper could be.
Why upgrade? Paper doesn’t let your reorganize your to-do list or send you reminders. Paper isn’t accessible on your smart phone, tablet and computer. While you can still jot something down on paper, you need a better way to keep notes organized and keep anything from getting lost again.
OneNote
My professional favorite is OneNote and I have used it for years. I have a notebook for each client. I also keep a notebook for my personal life and my business.
The reason I like it better than Evernote is the visual appeal. I love to color organize and OneNote has a tab feature at the top where I can divide into separate sections in the notebook. The notebooks are searchable, pdf?s can be imported and OCR recognition is available.
My “Lisa Olinda Moleskin” aka personal notebook is divided into sections. One is for recipes and one section is my shopping list for Costco. Chuckle, I have a family who loves good food and lots of it. The visual aspect of OneNote works well for the way my brain works.
OneNote is accessible online, Windows and Mac desktops and mobile devices.
Evernote
As far as note taking software goes, Evernote has to top the list. In many ways it has become an industry standard and with some of the recent upgrades it is a solid note-taking system.
Think of it as the anything goes note taker. Clip sections of web pages, upload pictures and of course insert text into individual digital notebooks to keep all notes organized. You can even scan in handwritten notes. My favorite part is that everything is searchable, including handwritten notes and text within images.
My clients find it easier for me share information through Evernote. I really miss the colors and the tab feature of OneNote.
Evernote comes in a free and premium version. If you want to collaborate with your team, Evernote comes in a business version. Evernote is accessible online, via a cross-platform desktop app and from mobile devices.
Remember The Milk
After Evernote, Remember the Milk may seem simplistic. The software looks more like a basic to-do list than anything else. However, it can be used to take notes as well. What I like most are the reminders via email, IM and SMS.
It even integrates with some calendar apps such as Google Calendar. If you are looking for something that’s easy to set up and learn to use, this is the note taker for you. It is also available online, as a mobile app and even on Twitter.
GoodNotes
GoodNotes is new to my note-taking toolbox. I use it with my iPad Pro. You can free hand notes, import PDFs and write on them, type on the keyboard and converts handwriting to text. It back ups to my Dropbox for safe keeping. It is very versatile. If you work a lot on the iPad, it may be a great investment for you.
Zoho Notebook
If you’ve ever used any of Zoho’s other products, you’ll be thrilled to hear about the Zoho Notebook. Accessible online, you can create pretty much any kind of note you want, including audio and video. The purpose of the app is to help you collect content and notes from many locations and programs. You can also use your notebook to collaborate with others while setting permissions to keep unwanted changes from being made.
How much time you spend struggling to find information? If you find yourself searching for the sticky note that has your important client’s mobile number, which the breeze from your office window has gently wafted into your trash can, look at these tools and see if one might be a perfect fit for you. Your time is money.
Better yet delegate. Have your assistant start the process of taking those notes and putting them into an organized notebook to make you the rock star of your entrepreneurial world! If you need help finding assistance, contact us and we can start assisting you today.
Share with us your favorite note taking tool.