0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

Technology and Telecommunications ● 109
GREAT
Run Your Business in the Cloud
Emily Borders, cofounder of Borders Gratehouse,
IDEA
a San Francisco–based public relations (PR) firm,
practices what she preaches. “We work with technology companies across
a number of industries that are providing technology solutions for small
businesses,” said Borders, who left a big PR agency to start her own business
in 2007.
Borders works with six people in San Francisco. Four other professionals
in her firm work from their homes in Chicago. “When we started
the company, we were faced with a lot of questions about how to set up the
infrastructure of the business,” she said.
To walk the talk, she relies on her clients’ services to manage her
business every day. For example, she’s hired freelance talent through
Elance.com. She uses Ring Central’s “cloud-based” phone service and
turns to RocketLawyer.com for legal services. They use Fresh Books for
bookkeeping.
Since public relations relies on collaboration, they need to share files.
Borders said they started using free platforms like Google Docs, but soon
realized they needed something more professional. Now they use Egnyte,
an online file server that works like a big company file server.
“We have people in Chicago and Atlanta who are all unified and able
to share files with our clients, for a monthly fee of $10 to $60, based on the
number of users.”
She has other favorite cloud-based tools, including a program called
Slide Rocket. “It allows you to create a Power Point® presentation online,”
she explained. “You can integrate a Twitter feed and then link it to
YouTube.”
The company also uses High Rise, a customer relationship management
tool developed by 37signals.com. “We put all our contacts in there
and we can easily see what anyone on the team is doing for clients and
prospects. I really love it.”
Borders said, “It can be daunting to put a new business together, but
these cloud-based services have helped us establish our business.”