Tough Tool Trio: Money, People, Tasks, Projects.

I’m a sucker for what works, regardless of the cost. Good Mac utilities are tools that get the job done, do so with ease, cost less.

Allow me to introduce a trio of tools to manage money, people, projects, tasks. What’s not to like?

The resurgence of the Mac and the ease-of-use of Mac OS X means Mac software developers are not content to create a single application.

Take Jumsoft as my example, though there are many others. Jumsoft’s original claim to fame was a straightforward set of Mac applications and Keynote Themes. Lots of Keynote themes.

Success begets success. The next thing you know, the company has thousands of Mac customers and a whole suite of Mac software. The best get better.

The value part of the equation is in the bundle. Jumsoft wisely bundles three of their most popular Mac utilities into a single suite with a discount price. The Home Business Trio.

If you use your Mac in business (whether home or home office or an office-- I don’t think Jumsoft really cares), then there are multiple areas where your Mac can help your business grow or become more efficient or both.

The first area is managing your money. That’s one reason why you’re in business anyway, right? Jumsoft’s Money is included in the Home Office Trio.

The latest version is perfect for those who don’t want the complexity of a full-fledged accounting system, but want to track the movement of money-- what comes in vs. what goes out.

Money does that. Set up bank accounts, credit card accounts, even loan and investment accounts.

Set up a bill-paying schedule. All those things you used to do with Quicken but tired of paying Intuit’s annual tax, you can do with Money.

But that’s just one part of the Home Business Trio. What’s next? Manage projects and tasks with Operation.

Jumsoft’s Operation is a very Mac-like project manager with a learning curve that doesn’t intimidate. Simply put, Operation lets you create projects, assign tasks to each project, set up specific milestones, and manage those day-to-day things that usually fall through the cracks of a busy schedule.

Operation uses Mac OS X Tiger’s Core Data database technology so it’s fast and easy to set up.

Last but not least is what makes many small or home businesses financially worthy-- customers. Jumsoft’s Relationship manages people-- contact information about customers, partners, suppliers, associations, and everything you need to know about anybody.

Integration with OS X’s AddressBook is included. Relationship manages events in your schedule so you don’t miss appointments.

If ever the whole was greater than the sum of the parts, so it is with the Home Business Trio. Make no mistake. This is not a set of tools to replace your accountant, or a cheaper way to get to Microsoft Project, but it is a set of tools you can actually use without taking night classes at the junior college.

Getting all three (that’s the “trio” part of the title) enhances any home business, but what Jack and I found was that business isn’t the only option. Just managing money, projects, tasks, and contacts is important to any of us and that’s exactly what the trio does.

In a future review I’ll cover the Jumsoft Keynote themes, as I use some of those both at school and in our home business.

The Home Business Trio is a good value. What do you use for managing your money? For managing contacts? For managing projects and tasks? Share your experience in the Comments section below.

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