Tech Tips for Small Business

In addition, since Feld's T-Mobile service includes WiFi data service, his laptop can connect to the T-Mobile network whenever it's available, and that means an end to "fighting to log on to a hot spot or paying $10 a night to connect in your hotel room."

Prices for the Lenovo X60 ThinkPad start at about $1,650.

3. FeedDemon

"If a small-business person doesn't know what RSS is yet, he will in a year," Feld says.

RSS is the best way to get huge amounts of news and information delivered directly to you, he explains. And FeedDemon, according to Feld, is the best piece of software for managing this.

As a self-proclaimed RSS junkie, Feld is an investor in the company NewsGator, which makes FeedDemon. NewsGator sells the software for $29.95.

4. Trillian or Skype

"Instant messaging is not just for kids," Feld points out. "While email is ubiquitous, I like the real-time availability of instant messenger in a business context. I'm always connected to my CEOs, partners and a bunch of other people I work with."

Further, Trillian integrates all his Yahoo! (YHOO Quote), MSN and Time Warner (TWX Quote) AOL messenger accounts, making it easy to work with multiple applications.

While the basic version of Trillian is free, the most current version of Trillian Pro is available for an annual rate of $25.

Further, Skype is an excellent complement to Trillian, Feld says. He uses Skype constantly for impromptu calls and for talking to CEOs.

5. Firefox

Finally, Feld prefers Firefox as his Web browser of choice.

"I find Firefox to be faster, cleaner, more extensible and more stable," he explains.

Feld says he has been using Firefox for the past 18 months and has never looked back, not even after Internet Explorer came out with its latest version, IE7, late last year.

You can never guarantee business success, but with all these high-tech tools in hand, you can certainly increase your chances.