Cover your Bases Leaving your business for a while? You need a game plan.

If you ever need to leave your business for an extended period of time, you'll want to plan ahead for when you can return, if at all. Whether you want to suspend operations temporarily or keep the company running without you, Deploy Proof helps by giving you a step-by-step guide through the entire process. Developed by The Veterans Corporation, the site focuses on active members of the military who are expecting deployment, but its advice can be useful for almost any business owner who faces an impending absence.

New Best Friend
With Sandy, a little virtual help goes a long way.

Meet Sandy, your new virtual assistant. Sandy is a free program that works with your e-mail to help you remember important dates and events and keep your life organized. Sign up and the program will send you Sandy's e-mail address. You can then CC her or e-mail her directly with requests to remind you about upcoming dates, events and tasks, or you can use keywords in the body of your e-mail that the program will recognize. Can't remember that client's number? Sandy can look up contacts and other details for you.