There’s a great big Internet out there chock full o’ resources for running your theater or venue. And the good news is many of them are free or inexpensive. (Like our very own information-packed podcast, ahem.)

While none of these solutions are specifically designed for arts organizations, they are easily adapted to your org’s day-to-day needs. Business is business, as they say.

These resources will have you up and running in no time, looking like the professional venue that you are (or long to be) with very little, if any, money out of pocket. And that’s something any board can approve of.

Have a better suggestion? Let us know in the comments.

On to the list…

Microsoft Office Replacements

Web Sites
Zoho – The mother of online application suites, Zoho offers browser-based word processing, spreadsheets, invoicing, and much, much more. Free & paid versions.

Google Docs & Spreadsheets – Not as feature packed as Zoho, but good for basic word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. New features added regularly. Free.

Software
Open Office (Windows) – If you know MS Office, you know Open Office, the open source productivity suite. Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database, and PowerPoint-like presentation tool. Free.

NeoOffice (Mac) – A version of Open Office adapted to run on Mac OS X. Same MS Office compatible features as the Windows version. Free.

Photo Editing

Web Sites
Adobe Photoshop Express – Crop, rotate, edit, and tweak your pictures with Adobe’s online version of its popular Photoshop software. Free.

picnik – Crop, rotate, resize, and add special effects to photos in your browser with this easy to use image editor. Free & paid versions.

Software
GIMP (Windows, Mac OS X) – Photoshop-like image and photo editing. Free.

Paint.net (Windows) – An intuitive, powerful image and photo editor. Free.

Images

flickr – Tons of photos on flickr are made available for public or business use by photographers. Go to Advance Search, enter your search words, and select “search Creative Commons-licensed photos”. Free.

iStockphoto – Thousands of great looking, professional images at incredibly low prices. Starting at $1 each.

To Do

Sandy – A personal online digital assistant. Send the site an email about your next meeting or to-do and it will automatically send you a reminder email at just the right moment. Free.

Backpack – Easily centralize and share information across your organization with group calendars, to-do lists, announcements, and more. Free & paid versions.

Hiring

JobScore – Self-service job management. Market your jobs and track applicants through the site. Free.

Money Management

Quicken Online – The online version of the popular money management software. $2.99/mo.

Web Site

Google Apps – Total web site management. Multiple email accounts, group calendars, instant messaging, and web page design and publishing. Free & paid versions.

WordPress – Easy to use, award-winning blogging service. Free & paid versions.

Internet

GetNetWise – Web industry sponsored public service site that provides information every web surfer should know, like how to stop spam and keep personal info private. Free.