Screen Capture Software Helps Small Businesses Collaborate

Five Apps to Boost Worker Efficiency

Years ago, a friend turned me on to using screen capture software to document errors and bugs when on-screen testing a recently created software program. It helped convey visual blips and issues that would otherwise be difficult to explain to the developer. Recently, I learned that many businesses use such techniques for collaboration among disparate departments because having a screen capture (or even a captured video) of an issue or a computer-related task makes it easier to explain an issue or a function to a coworker.

For small businesses, screen capture software such as Snagit can save time and even more headaches. The easy-to-use app allows users to do more than capture a quick screenshot. With Snagit, you can:

• Capture videos and on-screen demos.
• Edit images and trim videos.
• Add customized stamps, notes, or graphics to images and video.

Snagit’s most recent version can be used on both Windows and OS X operating systems. It allows images and videos to be saved in several file formats that can be shared across various platforms. The app also connects the video and images that you snag to your selected accounts to help streamline your workflow.

Via email, one small business worker explained just how she uses Snagit to simplify her daily tasks. Allyson Parson, guest relations manager for Café Milano, an established Washington, D.C. café and catering company, says that not all people in small businesses are tech-savvy, so Snagit can be invaluable in passing along information to them easily.

“ I use it [Snagit] to make things easier to read for my boss who is not quite so technology-savvy. I place pictures in his emails so he can easily see them on his Blackberry, and I create easy to read presentations for him to receive the information in an easy and timely manner – all thanks to Snagit. In addition, I use Snagit to help with showing colleagues how to manage projects while I’m out of the office. “

Parson says that small businesses often don’t have the means to provide expensive tech-based solutions for collaboration with coworkers or for creating detailed instructions and job training materials. That’s why she feels Snagit helps her to work more efficiently:

“Snagit lets me create walkthroughs of all my projects that I can leave with coworkers when I’m not in the office. I don’t have to worry about anyone being confused or not understanding the information because my Snagit captures show them exactly what to expect. As a small business, Café Milano doesn’t have a robust intranet to share information between employees. It’s up to me to share updates with staff and provide training documents when necessary. “

Anyone can download a free trial of Snagit from TechSmith’s website. The latest version, Snagit 12, can also be purchased from the company’s website for $49.95 and can be downloaded from the site or shipped as boxed software to be installed.