Cheque/Check Printing

Ok. I suppose some people would regard it as a bit quirky, but there are certain things that really bring a smile to my face - and nice stationery is one of them. Odd, I know, but when I was younger I used to fantasize about running an Stationery store. Sometimes, I just like things to be right.

When running my own small business I noticed that the 'Big Boys' - you know, the large nationals and multinationals with zillions of pounds to spend on software and printed products - would invariably send their cheques / checks with all the details printed in from a database. My own handwritten ones looked rather sad in comparison. I envied the professional image that the printed cheques / checks produced.

If you are still reading, you will be as relieved as I was to discover CheckPrinter, which now allows me to do just what I have been yearning to for weeks, and the software is not expensive either. Now I can insert the blank bank issue cheques / checks into my printer and configure them onscreen, and then print. There's also support for scanning your signature into the program, and for a range of cheque / check sizes (with the business version).



It is a brilliant, inexpensive little program that does exactly what it says.

Free Fax Number

I am not a big fax user, but occasionally I have contacts who want to fax me something - a drawing, or a receipt, or an urgent document. And if they don't have the original in electonic form, and if they don't have a scanner, faxing it is the only solution.



Even if I did have a need to receive a lot of faxes, I would now never buy a fax machine. You can send and receive faxes via your own computer, of course. However, that is never easy for a variety of reasons: you have to have your software switched on to receive and you have to use a non-broadband connection. And, if you have a dedicated fax machine, unless you have a separate fax line, you and your callers face the inevitable uncertainty about whether or not an incoming call is a fax or a voice call.

Digital Messaging are offering an 070... free fax number. Once you have signed up and selected your free 070 number, set up your details, then give the number to all your contacts who are likely to want to fax you. They can then fax the number. The fax is received at Digital Messaging and sent to your email address as an attachment. So, there is no worry about whether your fax software is set to receive or whether your computer is turned on, and no worry about whether there is ink or paper in your fax machine. And certainly not the expense of a dedicated fax line. The cost is paid by the person sending the fax. The number looks like a mobile number and the charges are roughly equivalent to the person making a call to a mobile number.

Although the 070 numbers are free, if you want to pay for a particular number, Digital Messaging can also offer you a choice of 0800, 0845, 0870, 0871 number. They have a huge range of numbers, so the chances are you could select a number to suit your preferences.

This solution really does take the worry out of receiving faxes. If you like this service, why not fax mine to let me know (07050 601067). I would appreciate the feedback.