TimeToMeet Makes Meeting Scheduling a Cinch

In November’s Mediation Resources Roundup I mentioned a simple little online program that makes meeting scheduling easier. Doodle’s still worth a look, but I have to say that a free new program I’ve found has just become my favorite.

TimeToMeet is a free online service that’s about as simple to use as can be…and effective at the same time. (No, I have no connection with TimeToMeet and get no benefit from saying good things about them…except the satisfaction of knowing I may be making your life a tiny bit simpler.) I’m not going to miss the days of back and forth emails trying to find a date that works or of having to make my calendar information available to others. TimeToMeet makes those days history.

Creating an account takes about 10 seconds and requires just an email, name and password. To schedule a meeting, you enter the email addresses of those who will be attending, a subject and note (just like sending an email, essentially). Then you “paint” the times you’re available on calendar — drag your cursor over the times you’re available. Click send and the recipients get an email with a link to the calendar dates and times you’ve proposed. They can then select which of the times they’re available and you get an email when they’re done.

If you use Outlook, iCal or Google Calendar to manage your schedule, you can change from a free to a pro account for $1 or less per month and synchronize TimeToMeet with those calendars automatically. That way, when you’re painting proposed meeting times, you’ve got your own synced calendar guiding you in the background. If you use this feature, keep in mind that your meeting participants will also see your calendar, though only the blocked time and no other information.

Copyright © 2006 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.