This is one of those cool ideas that might not work for every situation, but where it does work, it's going to work well. HourTown basically takes your Outlook calendar and not only puts it up on the Web--it opens it up to customers, too.

The site is specifically designed for small businesses looking to attract as many new customers as possible. By publishing your open time slots, HourTown lets customers schedule appointments with you on their own. The site then gives you tools such as customer and contact tracking, and emailed appointment reminders to both you and your new customer. It even has a "Book Now" button you can embed in your email sigs.

The company has a trial offering, so it costs nothing to give the service a try. If you like it, HourTown will run you between $19.95 and $29.95 a month, depending on whether you want phone support included. Definitely worth checking out.