As we continue with our Small Business Month coverage, this blog post focuses on a powerful and free tool for stay organized while on the go.

One of 200-odd new features packed into Apple's iOS 5 update is Reminders, an app designed to be a quick and easy way to set yourself a reminder -- without having to open the Calendar to add an entry.

In fact, you can also use your voice to set a reminder via the awesome "Siri" feature found in the iPhone 4S smartphone, but we'll get to that in a moment.

Reminders, which now appears on the first page of your apps, lets you type a quick note – such as "Don't forget to email Mary Jones regarding contract details" – and your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch will ring to alert you at a particular time and date of your choosing (say, at 2pm on Thursday).

Reminders are displayed as a list (oldest on top) or displayed by date with an optional calendar view. Or you can search by keyword. Just as with calendar entries, reminders can also be repeated daily, weekly, every two weeks, monthly or annually. You can also add some notes to each reminder, if desired, as well as set the priority to low, medium or high.

Reminders also work when synched over the new iCloud service or via iCal or Outlook when the iOS device is connected to a computer's USB port. That way, all your changes are copied onto all your devices.

The Reminders app also offers location-based alerts, therefore you can set a geographical location for each reminder. For example, you can have an alert sound and display a reminder whenever you leave or arrive at a particular location, such as your office, home or other address you have in your Contacts. Want to remember to get a safety deposit box the next time you're at your bank? Whenever you pull into the parking lot your iPhone or 3D-enabled iPad can remind you to ask about it. In other words, you can now set reminders by time or place.

But Reminders really shines on iPhone 4S as you can take advantage of "Siri," the voice-activated personal assistant built into the smartphone. Talk to Siri at any time by pressing and holding the Home button or lifting the phone up to your ear. With Siri, you can say "Remind me to call John Smith at 9am" and you'll hear the female-like voice say "Here's your reminder for this Monday at 9am" and she'll show you a note that says "Call John Smith."

Also part of the iOS 5 update, reminders will also show up on the lock screen when it chimes and upcoming notes are viewable on the new Notifications menu by simply swiping down the screen in any app or on the home screen.

Reminders is a quick an convenient tool for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners – especially for iPhone 4S users thanks to its voice-activated Siri support.