Before you use PowerPoint ... SHOULD you use PowerPoint?
Before you decide that PowerPoint is the answer ...
... decide what the question is.
What's the problem?
What's the message you're trying to impart?
Who are you talking to?
Is PowerPoint really the tool for the job?
Are you trying to create a brochure or other printed piece? PowerPoint isn't designed for this. You'll have to work way too hard to produce mediocre results. Choose a more suitable program like Publisher, InDesign, PageMaker or any of the other desktop publishing programs. Even Word or other word processors would probably be easier to work with.
Do you need to produce a web site? PowerPoint can create web-ready versions of of your presentations, but it's not a good tool for creating entire web sites. Choose a dedicated web-design program instead.
Are you trying to communicate an idea to an audience or persuade it to act in a certain way?
In that case, PowerPoint may be just the ticket. If so, do yourself and your audience a favor and read Scoring Power Points by Jamie McKenzie. McKenzie is writing to teachers who plan to have their students create PowerPoint presentations, but the advice is valid for any presenter.