14 Sep Keeping Your Business Organized: 6 Tools To Maximize Productivity
Now is an excellent time to think about the areas in your business that need an overhaul or could use a minor refresh. Take a moment to step back and re-imagine the way you run your business holistically. While I agree that not every problem can or should be solved with technology, it’s important to leverage cost-effective tools once the bottlenecks have been identified. Business owners and employees often find there is room for improvement, which can result in ingenuity.
Many of us are guilty of spending countless hours researching the “best productivity hacks” to improve time management and help the business grow without overzealous spending. Though there are an infinite number of blog articles online, we thought compiling a shortlist of productivity tools we use to run our day-to-day operations smoothly was way overdue.
By no means is this an exhaustive list of all the tools we use, but those listed here are the ones we use on a daily basis. Keep in mind these tools are tailored to certain lifestyles that may or may not be a good fit for your company; take a moment to explore them before making a decision.
1. G Suite: A robust cloud-based suite of products with a range of functionality for businesses of any size, this is a competitive product to that of Microsoft Suite. I can’t think of a project that could not be replicated using one of the many G Suite applications (Documents, Sheets, Slides, etc.). We use it for our internal projects because it makes each step of the process seamless while housing everything in one location, and making collaboration painless. If you’re looking for a no-frills approach to mobilizing your team with real-time collaboration under a centralized location, look no further.
2. Dropbox: Operating since 2007, this cloud-based file-sharing service makes sending files of any size easy and secure. Spend less time organizing paper and more time digitizing your filing system to maximize your time. Leverage your expertise where it matters the most—in your business.
3. Trello: An easy to use project management tool that facilitates collaboration, its intuitive design and user interface makes learning this tool simple to use. Organize your team, projects, and ideas by tracking their progress seamlessly using the Kanban methodology. While there are a plethora of PM tools out there, this is a great one if you are just starting out and need something straightforward to hit the ground running fast.
4. HelloSign: Acquired by DropBox, HelloSign is a cloud-based electronic signature software tool. That’s right—it lets you sign documents using your device. Now a growing trend, signing documents electronically have become a necessity. It’s not surprising this tool is a raging hit with techy and non-techy types alike. The user interface across all devices makes it one of the easiest and most efficient e-signing tools on the market.
5. Slack: This is the best team communication tool for the 21st century. Simply put, Slack is a messaging app on steroids. Its capabilities give you the control to create dedicated channels, where file-sharing, phone calls, integrating CRMs, and project management software—among many other functions—are possible. Using Slack for your day-to-day communications means fewer emails in your inbox and more productivity taking place. An absolute must in this rapidly-growing digital age. Slack takes less talking and more doing to a whole new level.
6. Zoom: With the onset of COVID, many of us have witnessed first-hand the boom of Zoom in the form of webinars, workshops, and conferences. We are pretty well acquainted with its capabilities and shortcomings, so I’ll spare you the introduction. While there are arguably better solutions out there, our morning standups fair well with Zoom. It’s important to consider how your company will use the tool and if it will serve the purpose you’re trying to solve by employing this tool.
Whatever platform you decide to use, remember that communication is vital in any business. Whether it be for internal or external purposes, choose a platform that will satisfy the needs of your company. Adopting the tools outlined in this article, particularly Zoom, Slack, and Hellosign, has helped us continue to move forward seamlessly and without interruptions while working remotely. Productivity and cost savings aside, our office has always adapted to growing trends, and we don’t foresee this changing.
Fortunately, there are a myriad of cost-effective digital tools for businesses seeking to enhance productivity or adopting remote working environments. Find a product that effectively solves your problem and experiment along the way.
Stay organized. Stay productive. Stay connected.
