4 TOOLS THAT WILL MAKE YOU EVEN MORE PRODUCTIVE IN 2020
Start planning and strategizing for 2020. Improve your time management skills and stop working harder. Getting organized is easy and it just takes using some useful tools that will allow you to lead the rest of your team. If you’re using these tools, they will follow and soon everyone will be automatically connected and spending less time being unnecessarily unproductive. Your team is not actively seeking ways to be unproductive, they just need the tools to properly communicate with you.
First tool you should be using is Calendar Sharing. Shared calendars offer your team the easy access pass to what’s going on. No need to get up and walk around to ask another co-worker when or what is going on. No additional emails, texts or interruptions. This allows everyone to share their scheduling availability in real time. They can see your public events, your private blocked off time slots, and they can choose an available time to schedule with you or plan a project with you.
Who offers this? Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and more. Want to allow other to book a time slot with you? Add an app that will allow you to set up available time slots – that sync directly to your calendar. No work from you. They select and boom – they’re added to your calendar.
Second is Cloud Storage. We live in a digital world and it allows us to work from anywhere. While we don’t promote working all the time. We do promote working smart. Like not having to return to the office to send a file you forgot to send or attach to an email. Cloud storage gives you access to all your files from anywhere. Whether you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur – this is ideal for you. Need to assign or transfer a project to someone else or someone outside of your company? Give them access to only those files. Cloud storage allows you to manage and organize your files electronically – making it easy for everyone to have access and find everything easily.
Who provide safe cloud storage? Companies like Drop Box, Microsoft One Drive, iCloud and Google Drive.
Third tool – Project / Team Collaboration Tools. No more calling or sifting through emails to find out who was supposed to do what and what the deadline was. How far along are you? Manage your project and your daily work load with collaboration tools that can help you see the big picture. These platforms allow you to communicate with project team members, assign tasks, take notes, create sub-categories for to-do-lists or steps, and attach documents for reference or use. No additional paperwork or lost emails.
What can you use to manage your team project? We like tools like Trello, Asana, Evernote, Slack, and Todoist.
Our last tool recommendation is for billing and time tracking. If you’re like every other owner or entrepreneur, you have expenses that should be tracked but keeping track of them is a task in itself. Expense and time tracking apps can make your life easy and your accountant will love you for it. Find an app that gives you the features that work best for you and your business. Some apps provide the ability to track time, mileage, record expenses, and even scan copies of your receipts. Never forget an expense for tax or accounting purposes again. If you want to get real fancy – you can find an app that integrates with your accounting software (like Quickbooks). Now who’s your accountant’s favorite client?
What’s out there? QuickBooks Online, Mint, Shoeboxed, Zoho Expense, Expensify
Have we used all of these? No we haven’t. We are giving you some examples of the top providers and you should not blindly sign up for just anything. Review the app, take advantage of their free trials, ask fellow business owners in the same industry what works for them. Take the time to research what apps target your needs and the needs of your team. If you’re not too techy, find something that is user friendly. Have your team use them and ask them for some feedback. This app needs to work for them if you want them use it. If they’re part of the decision making process, they are more likely to use it.
If you have any questions just drop us a quick word at info@mcvirtualprofessionals.com
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