It’s no secret that technology continues to impact all of us in the workplace. Very few jobs require no interaction with a computer, software program, or application of some sort. A business can run more smoothly and efficiently with these tools. However, with so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to sort through which ones might be appropriate for your business.
At MBS, our employees have worked remotely for years – long before the increase of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we’re well-acquainted with the technology that’s necessary to connect and collaborate with our co-workers, as well as our clients. We use apps daily to keep us on track and accountable to our clients and to each other. Let’s have a look at four of our personal favorites!
(Disclaimer: We are not compensated or sponsored by any of the companies who own these tools we use. But they’ve made a big difference in how we do business and we think that they might help you out, too!)
Slack
Slack is the messaging app we use to keep connected throughout the day. You can directly message your teammates, send group messages to the whole staff, and create channels for different messaging purposes. You can also share files and pictures, make voice calls, and start video chats.
There are many useful features other than just messaging that we have come to rely on too. For example, your profile icon shows whether you are active at work or offline. You can also update your status so your coworkers know what you are up to – whether you’re in a meeting, on your lunch break, or working on a special project.
Our team member, Anita, likes using Slack because “it is an easy way to communicate with co-workers and stay connected to those that you work with, especially when so many of us work remotely!”
Todoist
Todoist is a task management tool that really keeps us on track – we know we wouldn’t work as efficiently without it. With so many things on our plates, Todoist is crucial for helping us remember to do things that we might otherwise forget!
You can set both one-time and recurring tasks with due dates and times that can integrate into both Slack and Google calendar. It’s easy to view what you need to get done today, as well as upcoming tasks. You can connect with your team on this app, as well, so they can see what tasks you have. There’s also an option for delegating tasks to team members.
Our colleague, Jennifer, likes using Todoist because in this app, “large tasks can be broken up into smaller tasks to make a project more manageable.”
Monday.com
Monday.com is an online collaboration tool that helps teams keep track of tasks, set new goals, and organize their workflow. We treat it like a work planner and it’s easily accessible by all team members. You can make different calendars for different purposes, such as marketing calendars, weekly task calendars, or quarterly task calendars.
What sets Monday.com apart from Todoist is that you can show the status of your tasks in real time. Rather than just being marked as complete or incomplete, you can update your task or goal to show that it is scheduled, that you’re working on it, that you’re stuck on it, etc. It is also easy to switch from list to calendar view. This is just the tip of the iceberg of all that Monday.com can do for you!
I personally love Monday.com because in the calendar view it is easy to organize my workload for the week in a timeline that is efficient.
Toggl
Toggl Track is a time tracking app. Simply start the timer and select the project that describes the work you are doing. When you switch to a different project, simply stop the timer and start it again with a new project title.
You can set billing rates for projects, as well, which makes it ideal to bill a client for time worked on a project. You can pull reports for customizable time periods that show how much of your time is spent on different projects. Using these tools can help you easily analyze and streamline your time management.
Our staff member, Luke, enjoys Toggl because “it is a really simple and intuitive way to track and account for the amount of time you spend on a client or task.”
You’ve heard the saying “time equals money.” Well, in this case, saving time equals saving money! Finding ways to be more efficient is one of the best ways that you can improve your bottom line. These tools have saved us an immeasurable amount of time, money, and mistakes since implementing them!
If you are interested in bettering your own business, we encourage you to give any of these a try. However, keep in mind that what works for our type of business might not work for yours, and that’s okay! Is there any technology that you have started using in your workplace that you couldn’t work without? If so, please let us know!
We are always striving to grow and improve ourselves, our workflow, and our business. We’ve already helped several clients implement technology that has helped to streamline their operations – read about that here. We’d love to help you do the same!