Running a small business is stressful enough, having to research organizational tools is just another thing to load onto your already very full plate. That’s why we’re here to help! Check out this list of the top organizational tools for small businesses coming from the mouths of some of our favorite experts in a variety of fields. You might even find your new favorite small business organizational tool listed below.
Messaging Platforms
Having a platform that everyone is using to keep in touch and update each other on progress is important. Knowing how to interact productively so somebody isn’t left out of the loop is important and sometimes email isn’t the best option.
“Video platforms are great because they’re often equipped with a chat feature too,” says Brandon Adcock, Co-Founder and CEO of Nugenix. “Teams, Google Suite, and Apple all have platforms that let you call your coworkers or message them privately or as a group chat. This has helped us keep everyone on the same page.”
“It’s great to have a go-to communication method when you just need to shoot someone a quick message,” says Benjamin Smith, Founder of Disco. “We get so many spam emails today that it’s easy to miss an important update. These messaging platforms help us all stay connected without bogging down our emails.”
Project Management Tools
“We’ve found that using project tracking tools, like Jira and Aha, to be very beneficial in getting organized and cross-team communication,” says Tommy Chang, Head of Marketing Homelister.
Tommy isn’t alone. It turns out that a lot of brands are utilizing project management tools for their small businesses.
“Asana is a project management tool that utilizes goals, allows team members to connect and work on projects together, and set target dates for different parts of each project. Overall, if used efficiently, you can use this platform to manage any project, big or small,” says Danielle Calabrese, COO of De La Calle. “This platform also works well with other software that we use so it’s nice that we can navigate through platforms and still track the same data.”
“I liked that Asana lets you use a large portion of their features for free and then you can decide if you want to purchase things like analytic reports or other features later on,” says Ashwin Sokke, Co-founder of WOW Skin Science. “The program is super easy to use and lets me add any team member to a variety of projects. The interface is user-friendly and it’s simple to navigate between different projects on the main page. I also like that I can see all tasks that I have due in all projects I’m a part of through the calendar view that can also sync with your Google calendar, Apple calendar, or Outlook calendar if you want.”
Note Sharing Platforms
Note sharing platforms have become a popular way for brands to share information and these tools can be used for small businesses up to large corporations depending on the platform and needs of the organization.
“Evernote is a note sharing platform that allows for some project management and a lot of communication through a database that allows for materials to be stored and shared companywide,” says Ben Teicher, President and CEO of Healthy Directions.
“I like that we don’t have to be together to look at the same things,” says Jeff Henretig President of Apothecanna. “Note sharing platforms have made things like virtual meetings and remote projects more efficient than ever before because everyone is always on the same page – literally.”
“Sharing information today is so different than in previous generations for small businesses,” says Ryan Craver, Founder and CEO of Mallary by Matthew. ”These new note sharing platforms are a game changer because you can have a team working in all corners of the globe and still seeing the same information at the same time. It’s a great time saver and it keeps everything flowing smoothly.”
Calendar Programs
Calendars are something that have been used forever when it comes to managing a business, but calendar programs are streamlining the process.
“Having a program that allows your team to see the upcoming events and promotions within the company can help with scheduling everything else,” says Mike Pasley, Founder of Famous IRL. “Platforms like Outlook, Google Suite, and Apple have made calendars that can effectively sync with a variety of other platforms that you might be using for project management or scheduling shifts. This is great for making sure everyone knows what’s going on.”
“Calendar programs are great for the entire staff,” says David Wolfe, Founder and CEO of Oliver’s Apparel. “It’s great when you can find a program where everyone can view the details of the projects that they’re involved in but also those that they’re not. We’ve found that it helps our staff have a better understanding of their coworkers when they can see what’s going on throughout the entire business and not just what’s on their own plate.”
“Keeping the team on a group message has been one of the best things for our organization as a small business,” says Jason Wong, CEO of Doe Lashes. “The platform we use allows us to add things to the calendar and shoot the update out over the messaging platform so everyone can see the changes and make sure their calendars are synced. This keeps us all on the same page for all of our projects and honestly works better than email.”
Conclusion
Note sharing platforms, project management tools, calendar programs, and messaging software seem to be the go-to sources of organization for small businesses.
Small businesses are powerhouses running with only a few people to keep things in check so efficiency really is key. Having these digital organizational tools available at your fingertips can help you in organizing your small business and relieve some of that stress that comes with keeping a small business going.
We hope you learned a bit more about the different types of organizational tools available for small businesses. Make sure you check out the links in this article for resources and to look at some of the brands that these experts are running themselves.
