We love remote work, but it isn’t always easy. Finding the right tools for your team is one of the most important things you can do to make sure everyone gets as much out of their time offsite as possible. These are some of our favorite tools we’ve used over the years.
| Takeaway |
|---|
| Maximize productivity by using remote work tools |
| Create a comfortable and inspiring home office environment to optimize productivity |
| Choose the right virtual meeting software for your remote team |
| Keep your data safe while working remotely |
| Use productivity tools and apps to help you stay focused and organized |
| Set achievable productivity goals to stay motivated and on track |
Trello
Trello is a great tool for organizing your work. It’s easy to use, and it’ll help you stay on top of projects and tasks, even if you have projects across multiple teams.
Trello helps you manage your work by creating boards for each project or task. You can add cards to each board and then assign them to team members, with due dates and descriptions that make the card easy to understand at a glance.
When someone else on your team completes their task (or when you do), they “check off” their card so everyone knows what needs attention next!
To create an efficient and inspiring workspace, it’s important to focus on the details. Consider the tips in this guide on creating a comfortable and inspiring home office environment to help you optimize your own workspace.
Zoom Video Conferencing
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that allows you to host meetings, trainings and webinars.
Zoom is easy to use and has a free version that allows up to 20 participants. It’s great for meetings when you want to save money on travel expenses, but can also be used for training if your employees don’t need access to the internet at all times.
Comparison of Top Video Conferencing Tools
| Tool | Maximum Participants | Screen Sharing | Recording | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom | 1000 | Yes | Yes | Freemium |
| Skype | 50 | Yes | Yes | Freemium |
| Google Meet | 250 | Yes | Yes | Freemium |
| Microsoft Teams | 300 | Yes | Yes | Freemium |
| Cisco Webex | 1000 | Yes | Yes | Paid |
Note: Maximum participants, screen sharing, recording, and pricing are just a few features to consider when comparing video conferencing tools. It’s important to assess your specific needs to find the best fit for your team.
Slack
Slack is a team collaboration tool that lets you communicate with your team in real time. It has a free version that can be used by up to 10 users, but if you want more than that you’ll need the paid version.
Slack has made it easy for remote workers to stay connected with their teams and keep up on the latest conversations and projects being worked on by others.
The software also enables screen sharing between coworkers, which is great for brainstorming sessions or showing someone how to do something within your company’s internal systems.
With so many options for virtual meeting software available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Take a look at our comprehensive guide on choosing the right virtual meeting software to help you find the best fit for your remote team.
Asana
Asana is a project management tool that allows you to create tasks, organize them into projects, assign tasks to others and track their progress.
Whether you’re working on a personal project or for your business, Asana can help with managing all aspects of the project from start to finish.
Asana also has integrations with other productivity tools like Google Drive and Slack so that you can easily share files or messages within those apps without leaving Asana.
Asana users include Adobe, Airbnb, Facebook and Spotify among many others who rely on its simplicity and flexibility for organizing projects across teams at scale
Comparison of Top Project Management Tools
| Tool | Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Asana | Task creation and assignment, Project organization and tracking, Progress tracking | Freemium |
| Trello | Task and project boards, Customizable workflows, Team collaboration | Freemium |
| Jira | Agile project management, Customizable workflows, Task assignment and tracking | Paid |
| Wrike | Customizable task and project templates, Task and project tracking, Collaboration tools | Freemium |
| Monday | Customizable workflows, Task assignment and tracking, Time tracking | Paid |
Note: Each tool offers its own unique features beyond the basics listed in this table. Consider factors such as team size, project complexity, and workflow preferences when selecting a project management tool.
Todoist
If you’re looking for a free task management app, Todoist is a great choice. It has a desktop and mobile app, which means you can access your to-dos from anywhere. There are also apps available on the web, Android and iOS platforms (IOS requires an Apple Watch).
The Chrome extension allows users to quickly add items to their to-do lists right from their browser tabs.
It even supports reminders that pop up when visiting sites related to the task at hand! For example, if I need some olive oil for my salad dressing recipe but have forgotten where I put it—I’ll get an alert when I visit Whole Foods’ website or Amazon Prime’s homepage.
Todoist also has something called “Daily Planner,” which allows you set up tasks with due dates so they appear in different colored circles depending on how close they are coming up.
A green circle means today’s date or earlier; yellow indicates tomorrow; orange indicates later than tomorrow but before next week; red shows tasks that must be completed by next week/month/year respectively; purple signifies tasks that aren’t due yet but should be placed somewhere else when appropriate (i.e., marking them as complete).
As remote work becomes more popular, it’s important to consider the security risks associated with it. To ensure your data is protected while working remotely, take a look at the tips in this guide on remote work and cybersecurity.
Monday.com
Monday.com is a project management software that helps you stay on top of your tasks, no matter where you are working. It’s easy to use and great for teams—anyone who has used Slack or Trello will feel right at home with Monday.com.
Comparison of Top Remote Project Management Tools
| Tool | Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Monday.com | Task management, Team collaboration, Integrations, Templates | Freemium |
| Asana | Task creation and assignment, Project organization and tracking, Progress tracking | Freemium |
| Trello | Task and project boards, Customizable workflows, Team collaboration | Freemium |
| Basecamp | To-do lists, Scheduling, Team communication, Client access | Paid |
| Wrike | Customizable task and project templates, Task and project tracking, Collaboration tools | Freemium |
Note: While each tool offers unique features and advantages, Monday.com is especially well-suited for remote teams looking for a user-friendly project management solution with robust collaboration tools.
Twist
Twist is a web-based project management tool that helps teams collaborate and manage projects. It’s great for remote workers because it has so many features.
First, you can use Twist to plan a project with your team and assign tasks to each of them. Then, as people complete their assigned tasks, you can track them in real time as they finish them.
This makes it easy to see how far along each person is in completing their work so you can adjust accordingly if someone falls behind or gets ahead of schedule.
Twist also includes some other useful tools like an issue tracker (so you don’t have to worry about emailing yourself), progress reports (so everyone knows exactly where they stand), time tracking (so managers know how much time their employees spend working on projects) and version control systems (for keeping track of all your changes).
There are countless tools and apps available to maximize productivity, but it’s important to find the ones that work best for you. Check out our guide on the best productivity boosters to explore some of the top options available.
PomoDoneApp
PomoDoneApp is a time-management app. It’s great at keeping track of your to-do list, as well as making sure you’re getting things done.
The app even has a focus mode that locks out all other distractions and makes it easy for you to stay on task.
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is one of the most popular online calendars because it’s free, easy to use, and integrates with many other services.
You can share your calendar with others and see their events added in your calendar. You can also add events from other people’s calendars into yours.
You can add reminders to specific dates on your calendar so that you don’t forget things like meetings or deadlines, or even just regular tasks like having lunch with a coworker every Friday at noon.
If you have notes related to an event or meeting that needs clarification later—like whether someone has RSVP’d or who else will be attending—you can simply type them into Google Calendar as notes for that event
Goal setting is a key aspect of productivity and can help keep you motivated and on track. Take a look at our guide on goal setting for productivity for tips on setting achievable goals and staying focused on your objectives..
LastPass
If you’re looking for a simple password manager, LastPass is a great option. It’s free and easy to use—all you need to do is install it on your computer, phone or tablet.
Once installed, all of your passwords will be saved in one place. You can even save credit card numbers, personal information and other sensitive data for easy access when necessary.
LastPass also lets you share passwords with others if they need access to something that requires an account login (like booking hotel rooms).
This makes it easier than ever before for remote workers who travel often or work on projects with colleagues across the country (or world) because it eliminates the need for everyone involved to remember their own login information every time they want access somewhere like Dropbox or Google Drive.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud storage and file sharing service, offering a simple way to store, sync, and share files such as documents, photos and videos.
It can be used to access the same files on different computers or devices at the same time. This makes it easy for team members to work together on projects without having to email large attachments back-and-forth over email (which takes too much time).
Dropbox also lets you create unique links for each file or folder shared in your Dropbox account so others can easily open it without needing an account themselves.
Conclusion
And there you have it! We’re so excited to be sharing these remote work tools with you today. It can be hard for some people to change their habits, but we hope that by using these tools you can feel more connected to your team and get more done from anywhere in the world.
Further Reading
Maximize Remote Productivity with This Simple Tool: This Forbes article provides insights on a simple remote work tool that can maximize productivity.
Remote Work: 5 Tips to Maximize Productivity: This article from Enterprisers Project offers five key tips for maximizing productivity while working remotely.
The Ultimate Guide to Remote Work: Remote Tools Included: This blog post from Vineforce provides a comprehensive guide to remote work, including various remote tools that can help boost productivity.
FAQs
How can I create a comfortable and inspiring home office environment?
To create a comfortable and inspiring home office environment, it’s important to focus on details such as proper lighting, ergonomic furniture, and personalized decor. Check out our guide on creating a comfortable home office environment to learn more.
What are the best virtual meeting software options?
There are numerous virtual meeting software options available, each with its own set of features and benefits. Check out our comprehensive guide on choosing the right virtual meeting software to help you find the best option for your remote team.
How can I keep data safe while working remotely?
Remote work comes with its own set of cybersecurity risks, but there are steps you can take to ensure your data stays safe. Take a look at our guide on remote work and cybersecurity to learn more.
What are the best productivity tools and apps available?
Productivity tools and apps are plentiful, but finding the ones that work best for you is key. Check out our guide on the best productivity boosters to explore some of the top options available.
How can I set and achieve my productivity goals?
Goal setting is critical for productivity and can help you stay focused on your objectives. Take a look at our guide on goal setting for productivity to learn tips on setting achievable goals and remaining motivated.
Hi there! I’m Hellen James, and I’ve been working at home for over a decade. I’ve been looking for ways to be more efficient at home, and I have a bunch of tips that you’ll love.
