Working with a team is nothing new, but for some, working remotely with a team is now the new normal. No worries, however, because many have been doing it for quite a while. And very successfully, I might add. At Tessera Virtual Business Solutions, we ONLY work remotely, so we have our favorite tools to share. And why we think you might want to give them a try.
Asana
If working on multiple tasks and projects is part of your job description, then you may find Asana a must-have for your business. And if you need to collaborate on projects, then Asana is definitely on the shortlist for getting things done without dropping the ball for you and for your team.
Why Asana is Our Favorite
There are plenty of project management tools out there, but Asana tops our list because it is flexible enough to be customized for your type of business but easy enough to get started with a free template. Did I mention that the basic plan is FREE for a team of up to 15 people? So there is really no risk in giving it a go with your team. Need help? You can contact one of Asana’s Certified Pros (we have one at Tessera!) to help you set things up for your business or use any of Asana’s short training videos if you want to get started on your own. There are an unbelievable amount of integrations with other great software platforms, so you can keep things streamlined for maximum productivity.
Google Docs (and Sheets and Slides)
There is nothing easier to use than Google Suite. If you are moving from dedicated office space to several remote work locations for your team, this will be the perfect solution to keeping up with files and documents that many may need access to.
Why Google Docs Is Our Favorite
So many reasons! First and foremost, it is FREE! If you create a Gmail account, you have access to all 3 docs (plus plenty more that I am not even addressing here). You will have 15 GB of storage, which is plenty to last a while. Of course, if you find that you use it for all your business storage needs and need more storage eventually, you can purchase it at a reasonable cost. (Be sure to let me know if you need a 20% off discount coupon!)
Second, the collaboration is so very easy on this platform. The docs save automatically every few seconds, so there is no fear of losing something important. And if you wish you could get back a previous part of the document that was edited, you can. On all docs, you can see all the previous versions and who made edits.
And finally, you get to grant permission for who can see, edit, or suggest edits on the docs and who cannot. Change your mind? Then just change your permission settings on that doc.
Slack
Within an organization, Slack is the communication tool that can be organized to help all who need to know something, well, know it. Some have asked why we would add another communication tool when we have email and text. The short answer — anyone and everyone is sending you emails and texts. Only your organization will be using your Slack channels, so you can stay focused on work when you need to. And when it’s time to stop working for the day, you can simply pause your notifications and focus on your family.
Why Slack Is Our Favorite
As stated above, Slack can be used exclusively for work-related communication. So when focus is an issue, and let’s face it, remote work requires us to be ultra-focused, Slack helps us stay in tune with what is needed during working hours.
A Slack organization can have many channels — either public or private — available to those in the organization. The channels can be related to specific projects or to specific teams in your org. So you might be a part of multiple channels, but when that project is complete, the project’s channel can be archived to make room for other channels.
Slack also has a Direct Message feature, so it’s easy to ask a quick question directly to a teammate if you don’t need to involve everyone on the channel. And did I mention, Slack is FREE to set up? The paid plans give more features but are not needed unless you need extra integrations and a history of more than 10,000 messages.
As you might have noticed, we love FREE options. If you find that you and your team do not enjoy using the tool, you can simply look for another solution. Not a big deal.
At Tessera Virtual Business Solutions, our passion is helping you create solutions for the frustrations in your workday. If you need help setting up these (or other) tools, please let us know. We are available for consultation, setup and implementation, or training on a number of tools to help you streamline your business for success.
About the Author
Paula Holsberry is the founder of Tessera Virtual Business Solutions, specializing in optimizing work processes for remote teams. With experience in both start-ups and larger companies, she helps teams maximize productivity through efficient Asana training and consulting.
