As life gets busier and companies try to accomplish more in less time, it can sometimes feel overwhelming trying to complete your day-to-day tasks. Luckily, there are a variety of apps and resources that can help you increase your productivity and regain control.
Let’s talk about some of these apps and see how they can help you manage your time and stay on track.
1. Evernote
Evernote is a powerful tool that combines note-taking, organization, task management, and archiving.
With Evernote, you can increase your productivity by saving text, pictures, videos, and audio recordings to one central location. These files are then backed up to the cloud so you can access your notes from any platform. The free version even allows syncing between two devices.
How Does it Work?
After creating a new note, you’ll have the option to organize it into a notebook, which is essentially a file folder. Notebooks help you organize your notes into different categories so it’s easier to find them later.
And with the Evernote Web Clipper, you can copy web content directly to your Notebooks, whether it’s a picture, video, or website link.
Features
- App integration
- Document scanning
- Web clipping
- Various mediums
2. DocuSign
In today’s world, nearly everything is web-based. And going to the trouble of obtaining a person’s physical signature, just to scan it back into the computer, seems counterproductive.
With DocuSign, you can manage your agreements electronically instead of requiring physical contracts.
How Does it Work?
With DocuSign, you can generate polished, customizable agreements in just a few clicks. You can then send the agreement electronically to its recipient and manage the contract’s lifecycle.
DocuSign’s Agreement Cloud offers various options for creating and sending documents, so you can customize the experience to fit the needs of your business and your clients.
Features
- Electronic signatures
- Contract lifecycle management
- Document generation and negotiation
- Contract analytics
3. Toggl
Another app that’s sure to increase your productivity, Toggl comes with a variety of features, including Toggl Plan, Toggl Track, and Toggl Hire.
Toggl Plan is a project management software that allows you to add team members, keep track of deadlines, and clearly view tasks that need to be completed.
Toggl Track automatically tracks your daily activities across various platforms, later recording these insights in a detailed report.
Toggl Hire allows you to create customizable skills tests that are unique to each candidate. You can also give candidates instant feedback on how they performed.
How Does it Work?
With Toggl Plan, you can create various boards to organize tasks and to do lists. These tasks can be prioritized and delegated to other team members so you can ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Toggl Track allows you to create time entries for every activity you complete throughout the day, allowing you to see exactly how your time is spent and analyze how productive your day is. Managers can also track the progress of their team members, making it easier to lend support when needed.
With Toggl Hire, you can generate unique tests for various positions, drawing on Toggl’s database of 3,000+ questions. Once the test is ready to go, share the link to various job boards and view the results of each candidate. You can also give candidates instant feedback based on how well they performed.
Features
- Straightforward drag-and-drop design
- Easy sharing
- App integration
- Customizable skills tests
- Reporting and data export
4. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is one of the top communication platforms in the world. Its features include chats, calls, video conferencing, screen sharing, and file sharing.
Teams also integrates with Sharepoint, so you can easily link to files and share them with other Team members.
How Does it Work?
When you open Microsoft Teams, the Activity button on the left-hand side will notify you when your name is mentioned in a chat or when you have a missed call or an urgent message.
The chat features allows you to view the channels you’re subscribed to and the threads you’ve created with various team members.
You can use the calendar tool to connect to your Team’s calendars and automatically go on Do Not Disturb Mode when you’re in a meeting.
And the Files tab shows you all the recent documents you’ve opened in Sharepoint.
Features
- Teams and channels that allow for easier collaboration
- Video and audio conferencing
- Screen sharing
- Custom backgrounds
- File sharing
5. Basecamp
Basecamp is a project management app that includes tools to set up to dos, create documents and schedules, and collaborate with your team. Instead of creating documents and then emailing them to team members, Basecamp allows you to increase your productivity by keeping everything in a single location.
Basecamp automatically notifies other employees when you assign tasks or comment on files. That way, you don’t have to switch to email in order to communicate with your team.
Basecamp also integrates with other tools you use, allowing you to link Google Drive files, and connect your Google Calendar and Outlook accounts.
How Does it Work?
Basecamp keeps all of your project communication in one place. For example, if you need employee feedback on a file, you can simply upload it to Basecamp, and then each employee can log in and leave a comment on the file. You’re notified every time someone leaves a comment, so you don’t have to deal with the back-and-forth of an email.
Each account is allowed one free Basecamp, so if you’re a small business that needs a space for all of your employees to collaborate in, you can do so for free!
If you have multiple projects going on or need a space for each of your departments, you can create an account for your organization and then have multiple Basecamps for those corresponding groups.
Features
- To do list with multiple categories and levels
- Streamlined collaboration
- Customizable notification settings
- Real-time chat tools
- Available on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS
6. Zapier
Zapier integrates all of the apps you’re already using, making them work together and transfer information automatically.
Basically, Zapier makes it easy for you to create workflows and manage all of your apps from a single location.
For example, let’s say you use Trello for project management and Google Calendar to keep track of important deadlines. Zapier keeps track of information from both apps and gives you suggestions on ways to streamline your tasks. This might include creating a Google Calendar event to remind you when a Trello task is due. Or you might create a new Trello task to help you prepare for a meeting or appointment on your calendar.
How Does it Work?
After creating a Zapier account, link your web apps with a few clicks so they can share data. You will then have the option to perform a variety of “zaps,” which will transfer information from one app to another, like the example shared above.
In addition, you can set triggers that automatically put zaps into motion. For example, you might set a trigger so that every time you receive an email, Zapier will save the email attachment in Dropbox for you. This means that you no longer have to create individual zaps for repetitive tasks.
Features
- Comprehensive app integration
- Personalized triggers
- Automated workflows
7. Todoist
Similar to Toggl and Basecamp, Todoist is a task manager app that allows you to track and prioritize tasks and projects.
One feature that can help you increase your productivity is recurring due dates. If you need to submit a report at the same time each week, Todoist can send you a weekly notification to remind you to complete that task.
You can also delegate tasks to other team members and view your progress through Todoist karma.
How Does it Work?
Todoist’s configuration is fairly simple.
Tap the Plus Button to add a task. You can then label the task, add comments, create a deadline, and prioritize the task.
You can also add subtasks to break the task down into smaller checkpoints.
Features
- Organized and prioritized tasks
- Recurring due dates
- Delegation and collaboration features
- Productivity visualizations
8. Sharepoint
Sharepoint allows you to create files and then store them on the cloud, meaning you can securely access them anytime and from any device.
Through Sharepoint, you can also share important news and updates with your team by connecting to Microsoft Teams.
How Does it Work?
Sharepoint works a lot like other cloud-based storage platforms, like Dropbox and Google Drive.
But one of Sharepoint’s biggest selling points is its integration with Microsoft Teams, making it much easier to link to files and collaborate on important documents.
Features
- Simple file-sharing
- Seamless collaboration
- Streamlined content management
- Available on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS
9. LucidChart
LucidChart allows you to create clean, easy-to-use diagrams that visually represent information for your team members to discuss.
With LucidChart, you can create a diagram to represent each new project, or you can design diagrams that cater to individual departments.
For example, your HR team might create a diagram that includes every member of your organization. This will ensure that every team member’s responsibilities are clearly defined and that the reporting structure is straightforward.
How Does it Work?
After you create a diagram, you can share it with other team members and collaborate together in real-time.
LucidChart’s drag and drop feature makes diagrams easy to create and customize. And you can make your diagrams even more informative by importing data from Excel, Zapier, Salesfaorce, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and more.
Features
- App integration
- Visual diagrams
- Real-time collaboration
- Actionable insights for every team
10. RescueTime
RescueTime measures productivity by monitoring your computer use. You can see exactly where your time goes through detailed reports.
In addition to its basic time monitoring function, the premium version of RescueTime offers advanced features, like the ability to measure breaks, phone calls, and meetings. You can also use RescueTime to block specific websites or make them inaccessible during certain time periods.
How Does it Work?
While other apps require you to manually enter your activity, RescueTime automatically tracks the time you spend on apps, websites, and documents.
The app will then assess and graph your data so you can measure your time usage and brainstorm ways to increase your productivity.
Features
- Automatic recording of computer activities
- On-screen reminders
- Website blocking
- Comprehensive resorts
- Progress monitoring
- Mark milestones and specific achievements
11. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that allows you to manage multiple social media accounts from a single location.
One of its most basic features is the ability to schedule social media posts for later. You can also keep up-to-date with interactions on your posts across various accounts.
How Does it Work?
Instead of opening each individual app in order to make a post, you can handle everything from the same place through Hootsuite. You can even publish the same post across multiple accounts!
Hootsuite also provides personalized analytics and social intelligence so that you can predict future trends and adjust your strategy to meet current demands.
Features
- App integration
- Streamlined scheduling and monitoring
- Real-time analytics
- Brand protection
12. Trello
Trello is an easy to use, highly visual tool that makes it easier to increase your productivity by organizing tasks and creating a workflow.
How Does it Work?
Trello organizes projects into boards, allowing you to view which projects are being worked on, which team members are assigned to each task, and where something is in a process.
A board might focus on a specific project or department, such as launching a website or onboarding a new employee. Each board contains lists that allow to you track the progress of a project or task. Individual cards represent information associated with a task, and these cards can be moved from list to list as tasks are completed.
For example, let’s say you’ve created a board for social media management. Your first list might include ideas for social media posts and campaigns. The second list might be social media posts that you’re currently writing or creating. And a third list might include published social media posts. As you begin working on new posts and getting them ready to publish, you could move cards from your Ideas list over to your Writing list. And once the post is published, the card will be moved to third list to reflect its completion.
Features
- Collaborate with your team to stay organized.
- Create boards and lists to give you the big picture for monitoring tasks and projects.
- Add individual cards to provide more detailed information.
- Utilized automation to streamline your workflow.
Increase Your Productivity with These Time-Saving Apps
Everyone is given the same amount of time every week, but how you choose to spend your time is up to you.
With these apps, you can gain a better understanding of where your time is going so you can prioritize the most important tasks and use your time as effectively as possible.
Here at CR-T, we take pride in providing enterprise-level IT services at prices that work for small businesses. Our team of experts can become your IT support department, responding to issues quickly, often before you even know about them. Covering everything from your servers and network infrastructure to your computers, workstations and mobile devices, we provide end-to-end solutions for all your technology needs.
Time and experience have helped us develop best practices and workflow procedures designed to keep your focus on your business, not your technology.
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