In today’s hyper-connected, information-on-demand world, you need tools to help you become more efficient, organised and productive. To help, Loren Taljard from Sage Alchemex has assembled a list of ten best productivity tools. And many of them can be used absolutely free!
- HootSuite is a social media dashboard that enables teams to collaboratively schedule messages on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, WordPress and other networks. Not only does it provide access to all your social media channels in one place, it offers extensive analytics into the success of your campaigns.
- Basecamp is one of the most popular browser-based project management tools around. It helps you manage multiple projects at the same time with to-do lists, file sharing, chatting, messages, calendars, and time tracking. Plus it’s intuitive and easy to use.
- Google Calendar is a simple, free, and shareable way to keep track of events and tasks. A colour-coded layout helps organise multiple calendars and the “Next 4 Days” and “Agenda View” options are perfect for short-term planning. You can also share your calendar with a selected person or group of people.
- Dropbox is a data keeper in the cloud. It lets you store photos, documents, and videos online that can be accessed from any device as long as there’s an internet connection! Dropbox is a great backup system and you’ll never be without that all important document you forgot to save to your tablet, or suffer from a system crash.
- Evernote makes it easy to remember things big and small from everyday life using your computer, phone, tablet and the web. Take clippings from the internet of something interesting you read and instantly share with colleagues to spark ideas and teamwork.
- Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a really useful tool – you talk, and it types. It lets you use your voice to create and edit documents or emails, launch applications, open files, control your mouse, and more. Never let a light-bulb moment pass, by capturing your ideas instantly without having to put down your coffee mug or pull over to type.
- GoToMeeting is a great portal for hosting interactive meetings online. You can perform live demos, give presentations and collaborate on documents together. It also allows for video conferencing and there are no limits to the length or number of meetings you can hold.
- KeePass stores all your passwords in a single locked online database, which has one master key or a key file. This means you only have to remember one password!
- Pastel My Business Online is an entry-level, web-based accounting system that offers the full suite of accounting tools, including: money management, task assignment, project tracking and accurate reporting. Because it’s online you can access the financial situation of your business at any time, anywhere. And so can your accountant, enabling you to make informed business decisions at the airport, on the beach, or right in front of a client.
- Sage Intelligence Reporting lets you effortlessly run automated, real-time reports from Excel and analyse the information from your Pastel accounting package. You’ll boost productivity by obtaining the detailed data analysis you need across the entire business for improved decision making.