Unless large percentages of your team were already working completely remotely before the pandemic struck, there’s a solid chance that your business operates a little differently in 2019 than it has for the majority of 2020.
While many were left scrambling in 2020, and nobody is looking forward to starting the new year having to worry about social distancing and safety precautions, the good news is that we now have a heads up about what’s coming. We know that remote work isn’t going anywhere and that plenty of businesses will choose to incorporate at least partial remote work flexibility for employees even post-COVID.
This means that we know what tools we need so that you and your staff can work on the go, and thanks to a long year of trial and error, we even know which are the best of the best.
In this post, we’re going to look at 13 top business tools that will make it easier and more effective to work on the go in 2021 and beyond.
1. Tresta’s Virtual Business Phone System
We’ve been ready to help businesses tackle remote work long before COVID came around, so whether your team is working from home full-time or you want to give them the option to work remotely as-needed moving forward, virtual business phone numbers from Tresta are exceptionally useful.
Our virtual business phone numbers can be added to the mobile device you already have. You can set up lines for each individual team member, using smart routing and auto attendants to ensure that customers are reaching the right department (or the right person) as quickly as possible. We’ve also got analytics, custom greetings, unlimited texting, call recording, and more for just $15/user/month.
2. Trello
Trello is a project management tool that’s exceptionally user-friendly. You create “boards” to organize different “cards” under. The cards can contain project assignment details, and you can share files, comment, tag different users, add checklists, and set deadlines so everyone stays on the same page.
Plus you can access your boards, add cards or make comments on existing ones from anywhere using the mobile app.
3. Slack
Slack is one of the most popular SaaS solutions for internal communication today. You can have one-on-one conversations with individual team members, select groups, or an entire team — all via the desktop or mobile app. Attach files, share resources, and integrate with a large number of different top business tools.
4. Zoom
2020 was practically the year of Zoom, and that’s not going anywhere next year. Zoom’s free and low-priced plans make multi-person video conferencing accessible, and it comes with great features like the ability to mute different members, private calls, waiting rooms before the call begins, and screen sharing for ultimate collaboration.
5. VirtualOffice
Speaking of Zoom, what happens if you need to take an important client call while you’re sitting in your bedroom because it’s the only place they can’t hear the neighbor’s bathroom being remodeled or your child playing the drums?
You don’t want people to see your bedroom, right? Using VirtualOffice is a great choice for a neutral, professional background while you’re taking Zoom calls. Create branded office backgrounds to look established, professional, and not like you’re cowering in a bedroom to hide from your kids.
6. Krisp
One more top business tool to help your video calls be professional no matter where you are. Krisp will help you reduce background noise that’s happening during your calls. It connects to any microphone, headset, or speaker and integrates with over 800 different apps. The person on the other end of the line will hear you, and little to nothing else.
7. Google Suite of Tools
Google has an incredibly powerful suite of top business tools, including Google Docs, slides (like Powerpoint), and sheets (like Excel). These are all cloud-based and collaborative, so you can set who can view, edit, or comment, and work with teams to ensure that everyone has access to all of the most up-to-date information.
Best of all, it’s free, though purchasing extra cloud space for businesses is a great call as needed.
8. Loom
Sometimes it’s easiest to create short videos to send to team members or clients to watch at their earliest convenience. Loom allows you to create short videos, including screen share videos and audio, that you can send to team members as needed.
Coworking remotely can sometimes be difficult, but tools like Loom can make it easier, especially when you’re unable to get everyone all on a video call at once.
9. Agorapulse
Our days might end once we sign off, but social media never stops, and keeping up with it can be difficult. Social media management tools like Agorapulse let you schedule, monitor, and publish content along with responding to comments and messages from your followers all from a mobile app. You don’t have to worry about missing anything when you can check all of your profiles from a single app.
10. Basecamp
Basecamp was designed to essentially be your home base for remote work. There’s a message board that teams can use to communicate, and you can set up different tasks with deadlines, to-do lists, and all the necessary resources attached. It’s a little like Slack and Trello combined, giving you an all-in-one solution for businesses who are trying to completely manage everything.
11. Hubspot
Hubspot has an extensive range of different tools, but the one we’re going to focus on here is their CRM. Keep track of all of your leads and existing customers, both so your sales team can nurture conversions and so that you can deliver top-quality customer service in a personalized, individual way.
12. Timezone.io
If your team members (including internal employees and external contractors) are spread out through multiple time zones, Timezone.io can be a huge help. Upload pictures of each team member and set their time zone. Anytime you need to schedule meetings, a quick peek at this site can help you avoid booking a 2AM call for someone.
13. 10to8
Scheduling appointments with clients, vendors, contractors, or team members? It’s much more time-efficient to use a scheduling tool instead of just an email that can easily be forgotten. 10to8 is a highly secure appointment booking tool that allows users to schedule calls during available times, and later reminds all parties of upcoming calls.
If you know that you or your team will be working on the go in any capacity in 2021, it’s important to take some time now to ensure that you’ve got the right tools and processes in place so that you can set yourself up for success in the new year.
Think about which of these top business tools could help you improve the quality of the work you’re doing on the go, or that could increase your ability, improve efficiency, or increase ease of use. That’s typically a great place to start.
