I’m passionate about productivity and performance. With my plate full I’m always looking for strategies, tools and other shortcuts to help me get more done in less time. At this time of my life, I’m incredibly thankful for technology. It enables me to run my business virtually and make bigger impact in the lives of individuals and teams around the globe.
There are three types of people out there. First, those who don’t care about technology. These are the people who get by and choose not to stay current or get the most out of their potential. We all know people like this and the chances are that such a person will never read this post.
Then there are people like me. They love technology and use it to maximize their results and boost productivity. Because we enjoy running our business on the go – on the beach or at least at the deck of your backyard. All you need is some type of device and internet connection. You will LOVE this post, but chances are that you already use all the tools below.
Then there are people who WANT to use technology, but aren’t quite sure how to use it or what tools are the best for them. If this is you, I have a good new for you. This post will give you a head start as it helps you connect the dots and figure out what’s missing in your existing system.
Here’s my list of top productivity apps I use to keep me organized and on top of my game no matter what’s going on in my business or life.
1. Evernote
My life is divided by this amazing tool to time before and after Evernote. Before Evenote time was defined by constant search for information, including articles, resources, stats, passwords and more. Evernote literally changed my life. I use it to keep track of my clients’ progress, organize my research materials (quotes, videos, articles, statistics), store project specific resources, checklists, and much more. Evernote is full of great features, you can learn about some of them here. You can open a free Evernote account, I personally have Premium account and enjoy the use of offline notebooks when traveling, unlimited uploads and more. Click here to check out Evernote and open your free account today!
Quick tip: Use separate tag for each client you have. This will make it super easy to find all the materials, notes, resources and other information related to specific client.
2. Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud storage system. You use it just like the file folder on your computer, but all the files are in the cloud (virtual storage), enabling you to access them from anywhere. I have 3 Dropbox accounts. My main computer has a big memory, therefore I have Dropbox Pro installed on it. This is where I keep ALL my files, pictures, audio and video for my business, family and personal use as well. Dropbox Pro gives you 1TB of storage space. With all my files in it, I don’t come anywhere close.
My other devices (MacBook, iPad and iPhone) have smaller memory, therefore I opened a Free Dropbox account on them and only have files and folders I need to have access to on the go. This would include my client materials, projects I currently work on, pictures for my blog and social media, etc. At any given time I can open my Pro account in the web browser from any device. This way I have access to anything and everything whenever I need it. I also have another free account set up for my Client Care team. I share with them resources they need to have access to. Click here to explore Dropbox and open your free account today.
Quick tip: Create separate file folder for each client and share it with them and your client care team. This way all 3 parts can upload files – even those of large size. This works way better than emailing them back and forth!
3. Nozbe
To be honest, I started to use Nozbe only recently. I’ve been trying to manage my teams and tasks with Evernote, but earlier this year I finally decided to give Nozbe a try. I scheduled a day to watch training videos, test it out and set it up and just like with the above tools, I never looked back. Nozbe is a task management tool. You input all the tasks that need to be done, add deadlines and assign people responsible for getting them done. With Nozbe Pro account (only $8/mo) you will get 2 people in the program. Of course, I used mine for my Client Care Team. Some of my favorite features is the sync between Nozbe and Evernote, Dropbox, even Google Calendar. Now it’s super easy for me to see when my team gets stuff done, get notifications about questions or comments they have about the project they’re working on and add resources from both, Evernote and Dropbox directly to the task. I love the tool and the interface. Click here to explore Nozbe and open your free trial account today.
Quick tip: Add date and time to specific task for it to appear in your Google Calendar.
4. Google Calendar
I don’t care what’s your relationship with Google, but their Gmail and Google Calendar are the MUST for anyone out there today. Google Calendar syncs beautifully with Nozbe, helping me know what tasks I need to focus on today, this week, etc. It also connects to all my devices from iPhone, iPad to Macbook and Mac. Best of all, there’s no fee. It’s free for everybody so there’s no excuse for you to not use it 😉 Click here to access Google Calendar.
Quick tip: Disable notifications on your calendar and set aside a time once or twice a day when you will respond to your emails. This will save you TONS of time.
5. TimeTrade
One of the best decisions in my life was to let all the unscheduled calls go to voicemail. This sometimes frustrates people around me, but it saves me incredible amount of time. Phone calls are big time wasters. If you don’t have boundaries, people will be calling you at their convenience for as long as they want to, which will most likely interfere with your plan for the day.
All my clients and business partners have to schedule their time with me. It’s a hands-off activity for me thanks to TimeTrade. TimeTrade is basically an online scheduler. You can set up as many events as you need to, allocating different time slots and call-in instructions to each event. It connects to your Google Calendar and pulls your available/unavailable times. You will receive a separate link for each appointment. I have separate link for my private clients (30 or 60 min. appointments), VIP Day clients (6hr. appointments), quick conversations (15 min. appointments), and more. Click here to explore TimeTrade and open your account today.
Quick tip: Set up TimeTrade link in your email follow-up campaign or set it up in the member area of your website for hand-off scheduling.
Don’t you just LOVE technology? Gone are the times of waste paper, lost notes and missed tasks. Tools above will keep you organized without you having to spend too much energy on it. What are your favorite online tools? What other apps do you use that help you stay focused and organized? Share in the comments below.
I use the above tools on a daily basis and I totally love how they simplify my life. This is why I don’t have any problems recommending them to you (and use my affiliate links).
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