As a business owner myself, I have researched endlessly to find tools that would help increase my productivity, increase my knowledge, and overall up my game. Below, you will find the tools and resources that have made the biggest difference for me (most of them, if not ALL, are FREE!), hopefully they can do the same for you.
Bubbles
The best way to teach others how to do something is to demonstrate it. Bubbles is my favorite way to create screen recordings to demonstrate tasks for employees, contractors, virtual assistants, etc. I’ve tried several screen recorders and Bubbles is the one that has the most free features (2nd place goes to Loom).
Notion
Notion is the ultimate cloud-based database platform that specializes in integrating other tools (database, CRM, media, online storage, etc.). to organize data. I particularly like it for creating business SOPs. Best of all… it’s free!
Equity Slicing Pie
When partnering with potential business partners, one has to be very clear on what each individual brings to the table. I found an excellent tool that delineates roles and responsibilities and assigns equity/ownership accordingly. This is otherwise known as Dynamic Equity Splits. Check it out!
Trello
Trello is an excellent project and task management tool. It utilizes lists with “cards” that can be moved from one stage to another (called a Kanban board). I use this for several different process flows I need to manage. It also has great automation, features and plugins that can integrate with your other workflows.
Google Drive
Google Drive has been absolutely critical for storing content. It is so important to have access to your files from any computer in any location (for example, I have 3 computers that I might use in a given week – my full time job’s, my home office desktop, and my personal laptop). You can create folders easily and store everything from pictures, documents, scans, and everything is very easy to share. It integrates beautifully on mobile as well. Plus, you can create and edit documents using Google’s version of Microsoft Office (I personally think it’s not great… but it’s good enough). Even more, there is a desktop app as well! Why not use Dropbox or OneDrive? I’ve used them both, and there is nothing wrong with either. However, with Google being such a powerhouse and integrating with just about everything we do, I think Google provides the best value. If there is only one gold medal to give, Google Drive gets the award.
Google Calendar
The calendar is one of the cornerstones of personal organization. There are dozens of calendar programs and apps, and I am certain that a large number of them are very effective for a lot of people. I really miss “Sunrise Calendar”, but the 2nd best option has to be Google Calendar. I especially like its ability to sync on your phone and online – it doesn’t matter where you put in the information. Plus it is super easy to share.
To-Do
Formerly known as Wunderlist, Microsoft To-Do is where it is at. It is incredibly easy and intuitive to use, and my favorite part is its ability to create joint lists and share them with other people (you can assign sub-tasks as well, add due dates, reminders, all that good stuff). I use To-Do for my grocery list and share it with my wife. We both add and check off items entirely at our convenience and it has worked like a charm. Paper to-do lists have pretty much been eliminated from my life.
