I often get asked by clients and colleagues what tools do I use to manage my business and workflow. Today, I am sharing with you the 3 apps I use to manage my business and organize my life.
1 | Asana
As a financial controller working with multiple clients each day, using one system to track my day-to-day routine is vital to my sanity. I have tried different task and project management tools before but I keep coming back to Asana for its ease of use, design aesthetics, mobile app, and integration with Gmail and many apps.
Asana makes it easier for me to create and fine-tune my client onboarding process and track my day-to-day workflow. Instead of worrying about losing a piece of paper with important notes, I use the Asana mobile app to jot down things I need to remember or complete later.
In Asana, I can document my workflow process, centralized a checklist for completing projects, manage my personal shopping list, plan vacations and events. Gone are the days of using Excel spreadsheets to manage projects.
Inside Asana, I can also cross-reference content from different projects and take meeting notes. With the addition of the Asana Gmail Add-on, I can convert an email from my Inbox on my computer or on my phone to a task and archive the email to achieve Inbox zero.
Asana works great with teams, especially if you need to collaborate on website redesigns, newsletters, blog posts, or QuickBooks clean-up and migration projects. It eliminates the back and forth emails between teams and clients.
Project admins can have oversight of what's going on with a project without having to schedule long meetings. IT admins can control who has access to the content with staff turnover.
Asana is free for a team of 15 users or you can pay $9.99 to get premium features (use my code: ufuomaogaga537 to save 10% of your annual subscription). The free version is sufficient for beginners and comes with more features you will ever use. The best part is that you can customize the use of the platform to match your workflow style.
2 | Google Voice
I am not a big fan of talking on the phone for hours. I prefer text messages or in-person/video meetings as much as possible. Therefore, I use a Google Voice number as my business phone number. Google Voice eliminates the need to send out a PSA announcement to all my contacts every time I change my phone number.
Google Voice gives me the ability to have one phone number ring all of my devices and stay connected to my clients on the go. My clients can text me, leave a voicemail, and call me from anywhere in the world.
I also don't have to pay for another office phone line and carry two separate mobile devices just to get work done. This is a win in my book if you are just starting your business or operating with a low tech budget.
3 | LastPass
Security is a vital part of running my business and storing the information my clients provide to me to manage their books is important.
Since I work with different login information, my brain can't keep everything straight without using a secure password management tool called LastPass.
LastPass is a secure password manager tool recommended by most IT professionals to simplify your life in managing passwords for home and work across multiple devices.
The app comes with the ability to generate secure passwords, store secure notes, and share login information with family members or team members without relinquishing full control.
You can use it via a browser extension and mobile app to access your data on the go. The system comes with data encryption, the ability to set up 2-factor authentication, and built-in security challenge reminders and alerts to notify you when one of your online accounts is compromised due to a data breach.
All you have to do when you sign up for an account is to create one master password, activate two-factor authentication, setup your recovery process, and start adding your list of online accounts to the vault. Watch this video to get started.
Recap
To summarize, use Asana to manage your workflow and prioritize your daily to-do list instead of using an Excel spreadsheet. Streamline your communication using a Google Voice phone number and secure your login information using LastPass.
What business apps are you using to run your practice? Leave a comment below.
