As a remote worker, besides the occasional networking and socialising with peers, all my work is pretty much done online. File sharing, corresponding with my peers and clients, attending meetings, training, etc.
Working remotely does have its benefits. I don’t have people constantly buzzing around me, as would have been the case if I was working in an office environment. I also find that I’m more productive and focused when working in a quiet space, hence producing better results. Of course, I do check in with my clients and team on a regular basis, as communication is key when you’re working independently.
The driving force behind this flexible way of working is the systems and processes that I put in place to optimize my business. This has saved me time and allowed me to work more efficiently.
Below is a list of automation tools I currently use to simplify my working process. As you read through the list, perhaps there are some areas in your business where some of these tools and applications could be beneficial.
Ok, let’s check them out!
Project Management Tools
If you have too much going on and you’re are struggling to stay organised, there are plenty of good project management tools available to help you manage your projects and teams effectively. Examples of these are Asana, Trello, Teamwork, Airtable or Basecamp. You can create and manage tasks, share information easily, collaborate with your team, check your project progress, set up timelines for your projects and much more.
I’ve previously used Basecamp when I was working on larger teams, and it’s a great software. I now use Asana to manage all my projects and I absolutely love it.
Document Management
Managing your documents online is a great way to speed up work processes. Not only that, but it’s also a great way to reduce paper waste. Dropbox and Google Drive are my two favourite tools to manage and store documents online. You can easily drop your files, access them from anywhere, make instant changes to them, and share them with your team. You can securely store and access your files anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. And the last time I checked with both applications, you can also access your files offline!
E-Signatures
When you want to get your contracts signed quickly and for your transactions to run seamlessly, electronic signatures like E-sign and DocuSign allow you to do just that. E-Sign has a Pay as You Go plan starting from around £1.50 for up to 4 documents that you send. DocuSign plans start from £8 per month for up to 5 documents per month. For additional information on services and pricing, you can check their websites directly.
Meetings and Communication
As a remote worker, I can’t stress enough how important communication with your business associates is. You don’t get to see your clients or co-workers daily as you would in a typical office environment. Also, as my business is virtual, my client range is relatively global which means I’m not tied to working with clients in just one specific location.
This is where online communication apps come in handy. Apps such as Zoom,Webinarjam, Skype, GoToMeeting, Slack are a great and time efficient way to set up virtual meetings with your clients and teams. It’s easy to set up meetings, share meeting details with your attendees and have them join at a time that is suitable. The best part about these apps is that you have the option to record sessions if you wish, which you can then share at a later time with your team.
I use both Zoom & Skype for my client and team meetings.
Appointment Scheduling
If you are still signing up clients over the phone, you can save yourself tonnes of time by setting up an online appointment scheduling system. Of course this will depend on the type of business you have.
Having an online appointment scheduling system in place is a great way for your clients to book appointments at a time that suits them. You can easily integrate the online scheduling system on your website, or share the link on your social platforms. This keeps you organised, keeps you on top of your meeting calendar, and you avoid missing out on any appointments. Examples of scheduling applications are Calendly, Acuity and 10to8.
I use Calendly which is integrated with my website. Clients can easily book appointments with me, and I receive a notification each time a session is booked, including booking reminders. Calendly also integrates well with Gmail, Google calendar, Zoom, Slack and several other apps.
Website Building
For anyone running an online business, it’s important to have an online presence for people to be able to find you. With the rise of online marketing and increased use of social media, even brick and mortar businesses need an online presence to keep their businesses afloat.
Having a website is a good way to promote your business to the masses. Your products and services are exposed to a wider market who may not even have known you existed otherwise.
To create a website, there’s a great range of website building applications available such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and Weebly. With WordPress, you will need a hosting service to host your web content online. You can find out more in this article How to build a WordPress website in 7 steps. I use both WordPress.org and Bluehost for this website.
When I first started creating my website with WordPress, to be honest I was a little lost on how to get started. I had a theme ready, but I wanted to make it suit my style a bit more. I also wanted something that would simplify the whole process for me. After a bit of searching, I came across the Elementor page builder. And after a few YouTube tutorials, I fell in love with it instantly.
Elementor has a great user interface and it saved me so much time as it comes with built in templates too. You can easily customise and design your website the way you want, and it comes with mobile responsiveness too.
Elementor page builder comes with a free and paid version. You get more options with the Pro version, but you can also accomplish quite a lot with just the free version. (Disclosure: As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you choose to purchase through the link below)
Video Editing
People conceive information daily through different types of medium. The most common ones being through written text, audio and video. If you want to capture your audience’s attention and make a bigger impact, video communication comes out at the top. Its quick, informative (not that text and audio aren’t) and it’s entertaining.
For most people it’s a lot easier to click and play a video explaining something, than read a 2000-word article explaining the same thing. Video content also allows you to connect with your viewers on a more personal level.
The best thing about video is that it improves your chances of getting a higher conversion rate, provided your content is good enough to capture your viewers’ attention.
To edit and share my video content, I use Loom, Biteable and Cyberlink PowerDirector. With Loom you can easily record your screen and get your message across to your viewers or your team in a short space of time. Biteable allows you to make short promo or explainer videos that you can share on social media sites to promote your products and services.
Cyberlink PowerDirector is a powerful video editor that comes with quite the package. It allows you to edit your videos to a professional level. I’m currently using PowerDirector 17 Ultra. You don’t need to be an advanced user to use it. Whether you are a professional or a beginner, you’ll find it easy to use to create amazing videos.
Invoicing and Accounting
Every good business owner knows how important it is to have your finances in check, and what a pain it can be to manage all the tax stuff.
To give you peace of mind, there’s a good range of accounting software available on the market to help you keep track of your transactions and keep your finances in order. You can easily upload and store your receipts, connect your bank acounts, and send invoices.
QuickBooks is a great accounting software which I currently use and recommend. QuickBooks , Xerox and FreshBooks are some of the most commonly used accounting software out there. Another good accounting software is Wave which you can use for free.
When it comes to deciding which accounting software is best for your business, my advise is not to go with the masses, and rather choose one that integrates well with your business.
If your business is fairly small or you’re just starting out, you can pretty much manage your own bookkeeping with these accounting systems. However, as your business grows and your headcount increases, it might be a good idea to consult with a professional accountant to make sure you’re filing your taxes correctly.
By automating your business processes, you’re able to focus on other areas in your business that may need more of your attention. It also lifts the weight off you having to do things manually. Which we all know can be time consuming. And as a business owner, time is what you always need more of, but never seem to have.
If you haven’t already, go ahead and check these tools out. You never know what works until you try it.
As always, get in touch if you have any questions.
