Building a business that is composed of remote workers is a great way to save money on your initial startup expenses, and it also gives you the luxury of hiring talent based on what someone brings to the table, rather than whether or not they are located within commuting distance to your office.
A combination of remote workers and outsourced tasks, you can scale the growth of a new business fast. And when you learn how to outsource properly it can free you up to work on growth initiatives.
You will be in front of your computer a lot if you are managing an entire remote workforce. So, it’s a good idea to arm yourself with the best desktop apps to help you manage and communicate with your team. Here are some solid recommendations to consider.
Slack
Slack is the most popular team communication tool and has been for some time. It has endless customization options and it really allows you to tailor it for your exact needs.
There is a free option available for small teams, so it’s worth exploring. Once you see just what can be unlocked in terms of communication you will be addicted to this tool.
Long email chains are a thing of the past when you learn how to use Slack. It keeps all of your messages and communication in one place for easy reference.
Google GSuite
Google’s GSuite is an entire collection of its best team collaboration tools. Things like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms are its version of Microsoft Office and the sharing options make it a better choice for remote teams. From gathering info for online resources that provide todays horse racing tips, to e-commerce brands working on inventory — this toolset helps in all aspects.
Gmail is the best email option as well for organization, and it also syncs up with all of the GSuite products.
Google Drive is also great for hosting large files and sharing them with the team. The admin has full control over who can see, share and open files.
Zoom
Video communication is important for a remote team. With video, the entire team can feel as if they are one, even if they are all working from different parts of the world.
“When working with a remote team, video conferencing is a great way to keep everyone ‘connected’ and Zoom is the best option for this,” says Henk Schipper of Jaloezieen Fabriek.
It’s a good idea to schedule regular video calls, just so everyone always feels connected and part of the team. There will be some team members that are doing their own thing, so you need to make sure they don’t become isolated.
Even a weekly video call just to check in and have a 15 minute session is very healthy for a remote team.
Trello
This project management tool keeps everything in order, and is a great way to break down large projects into several smaller ones and assign tasks accordingly.
You might be working on a large travel accessories e-commerce website and one team might be creating the product images for suitcases, while another team might be writing the product descriptions.
You can keep everything nice and organized with Trello.