Did you know that for every interruption, it is proven to take up to 25 minutes to get back on course?
The good news is that there are lots of free tools out there designed specifically to help us work smarter and get more done! Here are a few of my favorites – with something to help every type of small business owner.
- The time waster. Do you have a list of to-dos, but end up surfing the internet, checking social media, etc. instead? RescueTime is a tool that runs in the background of your computer, tracks where you spend your time, and then provides reporting.
- The procrastinator. Focus Booster uses the Pomodoro Technique, utilizing a timer to break work into intervals, separated by short breaks. The tool gives you motivation to get started and complete your tasks on time.
- The busy scheduler. We’re all busy, and often work and personal lives overlap in small business. Cozi is fantastic for managing all of your appointments for both work and family life. It gets those to do lists and appointments out of your head and into a simple-to-use app. The feature I love the most is that you can share all of your lists and appointments with others.
- The team player. Trello allows you to create interactive whiteboards, project lists and post-it-note style cards that you can share with members of your team, clients, or even friends and family. The tool allows you to collaborate, organize, and prioritize projects and the interface makes it fun to use!
- The one who isn’t so detail-oriented. Need to track your time, but the little details aren’t your strong suit? Toggl will fill your timesheets for you with just a push of a button when you get started on a new project.
- The note-taker. From recorded meetings to a new list of ideas, Evernote, allows you to organize different file types – voice recordings, notes, images and more – all in one place.
Have you used any of these tools? Do any of these personalities describe you as a small business owner? I’d love to hear your feedback!
