Is your team remote? Then you need to have the right tools to keep your team connected, efficient, and productive. There are so many apps and programs out there that we would write about this topic all year. However, we’ll attempt to make this short and sweet, cause ain’t nobody got that kinda time.

Airtable

You might be wondering what Airtable is. Here’s a definition straight from Wikipedia, “Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid, with the features of a database but applied to a spreadsheet.” We call it Excel or Google Sheets on steroids. The features and options Airtable provides are almost limitless. It works as a simple spreadsheet or one with formulas and if-then statements. It can be used to track a process such as a podcast workflow, complete with task notifications. If you are a more visual person, Airtable has a card view rather than the standard spreadsheet grid view. It operates as a searchable database, a calendar, or a social media content calendar housing links, attachments, and even graphics. By far, Airtable is our favorite remote working tool and one we use every day!

Loom

Loom is a simple video screen capture. You can make a recording of only your screen, only you, or both, giving instructions and showing a team member how to do something. We often use Loom to quickly share a short message or share a new process. Loom is free to use for up to 5-minute videos and has paid options for videos longer than 5 minutes. It also creates a video link for you that can be easily shared with your team. You can find Loom in the Google Web Store and add it as a Google browser extension.

Zoho One

Zoho One is another amazing find we came across while searching for an affordable CRM application. Zoho has a plethora of applications, and each of them has its own cost as well as its own support team. But, if you purchase Zoho One you get ALL their applications for one low cost. If you are a team of one, then Zoho One has a low annual subscription. If you need to add your entire team to the account, then we’d suggest the company-wide subscription which includes adding all your team members, at a low monthly price per user. If you don’t need to add all your team members, for a higher per person monthly cost you add just the necessary team members. Inside Zoho, you will find a CRM, an applicant tracking system, a bookkeeping application that syncs with your bank, a marketing hub, a form creator, a document signing app, and the list goes on. Each of these applications works together to sync everything so you can automate for your needs.

Dropbox

You might think Google Drive is enough, however, it’s always good to have a backup for more secure documents and other items. A perennial favorite, Dropbox can easily be shared with your team and clients. It’s also easier to duplicate entire folders inside Dropbox, a capability that Google Drive does not yet have. Dropbox is free up to a certain number of megabytes but is affordable if you need more space.

Adobe Pro DC

Everyone knows how frustrating it is to open a PDF and need to make a quick change. With Adobe Pro DC you can do that and more. You can easily create a fillable document, combine files, create PDFs, convert PDFs to other formats, export them, change the order of documents in one file, and more. These benefits easily justify the cost.

We’ve benefited from using these tools over the years, and they have saved us time and money. Working remotely is great, but if you don’t have the right tools and aren’t set up for success, your team will be stuck in the mud. If you need more tips for working effectively while remote, make sure you sign up for our monthly newsletter, The Mindful Moment.