In today’s fast-paced business environment, staying on top of everything and ensuring that your business is running at its best can be a challenge. That’s where business productivity software comes in—it helps you manage multiple tasks & responsibilities efficiently. These tools can save you time so you have more free time to spend with your family and hobbies.
We’ll explore the features and benefits of different business productivity software options as well as tips for using these tools to their full potential.
Top project management tool for business productivity
Asana, a powerful project management and business productivity app for teams who want to stay organized and focused on achieving their goals. Asana is a project management tool that makes it easy for teams to manage their work. It offers features such as goal setting and task tracking, along with tools like timelines and calendars so users can easily visualize the progress of their projects.
Asana, which offers a variety of options for organizing and managing tasks, is also useful as an outlet to communicate with team members while they complete their assignments. Asana is integrated with a number of other popular apps, such as Slack and Zoom—so your team can have a seamless workflow.
At TextExpander, we use Asana for project management to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and team progress. Asana makes it easy to see what needs to be done and who is responsible for each task. By assigning tasks, setting due dates, and adding attachments—it’s quick for us to stay on top of things. Asana gives us a way to keep track of all our projects and ensure that deadlines are met.
Overall, Asana is a comprehensive project management and business productivity tool that allows teams to stay organized and focused on their goals. With its range of features and integration options, it’s an excellent choice for small businesses as well as organizations of all sizes.
Pros of Asana:
- Allows teams to stay organized and focused on their goals.
- It has a range of features and tools that help team members visualize progress.
- Great for team project management, with the ability to create different boards (to-do lists) and drag tasks into their appropriate columns as they are completed.
- Compatible with other popular apps, such as Slack and Zoom.
Cons of Asana:
- The interface may seem overwhelming to those who are accustomed to basic task management and to-do list software.
- For larger organizations with more complex business productivity software needs, Asana may not provide enough flexibility.
Asana Pricing:
- Free for individuals or teams just getting started with project management.
- $10.99/month per user billed annually for premium.
- $24.99/month per user billed annually for enterprise/business.
Top note-taking tool
Microsoft OneNote is a business productivity app that lets you take notes, record your ideas, and collaborate with others. OneNote’s ability to quickly create different sections and notebooks makes it a great tool for organizing information.
OneNote also features the capability to embed pictures, videos, and audio recordings into notes. This makes it an ideal tool for recording meetings and presentations—or just keeping track of important information.
OneNote is a powerful note-taking application that seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft Office tools, including Outlook and Word. This makes it a great choice for businesses that use Microsoft 365 as their email solution. This integration makes it easier for people to share and collaborate on notes, as well as access their notes from any device with OneNote installed.
Pros of Microsoft OneNote:
- Allows users to take notes, organize ideas and collaborate with others.
- Easily organize notes into different sections and notebooks for easy tracking.
- Easy to add files, photos, PDFs, etc to a note with drag-and-drop functionality.
- Offers robust security features for IT teams peace of mind.
- Available for all major computing platforms.
Cons of Microsoft OneNote:
- It doesn’t integrate well with non-Microsoft tools.
OneNote Pricing:
- Included with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- $69.99/year for personal accounts.
- $12.50/ per month for business accounts.
Top tool for business productivity, efficiency, and automation
With TextExpander, users can create custom keyboard Snippets for frequently used text or phrases. This saves time for users making the same or similar entries, such as addresses, email signatures, and reply-alls to customer emails.
To use TextExpander, you first create a Snippet by defining an abbreviation and the corresponding text to expand automatically. For example, a user may create a Snippet with the trigger “myaddress” that expands to their full mailing address. Whenever the user types the abbreviation, TextExpander automatically replaces it with the corresponding expansion text.
TextExpander also allows for more advanced functionality, such as the use of variables, which can be filled in with specific information when the Snippet is used. This is particularly useful for things like dates, times, etc.
Pros of TextExpander:
- Snippets can be created to expand automatically when writing emails or reports.
- Sharing snippets for commonly used phrases and sentences helps a team maintain consistency and accuracy.
- Can be integrated with many other applications, including Microsoft Office, Zendesk, Google Workspace, and more.
TextExpander Pricing:
- $8.33/user per month billed annually for teams of up to 10 people.
- $10.83/user per month bill annually for teams of 10-50.
- There are also enterprise plans for larger teams.
Top task manager for business productivity
Todoist is a powerful task management tool that businesses and teams can use to organize their work. Todoist’s project management features allow users to create and organize different projects for whatever need arises, whether it be a marketing campaign, product development, or customer support. Teams can create tasks and assign due dates and priorities within each project. This allows groups to easily track the progress of their work and stay on top of deadlines.
Todoist’s collaboration features allow users to invite team members to work on projects together, share task lists and assign tasks. This makes it easy for teams to stay on the same page and ensures that everyone is aware of their responsibilities. Additionally, Todoist also allows for commenting and file attachments on tasks—allowing team members to communicate across different locations.
In addition to its simple interface, Todoist boasts a robust set of productivity features. These include reminders, recurring tasks, and integration with other tools like Google Calendar and Slack—allowing you to find specific projects or comments as easily as searching for words in your inbox!
Pros of Todoist:
- User-friendly interface with no learning curve.
- Works across all devices and the web.
- Collaboration features make it a useful tool for teamwork and collaboration.
Cons of Todoist:
- The free version is limited for business usage.
- Reporting capabilities are limited compared to other task management tools for reviewing metrics.
Todoist Pricing:
- Free option for basic features.
- $4/month paid annually for premium.
- $6/user per month paid annually for business accounts.
Best business app for invoicing
Freshbooks is cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses and freelancers, who can use it to manage their finances, invoices, expenses, and time tracking all in one place.
One of Freshbooks’ key features is its invoicing system. Users can create professional-looking invoices with customizable templates, and send them directly to clients via email. Freshbooks boasts a built-in payment gateway, making it easy for clients to pay their invoices online with a credit card or PayPal. The Freshbooks expense tracking tool makes it easy for businesses to keep track of their finances and stay organized.
Another great feature of Freshbooks is its time-tracking capabilities. Users can track their time on projects, and even bill clients for the hours spent working on them. This is particularly useful for freelancers and businesses that bill by the hour—as it keeps things simple enough so that you never have to worry about losing an invoice again!
Freshbooks offers a range of useful financial reports, so users can easily track where their money is coming from and going. It is also compatible with other apps and services, including bank accounts, payment gateways, online stores, and point-of-sales systems.
Freshbooks offers a range of pricing options, including a free plan for very small businesses and freelancers, and a range of pricing plans for businesses with more complex needs. It also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, which makes it easy to manage your business on the go.
Pros of Freshbooks:
- User-friendly interface that makes it easy to send invoices.
- Invoices are professional looking.
- Basic time tracking options for billing clients for time.
Cons of Freshbooks:
- Paid plans lack limited options for the number of clients for small businesses.
- Lack of native desktop apps.
- Time tracking is limited in functionality with no app integration.
Freshbooks Pricing:
- Lite Plans is $17/monthly or $183.60/yearly.
- Plus Plan is $30/monthly or $324/yearly.
- Premium Plan is $55/monthly or $594/yearly.
Top app for business chat
Slack is a cloud-based software that allows users to send messages, share files, and collaborate on projects in real-time. It was designed to make it easy for teams of all kinds—from small businesses to large corporations—to communicate efficiently with one another.
One of Slack’s key features is its capability to create channels, or dedicated spaces for specific teams, projects, or topics. These features make it easy for teams to keep track of conversations and stay on top of important information. Users can also create private channels for sensitive or confidential information.
Slack’s extensive integration capabilities make it easy to connect the tool with other applications, such as Google Drive and Trello. The Slack search function makes it easy to locate specific conversations, files, or messages, and its features—such as the ability to set reminders or schedule meetings—help teams stay organized.
At TextExpander, we use Slack to keep all remote employees and external contractors connected and in the loop. With Slack’s asynchronous messaging, team members can share updates and strategize even when they are not online at the same time. Slack’s channels and direct messaging allow for easy communication and organization, making it easier than ever to stay organized as a team.
Slack offers a range of pricing options, including a free plan for small teams and plans with more features suited to large organizations. It also has mobile apps for iOS and Android, making collaboration possible wherever your team is located.
Pros of Slack:
- Scales up for large teams.
- Robust search options.
- Robust integration options.
Cons of Slack:
- Can be a distracting service.
- Difficulty distinguishing between tasks/chat.
Slack Pricing:
- Free option includes 90-day message history.
- Pro is $7.25/user per month when paid annually.
- Business+ is $12.50/user per month when paid annually.
Top tool for business video conferencing
Zoom is a leading video conferencing software that has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially during the pandemic. It allows users to hold virtual meetings and webinars by using cloud-based technology.
Zoom makes it easy to join a meeting: just click on a link and the software will guide you through the process. Zoom’s features make it easy to conduct virtual meetings. For example, you can share your screen with other participants and record the session—or mute or unmute specific individuals in order to prioritize certain conversations over others.
Zoom’s large meeting capability is one of its best features. The free version allows you to host meetings with up to 100 participants, and if you’re willing to pay, there are options for up to 1,000 users.
Zoom offers a range of security features to ensure that meetings are secure and private. These include the option to set passwords for meetings, use waiting rooms for guests, and lock meetings so they can’t be joined by uninvited participants.
The TextExpander team uses Zoom as their primary communication tool for remote collaboration. The video conferencing and screen-sharing capabilities of the platform allows our employees to collaborate on projects in real time, regardless of their physical location. This enables team members to work closely together, ensuring everyone is on the same page for our ongoing projects and supporting customers.
Pros of Zoom:
- Easy to set up a meeting and invite people.
- Easy sign-in options with Google and other single sign-on providers.
- Allows users to record meetings, making it easy to capture important information and share it with others.
Cons of Zoom:
- Free plan cuts meetings off at 40 minutes.
- Reporting capabilities are limited compared to other video conferencing tools.
Zoom Pricing:
- Free for meetings up to 40 minutes.
- $149/user when paid annually for Pro.
- $199/user when paid annually for Business.
- $299/user when paid annually for Business Plus.
Maximizing business productivity: Choosing the right tools for your workflow
Companies need to find the right business productivity software—apps and tools that streamline workflow, improve communication, and increase efficiency–to stay competitive. It’s important to remember that not every business tool is right for you.
It’s important to carefully consider your specific needs and find a business productivity tool that corresponds with the way you or your team members work most naturally. Instead of buying every tool on the market, focus on finding the ones that will be a natural part of your workflow and integrate seamlessly with whatever existing systems you already have. This way, rather than spending all your time tinkering with apps/settings, you can get to work!
The best business productivity tools are the ones that let you get things done quickly and easily. Look for customer relationship management tools that have simple, intuitive interfaces so your employees will be able to use them.
It’s also important to look for tools that are secure and have a good track record when it comes to data privacy. Many of these cloud-based services are available, but you should ensure they have robust security measures in place before using them with your business data.
To stay competitive, finding the right business productivity software, apps, and tools is essential. However, it’s important to remember that there’s no one-size fits all solution—different people work best with different things.
Business productivity management tool
Another top project management tool for business productivity is ProofHub. It is an all-in-one project management and team collaboration tool that is suitable for businesses of all sizes. It offers a feature-rich, robust architecture that can help you manage your projects from start to finish.
With ProofHub, you can keep all your project data in one place, create and assign tasks, track progress, and more. It’s a great way to stay organized and keep your team on the same page.
ProofHub enhances business productivity by providing a centralized platform for all project information. It offers everything in a single location so that you don’t have to use different tools to manage various aspects of a project. Plus, with a user-friendly and intuitive interface, it caters to the needs of all the teams and departments within the organization.
ProofHub stands out among other project management tools for its fixed flat pricing structure with no per-user fee. It is one of the most scalable solutions for project management and business productivity.
Pros of ProofHub:
- Fixed flat pricing with no per-user fee.
- All-in-one solution to manage all the aspects of your projects from a single location.
- Real-time collaboration to keep your teams on the same page.
- Intuitive interface for easy onboarding and navigation.
- Built-in chat, timing, and proofing tools
Cons of ProofHub:
- Notifications can be distracting and overwhelming
ProofHub Pricing:
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
- $45 per month for unlimited users (billed annually) for the Essential plan.
- $89 per month for unlimited users (billed annually) for the Ultimate Control plan.
FAQ on business productivity software
Q: What is business productivity software?
A: Business productivity software helps businesses become more efficient and productive by automating tasks, managing projects, and streamlining communication. Examples of business productivity software include task management tools, project management software, and communication platforms.
Q: What are the benefits of using business productivity software?
A: Business productivity software can help businesses increase efficiency, streamline communication and improve collaboration.
Q: How do I choose the right business productivity software for my company?
A: Before choosing business productivity software, evaluate your company’s needs and the tasks that must be accomplished.
Do your research and compare features, pricing, and user reviews. Also, look for software that is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface.
Q: Can business productivity software be integrated with other tools and platforms?
A: Yes, business productivity software that offers integrations with other tools and platforms can streamline business processes by increasing collaboration among different teams or departments.
