In the current age of technology, remote work has become an increasingly popular trend for businesses. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has been adopted on a large scale.
However, it comes with its own set of challenges, especially for growing companies. Working with a remote team requires tools that can keep everyone connected, productive and engaged.
In this article, we discuss the 15 best remote tools for your team to help your business prosper.
15 Best Tools for Remote Work
Here are the 15 best tools for remote work according to their categories:
Communication Tools for Remote Work
Slack
Slack is a cloud-based messaging platform that allows teams to communicate and collaborate.
It provides users with a variety of features such as the ability to create channels for different topics, teams, and projects, direct messaging and the capability to share files and integrate with other tools.
Slack is particularly useful for remote teams as it provides a central hub for communication regardless of location or time zone. It also allows for real-time communication which can help improve efficiency and productivity.
At InCommon, we use the free version of Slack to stay updated about our projects and meetings as it has many functionalities that are useful for our business.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that allows users to chat, share files and collaborate on projects in real time.
It is part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite of productivity tools and is integrated with other Microsoft apps such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
With Microsoft Teams, you can create channels for specific projects or teams which helps keep communication organized and ensures that messages are directed to the appropriate people.
Teams also offer video and audio conferencing, screen sharing and the ability to integrate with other apps and services such as Trello and Asana.
Zoom
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing and collaboration platform that enables users to meet virtually. It offers a range of features including video and audio conferencing, screen sharing, recording and virtual backgrounds.
Zoom has become particularly popular for remote work as it allows teams to communicate face-to-face even when they are not in the same physical location.
The platform is accessible from desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones making it easy for remote workers to connect from anywhere with an internet connection.
Project Management Tools for Remote Work
Trello
Trello is a web-based project management tool which helps teams organize tasks and collaborate on projects. It uses a visual board and card system that enables users to easily track the progress of their tasks and projects.
Users can create boards for different projects with each board containing lists and cards that represent tasks and sub-tasks. They can then drag and drop cards between lists to indicate progress and assign team members to specific tasks.
The platform also offers features such as checklists, due dates, attachments, and comments which help teams stay organized and communicate effectively.
The ease of use of Trello combined with its various features in the free plan makes it a daily driver for us.
Asana
Asana is a web-based project management tool that enables teams to manage and track tasks, projects and workflows. It provides a visual interface for users to create and organize tasks, set deadlines, assign team members and track progress.
You can create projects which contain tasks that can be assigned to team members with due dates and dependencies. Users can also add subtasks, comments, attachments and tags to tasks which helps keep communication organized and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
Monday.com
Monday.com is a cloud-based project management tool where teams can manage and track tasks, projects and workflows. It provides a visual interface that lets users create and organize tasks, set deadlines, assign team members and track progress.
With Monday.com, you can create boards for different projects with each board containing groups, items and columns that represent tasks and sub-tasks. Users can then drag and drop items between groups to indicate progress and assign team members to specific tasks.
The platform also offers features such as checklists, due dates, attachments and comments which help teams stay organized and communicate effectively.
Time Tracking Tools for Remote Work
Harvest
Harvest is a time-tracking and invoicing tool that helps businesses track their time and expenses, create professional invoices and manage projects.
It provides a simple and intuitive interface that enables users to start and stop timers for specific tasks, track expenses and categorize time entries by project, client or tag.
Harvest also offers powerful reporting features that allow users to see how time is being spent and how projects are progressing. This information can be used to make informed decisions about resource allocation and project management.
Toggl
Toggl is a time-tracking tool that helps you track the time spent on various tasks and projects. It provides a simple and user-friendly interface for users to start and stop timers for specific tasks as well as manually enter time entries.
Toggl lets you categorize your time entries by project, client, or tag which helps to provide a clear picture of how time is being spent. It also provides detailed reports and analytics on a user’s time usage, including billable hours, productivity and trends over time.
Every employee in our team uses Toggl to track the time we spend daily on our projects.
RescueTime
RescueTime is a productivity app where you can track your time and better understand how you spend your days.
It runs in the background of a user’s computer, tablet or smartphone and tracks the time spent on various websites, applications and activities.
RescueTime provides detailed reports and analytics on a user’s productivity, showing how much time is spent on productive activities versus distractions. It also allows users to set goals, create alerts and block distracting websites or apps to help them stay focused and productive.
File Sharing and Collaboration Tools for Remote Work
Google Drive
Google Drive is a cloud-based storage and collaboration platform developed by Google. Users can store files and folders in the cloud, access them from anywhere with an internet connection and share them with others.
In addition to storage, Google Drive also offers a suite of productivity tools including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides which enables users to create, edit and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets and presentations in real time.
These tools also integrate with other Google services such as Gmail and Google Calendar making it easy to manage tasks and deadlines.
We use Google Drive to store all our project files in one place as we’re already making use of Docs, Sheets and Gmail.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud-based storage and file-sharing platform where you can store, access and share files and folders from anywhere with an internet connection. It provides a secure and reliable way to store and access files without the need for physical storage devices.
In addition to storage, Dropbox also offers a suite of collaboration and productivity tools, such as Paper which allows users to create and collaborate on documents in real time. It also integrates with a variety of other tools and services such as Microsoft Office, Slack, and Trello, making it easy for users to work across different platforms and collaborate with others.
Box
Box is a cloud-based content management and collaboration platform for storing, managing, and sharing files and folders from anywhere with an internet connection. It provides a secure and scalable way to store and access files, making it useful for businesses of all sizes.
In addition to storage, Box also offers a suite of collaboration and productivity tools, such as Box Notes, where users can create and collaborate on documents in real time.
It also integrates with a variety of other tools and services, such as Microsoft Office, Salesforce and Slack so you can stay connected through various platforms.
Security Tools for Remote Work
NordVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) service for a secure and private internet connection. It allows users to encrypt their internet traffic which makes it difficult for third parties to track their online activities.
NordVPN also offers additional features such as ad-blocking, malware protection and the ability to use the service on multiple devices simultaneously. With NordVPN, your business can enjoy online privacy and security and access content from anywhere in the world.
LastPass
LastPass is a password manager software that helps you generate, store and manage your passwords. It is a secure and convenient way to protect your passwords and login credentials for various websites and applications.
ProtonMail
ProtonMail encrypts all emails and attachments before they leave the sender’s device and only the intended recipient can decrypt and read them.
This provides an added layer of security that is important for users who want to protect their sensitive information from cyber threats. ProtonMail also offers features such as self-destructing messages, two-factor authentication and phishing protection to enhance security.
Conclusion
Remote work is here to stay, and companies need to have the right tools in place to work effectively and efficiently.
From communication tools to project management tools, time tracking tools to file sharing and collaboration tools, there are many tools available to help companies succeed in a remote work environment.
However, the key is to find the right set of tools suitable to your business needs and budget.
