Does technology keep you up at night? Nearly a third of small business owners say that staying current with advances in technology is one of their top concerns.
If utilized properly, these advances, just like the technology you currently use in your business, can increase employee productivity and allow you to better serve your customers. But you have to carefully decide which to implement and what to ignore.
In my experience working with small businesses, and based on what we use here at Mavidea, here are six productivity tools I recommend when looking to increase productivity:
#1. LastPass
LastPass is a password management service. It organizes a company's passwords, each employee's passwords, and password use. LastPass keeps track of who has access to what passwords, who has used them, when they have been used, and can let an employer easily manage all of their businesses’ passwords.
LastPass allows employees to quickly log into accounts without having to remember each password. So get rid of unsecured lists of passwords scattered around your office or saved on your computer's desktop and try LastPass instead. Learn more about it here.
#2. Office 365
Office 365 has served as a great set of tools for our team, helping our team communicate with each other and work efficiently and effectively. Software offered through Office 365 includes:
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- OneNote
- Outlook
- Publisher
- Access
With Office 365, we also have access to Skype for Business, which is one of the most effective productivity tools that we've come to rely on here at Mavidea. Since we have employees in different locations or working from home nearly every week, Skype makes it extremely easy for us to all be on the same page and join meetings from across the country. When paired with Microsoft Outlook, you will have access to past Skype conversations and any submitted notes and comments made during those conversations.
Read more: 7 Benefits of Office 365 for Small Business
#3. Managed IT Services
When you work with a capable IT team that is goal-focused, meaning they are working to improve the operation of your business, not just out to offer you technology equipment, you gain peace of mind. Our IT team here works with companies to manage their IT system and handle anything technology related that can slow the company’s work down. They also manage our own IT, and keep our entire team online and free of tech-related issues.
As I like to put it, our team eliminates surprises for our clients, so they can focus on providing for their customers and giving their employees an optimal work environment.
#4. Backup
Ransomware and losing important digital information is a legitimate threat for all small businesses. Changing systems, dealing with ransomware negotiations, reorganizing files, and looking for lost information all hurt the productivity of your team. Be prepared to recover from unpredictable disasters.
If looking for a backup and disaster recovery system, I recommend looking at StorageCraft.
Also read: 22 Cloud Storage Solutions for Small Business
#5. Wunderlist
Wunderlist helps you and your employees organize and share your to-dos, both personal and professional. Adding an easy-to-use structure around the to-dos we all have floating around in our heads helps organize our work tasks and reduces our time waste and losing track of what we need to get done. Wunderlist offers free, pro, and business versions of their tool. Learn more here.
#6. Cloud Storage
Cloud storage and shared files make everyone's work a little easier and helps employees avoid losing data. Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive (another feature of Office 365), Amazon Drive, and Google Drive all allow users to store files on the cloud and give access to others. When working on team projects, cloud storage options can save employees time since they don't have to constantly upload and download files to send to a co-worker.
Increase productivity at your office - get started today! Call Mavidea 888-898-8960 or email adviser@mavidea.com