Ready to get started with systems but not sure which tool is right for you?
You’re not alone. Many people are on a quest for the perfect tool to organize their business. Just a simple search reveals many different tools and options for you to consider. It can be a challenge to figure out where to begin. I understand, and I’m glad you’re here.
The first step to developing systems in your business is not selecting a tool. It’s identifying who you are, how you like to work, and what’s most important for you. Once you’ve discovered a few things about yourself, then you can select a tool to use.
Here are some things to consider…
The Way You Process Information
Are you visual person, do you prefer making a list, or are you a combination of both?
The Type of Work You Do
Do you create and sell products, work as a consultant or coach, or complete client based projects?
The Size of Your Team
Do you work alone, manage a small team or give direction to a large team?
The Way You Deliver Your Work
Do you work with clients 1:1, sell products, or lead groups through a course or a live event?
Every tool has the potential to increase your productivity, improve your organization, and fit nicely into your workflow.
Every tool also has the potential to slow you down, confuse your team, and create frustration and wasted time.
What makes the difference between these two outcomes? Your needs, your business model, and the way you work.
My favorite tools for managing your business are Asana, Trello, and Evernote. Let’s look at each of them individually so you can evaluate them for yourself.
You’ll Love Using Asana If…
- You already have a team. Asana has a clean and intuitive interface for assigning tasks to team members. You’re able to add information like detailed instructions and due dates. You can tag team members who to know about the progress of a specific task.
- You need to keep track of project progress. Within Asana’s interface, you’re notified whenever a task has been completed, needs extra attention, or hasn’t been completed yet. It’s easy to keep track of each project what you need to do to move forward.
- You need to keep track of daily tasks. If you’re a fan of marking things off of your to do list on a daily basis, Asana has a simple checklist format that process-oriented people love. What’s more, you can see when you’ve loaded too much on your plate for the day and make adjustments accordingly.
- You are a list person. If you have more of a linear thought process and prefer to check items off, then Asana is a brilliant fit. The entire system is setup to create easy-to-navigate lists so you always know what you need to do and what you’ve done.
Overall, Asana is a great tool for keeping even a large team organized. The format feels “uncluttered” and clean. It’s a robust system for managing project (such as launches) as well as daily processes.
Does Asana feel like a good fit for you?
You’ll Love Using Trello If…
- You are a visual person. Much like sticky notes on a wall, Trello is very visual. Rather than a series of lists that can feel boring, Trello allows you to create cards and watch them “move” through the process as work is completed. You can even add images to Trello to add to the fun.
- Your work is project based. Trello is set up much like a Kanban System, making it easy to track project work. Collaboration with clients is easy as well. Simply create a board for the project you’re working on together. Your client can see the “big picture” and see progress in a very visual way.
- You work on recurring projects. With Trello, you can create a system for recurring projects (such as a launch) and delegate the project without worry when it’s time to run it again.
- Work within your team involves multiple steps or handoffs. Trello makes it simple to coordinate multiple steps in a process. You can easily see each step of the process and tag team members during handoffs. You’ll understand your progress with a glance at the board.
Trello is a great tool for small teams who appreciate visual structure. It’s robust enough to handle your blog content calendar, social media process, or a launch cycle. It’s ideal for project work, making it easy to organize multiple steps, hand offs, or collaboration with clients.
Does Trello feel like a good fit for you?
You’ll Love Using Evernote Together with Your Asana or Trello If…
- You need a digital archive. – The real power of Evernote is that you can basically keep all of the resources you find online and store them neatly organized in one place. This eliminates the need for you to go searching all over your computer for that PDF you stored in some folder that made sense when you first created it.
- You could use an “external brain” – In addition to your research, you can use Evernote to keep your reflections on projects, notes from meetings, and even a daily journal. Evernote is also an ideal place to collect reader and client feedback, questions, and comments organized for future reference. All of that can be added to Evernote or accessed whether you have or don’t have access to the Internet. Your Evernote notes get synced the moment you get back online.
- You don’t like wasting time searching for information. – Evernote’s powerful search makes finding documents, text, and images lightning fast. Whether it’s your work or a team member’s, it’ll be at the ready – anytime, anywhere, and across all of your devices.
- You want to be able to present your ideas without having to create a slide deck – Great work takes shape with input along the way. Evernote’s Presentation mode makes meetings more meaningful by offering a more informal way to present ideas and get feedback, no need to fuss with slides or formatting. With one click, your work is transformed into a beautiful screen-friendly layout.
If you prefer more flexibility and space to accommodate your thought processes, then Evernote is the tool for you. It will allow you to write free from distraction, collect information, find what you need, and present your ideas to the world—all more efficiently than you ever imagined.
In combination with Asana or Trello, Evernote will give you more time to take your ideas from inspiration to reality.
Thinking of adding Evernote to your toolbox?
Check out Evernote for Small Business