There comes a point in the lifespan of every organization when you outgrow the systems that previously worked well for you, but it’s still important to stay organized as you scale your business.
Here’s how you can utilize task management software for small businesses to streamline your workflow and track projects as your business grows..
Why Use Small Business Project Management Software?
Small business project management software allows you to organize, plan, and collaborate on projects all in one place. Reporting tools within the platform can display timelines for each step of your process, enabling you to identify bottlenecks and make necessary improvements.
These project management tools for small businesses make it easy to see what each employee is working on. Your teams can assign tasks to you for approval, reducing the need for constant emails. You can also view the history of each task and any revisions at a glance, providing context for each project.
Having administrative control over the platform also reduces the likelihood of data loss due to employee error or sabotage. If someone is out sick or on vacation, you don’t need to worry about important information getting held up in their emails. You can easily reassign tasks if an employee quits or goes on leave. These tools are indispensable for a growing business.
Top Small Business Collaboration Tools
The software you choose should be tailored to the specific needs of your employees and may depend on your industry. It’s worth investigating several options to ensure you’re not missing out on tools you’ll ultimately need. Here is a brief overview of the top project management tools available for small businesses.
- Asana: Asana for small businesses offers a simple, straightforward interface for basic project and task management. Although it’s a flexible program, the customization options can become somewhat unwieldy if you need to add too many tags or categories. This works best for teams looking for a collaboration and to-do list tool that’s easy to implement.
- Trello: Like Asana, Trello is great for teams just starting with task management. The Kanban board is a visual way to track progress on projects—it resembles a series of Post-It notes that can be sorted into various stages of completion. The drag-and-drop feature allows you to manage team tasks with ease.
- Jira: Jira by Atlassian utilizes a Kanban system similar to Trello, but provides significantly more support for third-party app integration. There is a steeper learning curve compared to other project management tools for small businesses. Still, if you’re working on complex, multi-stage projects such as software development, it’s worth exploring the many features Jira has to offer.
- Monday: Monday shines when used to optimize workflows. Their Bottleneck app enables you to identify holdups, while the various views and charts help you visualize your process from start to finish. It takes some time to truly learn how to use all of the tools to their fullest potential, but it’s worthwhile for advanced tracking and metrics.
- Basecamp: Basecamp is perfect for businesses like marketing firms that require client collaboration on tasks and projects. You can add clients to tasks for approval without granting them complete visibility and editing capabilities, ensuring that internal processes remain private.
- ClickUp: ClickUp can replace multiple project management tools for small businesses, consolidating them onto a single, streamlined platform. It features a time tracker, task breakdowns, and goal-setting tools to help you manage complex projects and planning. It even offers a messaging app within the platform itself—no need to pay for a separate app like Slack.
- Wrike: Wrike excels at managing creative projects, as the platform allows for real-time collaboration on documents, images, and other files. It’s easy to leave comments and keep track of feedback when designing graphics. However, most of its features are reserved for its Business plan, making it better suited for businesses with a larger budget.
- Zoho: If your business already uses the Zoho Suite of apps and tools, Zoho Projects is a valuable resource that will integrate easily into your current system. It functions seamlessly alongside other Zoho applications, including time tracking capabilities and Gantt charts for easy task management.
Many of these project management tools for small businesses offer free trials, so it’s worth testing them out with your team to see which one works best for your organization. Pricing plans vary depending on the number of users. Ensure that the plan you select includes all the features you need—sometimes, the trial version includes features from higher-priced plans.
Small business project management software is just one way to maximize your company’s growth potential. Want to learn more about streamlining processes and staying organized as you scale your business? Click here to sign up for my weekly articles on the keys to entrepreneurial success.
Coach Dave
