WHAT TOOLS HAVE YOU USED TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY?
Entrepreneurs discuss what helps them complete tasks more efficiently
“Our primary tool to increase productivity is our culture. Our team has an amazing culture and this keeps everyone productive and loving what they do.”
Shawn Freeman, president of TWT Group Inc., twtgroup.ca
“The tools I use to increase productivity are Evernote and Sprout Social. Both keep me organized, and Evernote allows me to share documents with my clients and create our own notebooks.”
Kelsey Kashluba, founder of Kommunity Konsulting, kommunitykonsulting.ca
“Basecamp is a tool we use daily for project management. It facilitates shared to- do lists with assignable items, a shared calendar of events, document sharing and much more. Basecamp is simple, easy to use and facilitates mutual accountability.”
Kris Hans, strategist at Market Grade, marketgrade.com
“We use Salesforce to enable us to schedule client and prospect interactions. We use cloud- based tools like Google Docs to keep our workforce plugged into our latest training programs and materials, accessible instantly, from anywhere. Google Calendar lets our entire team stay connected with our ever- changing schedule and logistical details. We use WebPlus 8X to create and maintain our website, keeping the content fresh and timely.”
Merri Lemmex, managing partner of operations at Lemmex Williams Training Inc., lemmexwilliams.com
“I use a simple tool called Adaptive Action. Whenever I get stuck, I pause and ask myself, ‘ What?’ so I can gather some quick data from my environment. My next question is ‘ So what?’, which allows me the breathing space to understand. The final question is ‘ Now what?’, which permits me to consider how to influence the pattern before me to shift it in a direction that works to make things more productive. These three questions keep the flow going and productivity at its peak.”
Heather Oxman, owner of Intrepid Interpretation, intrepid- interpretation. com
“I am a huge fan of Trello to keep me on top of everything with project management. I use Acuity scheduling to link to my Google Calendar to keep all my bookings in one place. Evernote allows me to have access to client notes anytime, anywhere. The biggest one is that I never go anywhere without a notebook and a pen. I can write down ideas that come to me and the creativity flows.”
Natalie Blais, owner of Natalie Blais Consulting Inc., NatalieBlais.com
“I find that Evernote is a great way to increase productivity, helping me plan everything from blog ideas to grocery lists, and because it syncs on all devices I am never without my notes. I also use the ZOHO suite of tools, mainly for CRM and email campaigns. The mail magnet in the CRM is great for storing emails with your client file so that you don’t have to go searching through your inbox to find previous conversations.”
Jackie Appleby, owner of Diligent Assistant, jackieappleby.ca
“We ensure our team manages their priorities through tools such as Asana, Basecamp and Slack. Part of this involves coaching the team to ensure they prioritize their tasks and focus on the pressing items. I also encourage teams to regularly purge their thoughts into documents to clear space and keep ideas in a centralized area.”
Megan Armstrong, owner of Dogma Training & Pet Services Inc., dogmatraining.com
“I’ve learned that a head full of tools easily leads to overwhelming paralysis so making things simple and personalized is critical. Being human, ongoing mastering of mindset comes before using any tool. One of my tools for that is starting the day with a declaration of who I am going to be that day. Curious, compassionate and organized is a common mantra of mine.”
Sarah Laughton, principal of Stretch Solutions Inc., stretchyourproductivity.com
“We schedule our out of office days first. This includes personal time, vacation and professional development. Doing this ensures that important rest and recovery time is built into our schedules. Second, we plan our preparation, execution, administration and business development days. This helps us focus our time on the task at hand. Coupled with constantly tracking our time, it keeps productivity top of mind.”
Wilma Slenders, president of Transcend Management Advisors Inc., transcendmgt.com
“Some of the most helpful tools are right in your email. I use email functions that filter and automate tasks so I spend less time searching through my email or managing it. I also use cloud- based storage for my files where I can easily access them using any device.”
Laura Bechard, executive coach at Bexco Business & Executive Coaching