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Best Task Management Platforms for Small Businesses

Best Task Manager for Small Business

Small businesses are known for being small but mighty. Your team members and project managers likely wear a lot of hats to get the job done. poker888 Often, an “all hands on deck” attitude is needed to tackle and complete major projects. مواقع تقبل paysafecard Handling these tasks can be deceptively challenging, which is why the right task management platforms can make all the difference. There are multiple choices for project management solutions, and you may choose one or more platforms for specific workloads. The following are a few examples of the best options to help you juggle everything on your plate.

Asana

This tool effectively supports multiple projects and management styles. Managers can gain full control to organize and visualize the work. This intuitive solution is well-designed and flexibly handles a hierarchy of elements. Asana allows you to develop project templates and create tasks within the app. The default view is in list form, so every project has a title and task list.  Managers can get detailed with the projects by adding custom fields, tags, due dates, and more.

Basecamp

For those managers and team members who feel they cannot keep up with their inboxes, Basecamp is a great solution. Rather than suffering under a mound of emails, teams can increase productivity by saving time with automatic updates and check-ins on this app. You can ping team members for quick collaboration and avoid long winded meetings and emails. The easy-to-digest thread means conversations and replies are easy and effective.

Slack

This app offers optimal communication with team members. Managers and team members can chat privately with each other or include all members in a chat. Rather than calling or emailing a team member, Slack allows teams to quickly communicate while keeping a digital trail of the conversation for easy reference. لعبة متاهه

Trello

This app uses boards to help managers and team members visually get the layout of projects. This simple, yet highly effective option helps you organize each task with Kanban boards. Better yet there really is no learning curve with Trello. It is highly intuitive and team members will quickly pick up on the drag and drop interface. Unlike Asana, if your projects are multi-faceted or complex, Trello may not be the solution you are looking for; it is best for managing simple, quick tasks.

Wrike

No matter what project management tool you use, you will probably still occasionally continue to use email to communicate. Because of its email integration, Wrike is a super simple solution that effectively connects your email to each project. Managers can effortlessly oversee projects through email without worrying about anything falling through the cracks.

Project Management

Qualities of an Excellent Project Management Tool

While all of the above platforms offer excellent management possibilities, there is no one-size-fits all solution. Every team and project differs. You may find that one solution is great for one project, while another is better for a different one. Your team’s specific demands may differ each time. But having a variety of tools can ensure your management needs are met regardless of the project. Successful projects do not occur through a vortex.

Collaboration is key, which is why all of the apps mentioned offer some level of cooperation within the app. Options such as built-in file sharing and chat properties help to keep workflows running smoothly. Additionally, all of the apps have a mobile option. This means your team members can move seamlessly from their desktops in the office to handling tasks on the go.

Beyond the project management tools mentioned here, there are many more options available. Finding the right solution for you and your team may take a bit of trial and error. Once you find the project management app that works for you, project management automation for your small business will be completely transformed – for the better!

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How to avoid project management mistakes

Whether you’re a rookie when it comes to project management or you have quite a few projects under your belt, it can be easy to find yourself making mistakes that take a toll on your productivity and the quality of your finished product. It is important to identify, keep track of, and learn from mistakes in order to develop solutions and become a better, more efficient project manager. Costly mistakes or errors have the potential to derail an entire project, but they are very avoidable, if you know how. Here are some of the most common mistakes that project managers experience. 

Lack of skills or resources

Not having access to the correct resources can cause a project to fail before it even begins. Before taking on a project, make sure that you will have the resources to complete it. You could also be lacking employees with the technical skills necessary to complete the project. This isn’t your employees’ fault- you likely hired them for a different skill set than is needed for this project- you can’t anticipate the needs of every project before you start! If you start a project and realize it may be too much for you to take on due to lack of resources or skills, be up front with the client early on and let them know that you may be a bit over your head. 

Failure to communicate well

This may be the most common and most difficult project management mistake, but it is relatively simple to avoid! Oftentimes, project managers will feel as though they are nagging employees by asking them to get their portion of the project completed, and this results in poor communication as the project managers fail to reach out, check in, and update employees as often as they should. You have to let that go, don’t worry about whether or not the participants of the project feel you are nagging them with constant updates and status checks. Communication is key to completing any project successfully, and employees often appreciate constant communication and constructive feedback during the project rather than criticism after the deadline. Don’t be afraid to communicate often with the employees working on the project!

Skipping steps to save time

While skipping steps may feel like it saves you time, it probably doesn’t in the long run. Skipping steps can cause you to make mistakes that you will later have to go back and fix, which can cause a ripple effect of repercussions throughout the entirety of the project. This can lead to a domino of things throughout the project you will have to fix, taking more time than if you hadn’t skipped the step to “save time” in the first place. Remember that each step is crucial to the success of the project, you should carefully navigate and complete each step before moving on to the next in order to ensure a successful completion of the project.

Not addressing the slacker on your team

No one wants to call out the slacker. It sucks, but it has to be done. If you don’t address the slacker, they will weigh down your project, slow your productivity, and it is likely other employees will feel as though they can get away with giving less than 100% effort towards projects. Also, having a slacker in a large team attempting to complete a project can lead to resentment and negative attitudes within the team as it feels as though not everyone is pulling their own weight. Although it can be a bit intimidating to confront the slacker on your team, this problem must be addressed in order to foster a positive team environment. Try to build a “culture of accountability” within the team. By holding everyone accountable, you will be less likely to encounter as many slacker problems.

Failure to correctly estimate time and budget

Problems can erupt when a project is nearing its deadline but isn’t anywhere close to completion. Or maybe you start to go over budget and your client begins to get angry with you. These are things no project manager wants or expects to happen, but these mistakes happen quite often, and can cause extreme stress to the project manager, the team, and the client. These problems are caused by the inability to correctly estimate the time and budget necessary to complete a project. This mistake goes hand in hand with our initial mistake from the beginning of this article, a mistake in terms of lack of resources or skills. 

The solution, again, is quite simple. Before you begin a project, take the time to break down just how much time and money it will take to complete the project. Be up front with the client about exactly how much time and money you envision the project requiring. Over estimating a bit can be helpful, as it gives you some wiggle room to take a bit more time or use a bit more of the budget without going over, and if you don’t end up needing the amount you overestimated for, your client will be pleased that the project was completed before time and under budget! 

With good planning and effective communication, many project management mistakes can be easily avoided. Next time you begin a project, keep these common mistakes and their solutions in mind to have a smoother, more successful project for your client!

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