Recently, I decided to revamp my project management toolset. For years, I used Teamwork. Why shift?

Project management is an essential part of any successful team. In recent years, the tools and technologies used to manage projects have grown in sophistication and efficiency. Many project management tools have shifted their focus to enable teams to collaborate more effectively on their projects. That is where the money is.

When I started with Teamwork, it had robust tools for the solopreneur. My clients have told me over the years that they want to avoid accessing my project management tool; I am their project manager. Teamwork shifted to paying for at least three seats for their lowest tier or using the free model. I paid for the three seats the first year, then downgraded to their free tier. 

I tried the free model this past year, and it wasn't cutting it. It only allowed for two projects and would not integrate with other tools.

At the beginning of February, I took on a temporary client and NEEDED a project management tool. I trialed Asana, and it fit the bill. I loved the interface and the ability to save emails as tasks. I saw they required multiple seats when I signed up after the trial. Argh! 

I pride myself on offering boutique services to my clients. I have subcontractors that work on specific projects and fill certain needs, like graphics. I don't want to manage a team full-time. I like giving personalized attention to my clients. I don't want a full-blown team project management tool, BUT I need to manage my projects. Asana's free offering didn't meet my needs. Back to the drawing board again.

I reviewed the tools in my toolkit to see if one would work. I have an annual subscription to Microsoft Office 365, and I love working in this ecosystem. Occasionally in really busy seasons, I bring on an assistant, allowing me to purchase a plan for them. 

I looked at Microsoft Planner a few years back. Recurring tasks are important in my planning. I also needed the feature of turning emails into tasks. These features were missing or not easily accessible a few years ago. 

The current Microsoft Planner piggybacks with Microsoft ToDo. It allows you to set up more complex project planning in the Planner feature and integrate the emails in Outlook to ToDo. It seamlessly connects, and there is also a desktop version of ToDo that I love. It is simple, I can flag my client emails with the day I want to follow up, and then it syncs with ToDo and gives me a sleek list of things for my day. As my granddaughter would say, "easy peasy, lemon squeezy." These tools are part of my existing Small Business Office 365 plan.

I watched 1923 the other night, and someone was leasing washing machines, refrigerators, and other household appliances. The company would install electricity and rent the equipment to ranchers. One of the ranchers responded, "if I did this, I would be working for you and not myself." I want to work for my clients and not have to charge high rates to support expensive tools. 

You should audit your systems and determine if you need to spend your hard-earned money on extra tools.Do you need help setting up a system that works for you or your team? Schedule a call today!

May your day be bright!

Lisa

Lisa Olinda

Chief Chaos Whisperer at Olinda Services