Online collaboration tools: Improving how small businesses work

Written on 28 April, 2014 by Verity Meagher
Categories Small Business Web Hosting Tags email email hosting

Are collaboration tools really important in today’s workforce? The short answer is yes! From improving communication to refining your tracking processes, the benefits are many. Discover how investing in online collaboration tools could boost your business.

Collaboration tools such as Basecamp, 5pm and Huddle are becoming an integral part of the modern workforce, so is it time for you to invest?

Drive productivity

Cutting out many of the scheduling issues associated with holding meetings, online collaboration tools can make it much easier for staff to exchange ideas and get things done. Using an online tool means everyone can dial in directly from their desk, saving travel and organisation time as well as allowing everyone to return to their original tasks with minimal fuss.

Introduce mobile access

The flexibility of smartphones means they are excellent business tools when you know how to get the most out of them. Invest in online collaboration tools that will allow staff to exchange messages, update files and check notes or project files from their mobile phones and they’ll have everything they need in their pocket – wherever they are.

Improve tracking and reporting

Many online collaboration tools also make it easy for staff to track their task times. Check how many hours have been dedicated to a particular project at the click of a button. It’s also simple to put together a monthly report or provide your client with a detailed breakdown on the time spent on their project thanks to collaboration tools that log all relevant activity.

Increase your knowledge base

Making it easy for employees to share information, ask a question or post important updates, online collaboration tools promote an easy and seamless opportunity for knowledge sharing. A good tool can connect members of staff who would normally have no opportunity to cross paths, promoting knowledge sharing and allowing you to create an online information bank. 

Encourage remote working

Maximise the time your staff spend away from the office by investing in online collaboration tools that make remote working easy and accessible. Smart tools make it possible for employees to work from home or on the move without restrictions by providing up-to-date information in real time. Boost productivity and reduce wasted time by making it possible for your employees to log in to their projects whether they’re on the train or in a meeting.

Investigate a few free online collaboration tools and see which ones could help boost your business communication skills.

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