Tools that make remote working easier
Since lockdown, remote working has been increasingly popular and whether you’re self employed or not, remote working is on the rise. I’ve been remote working for the past 5 years in the sense that I work from a few different desks, sometimes from home, sometimes in an office and sometimes when I’m travelling so it’s vital that I have tools in place that make this process as smooth as possible.
Facts about remote working:
78% of those who worked from home in some capacity said being able to work from home gave them an improved work life balance
52% reported they were able to complete work quicker
53% said they had fewer distractions, working from home
47% reported improved well being
Source: Is hybrid working here to stay?, 23 May 2022
Trello
Trello is a visual tool that makes project management easy. Logging into Trello is the first thing I do each morning. I can quickly see what tasks are still outstanding, add new ones and then assign them to boards (in my case I find ‘to do’, ‘doing’ and ‘done’ easy to manage). You can add attachments to each task, use checklists to break down each one and set due dates for them.
Trello board with 3 lists: to do, doing and done.
Google Drive
I love how easy Google Drive is to access. I can work on a document on my computer and then instantly edit it on my mobile making working remotely super easy! I’ve found an increase in productivity since switching to Google Drive because of how fast I can access and add to documents. Keeping my tax spreadsheet up to date has never been easier - I purchase something and within 20 seconds it’s listed in a spreadsheet on my Google drive.
Business folder on Google Drive with sub folders
Canva
Canva is my go to for designing graphics. I spent a long time only using the mobile app for no reason other than I loved how simple it was and didn’t think the desktop version could beat it - I was wrong. I now regularly use both desktop and mobile versions of canva for any graphics I need to design whether it be social media posts, blog post covers or portfolio images.
Canva home page
Squarespace
Since transferring my site over to Squarespace, I’ve actually looked forward to updating it. It’s common knowledge that web developers are terrible at updating their own sites because they spend their time updating everyone elses but I haven’t found this to be the case since transferring to Squarespace. I no longer have to spend time typing out line upon line of code and actually enjoy logging in to update my site. I can schedule blog posts in advance, add portfolio items in minutes and sell courses even when I’m not at my desk!
Zoom
As a remote website developer and Squarespace Authorised Trainer, my clients will occasionally want to speak to me before starting work and for this, I use Zoom. This allows me to speak to clients all around the world in a platform that’s familiar. If I’m giving some Squarespace training via Zoom I can also record the call and send it to my client to refer back to.
Zoom call
Summary
There’s a number of different tools I use to make working remotely easier for me from scheduling in work to designing graphics.
With remote working currently so popular after lockdown there’s so many tools available but it’s important to make them work for you and your business. Try a few out and see which ones increase your productivity!
