Introduction

Tools for Productive Remote Workers – Remote work is becoming the norm. It’s hard to imagine that not long ago working on the road or at home wasn’t popular.

The phrase “get a real job” was probably thrown at anyone who tried to work remotely. Well, times have changed and are continuing to do so as the world continues to normalize remote work.

While working remotely resembles working in an office, there are a few differences. Some are obvious but others aren’t, like the tools you need to be more productive.

The following are some must-have tools for remote workers that want to be productive.

Cyber Security

One thing remote workers shouldn’t worry about is their identity getting stolen. This won’t only compromise them, but it’ll compromise the company they work for.

This concern could slow someone down because he or she will always worry while online. Maybe they’ll reduce the amount of time they spend online. If your identity is stolen, it could cost a lot of cash to clean things up. Money problems and the stress this causes can further hurt your ability to work.

It’s easy to think that you won’t be a victim, especially if you work for a small business, but even small businesses have become targets of cybercrime. This is why remote workers must protect themselves. Don’t allow yourself or your team to be easy targets.

One step is to find identity protection software. Look for the most popular options and compare them, like Identity Guard vs. Lifelock. Doing this should help you find the best option and keep you safe.

Marketing Automation Software

Tools for Productive Remote Workers – Depending on the type of remote work you do, you might need marketing automation tools. Marketing automation software is important, especially if you have other things to do. Most folks have a lot to worry about and don’t want to spend all their time trying to connect with customers.

One of the leading marketing automation software options is Hubspot, and while there’s a lot of good linked to this company, it’s also quite expensive.

You’re just one person working remotely, and it makes sense that you want to stick to a certain budget. Even if you have a small business, it’s better to spend as little as you can without sacrificing quality.

One thing you can do is simply look for Hubspot alternatives. You will need to find alternatives that can take care of the things you need, like Nutshell or ActiveCampaign. These alternatives are still as effective as Hubspot, just not as costly. Plus, most of these allow you to try them out for a bit. You don’t have to stick with them if the tools aren’t as effective as you might have wanted.

Task-Forward Extensions

The next thing that remote workers have to worry about is staying on task. This was relatively easy for folks that work in an office. There are managers and other superiors watching everything, making sure people stay on task.

All of that goes away for people who work remotely. No one is there to keep them on task. No coworkers are there to pressure them to stick to the task. No one is following up as frequently. While some people can flourish in a low-pressure environment, there’s a good chunk of people who can’t.

If you’re one of those people, you need to take action. You need to find ways to stay on task while you work remotely. There’s so much at home that could distract you, from your family to television or just being online. You can look for extension software options to keep you on task.

There’s a lot to choose from, but if you want the most effective tools, then look for the best chrome extensions for productivity. You’ll get a list of the most well-reviewed extensions, and all you have to do is add the ones you think you need. A good one to look for is an extension that times your work.

Planning Tools

The next thing to think about is making sure projects are properly planned. The more time spent planning a project, the smoother everything will go. Spending time planning, especially now that the team is working remotely, is of the utmost importance.

You need to know how much time each task is going to take, who’s going to be taking care of what, and so on. You should have access to task progress information, especially if your task requires that another task is complete first.

This is why it’s important to have project planning tools ready, like a sprint planning template. It would be great if all you had to worry about was you, but with larger projects, the only way this will work is if your team uses the same project management tool.

Bring this up to your supervisor unless you’re the one creating these projects. If that’s the case, then it’s up to you to have everyone use the project management tool of your choosing. Make sure everyone is given enough time to learn how to use this tool, or you’ll face delays. It takes time to learn how to use something new.

Collaboration Addition

Tools for Productive Remote Workers – Collaboration software needs to be on your computer and any other device that you use for work. Everything you do depends on the work of others, so being in constant communication is necessary if you want to remain productive.

While this was something you probably did at work, you have to take bigger steps to stay connected with your coworkers. You have to download tools, like video conference software to help you connect live with your coworkers. A little face-to-face time might be what you need to clarify tasks or address issues.

It goes beyond that though. You also need tools that help you collaborate with others while you’re during a task. You might need a desktop screen-sharing tool to help you work with others on a task. You’ll also need cloud services to ensure that all ongoing tasks can be accessed by any colleague from any device. Group chats are also important for little updates here and there.

Making sure you are connected while working remotely helps everyone. The communication tools used must be compatible with android and Apple devices. Failing to check on this could waste valuable time, especially if your team took the time to learn how to use these tools before finding out someone on the team can’t use them.

Remote workers have to take new steps and use new tools to stay on task. Good productivity is still the goal. It’s just that remote workers have to take a new road to get there.