What tools do you use to stay productive?

Interview with Shauna, founder and business consultant specializing in remote work

I use a lot of different tools. It's essential for me to be always looking at up-and-coming technologies for my clients. My favourite tools at the moment would be Todoist, Slack & Trello.

Shauna is a consultant that guides companies in thriving while remote—see her advice for staying grounded as a remote worker.

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Interview with Hannah, a freelance writer that travels the world

My laptop is obviously essential for work, so I’m currently shopping around for a new one. I like to use time tracking apps like On the Job to track how I’m spending my time. This isn’t necessarily for clients—most of the time it’s for my personal reference.

Since some of my freelance work is writing, it can help me know what kind of rates to set. Writers often get paid per word instead of hourly, but depending on the topics, how much time it takes you to write the same amount of words can be very different.

So let’s say I just started writing on cryptocurrency and my time tracker shows that crypto topics take a lot of time to write. Now I know that for future crypto topics, I should charge more per word to make up for that.

I occasionally also use BreakTime, but not lately. You set how long you want to work and then how long you want your break to be. This is really good for two things:

1. If you tend to get very focused when you work, it makes you stop and walk around a bit, which is important for your body.
2. It can actually be motivating to work longer. If you want to take a break, but see that you only have ten minutes left before the app will tell you to, you’ll probably push yourself that extra ten minutes.

Hannah is a freelancer writer and social media manager that travels the world while working remotely. Read her interview to learn how she works.

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Interview with Hanling, a data scientist that works remotely on machine learning

Since I primarily work on Upwork, the tool I use most often is the Upwork time tracker.

But we often use Skype to chat and make video calls with clients. Also I've used Trello to organize workflow for one of my contracts.

Hanling started working remotely as a student and now does freelance machine learning and data analysis for clients all around the world.

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Interview with Elizabeth, a graphic designer and art director

I’m pretty nerdy and never complete anything without thinking through the tools available to me. I am not an analogue person, so when it comes to tools, I definitely have favourites.

The most life-changing tool I’ve discovered in the last year is Superhuman for email. My clients kindly “gift” me email addresses when I work with them, so I have 11 inboxes to monitor.

Superhuman makes handling that insanity almost a pleasure. It’s invite-only at the moment, but if you want a referral, drop me a line!

As I work within various teams, I couldn’t function without Slack, Google Docs and AirTable.

Working remotely means I hold most meetings by video conference. I use Gather for these as it integrates with Slack and takes meeting notes for me that are searchable. I find I focus a lot more on what’s being said on calls when I’m not constantly scribbling notes.

I stay on track overall with Notion, a note-taking and collaboration app that also integrates tasks, wikis, and databases. So much of what I do means keeping an eye and ear on the internet, so I use it to collect links and ideas in addition to tracking client projects and timelines.

Speaking of keeping an ear on the internet, I use Brand24 to do that as it also integrates with Slack and helps me keep my clients top of mind. The number of times I’ve beaten a PR company to a new article or mention alone makes it a very worthy spend.

For design stuff, I love Canva for a quick social tile or a zillion and, of course, couldn’t function in my role without Adobe Creative Cloud, especially Illustrator and XD.

Props to Unsplash for quick image pulls and inspiration.

Elizabeth provides the ultimate list of tips for aspiring freelancers and remote workers. Check out her game-changing tools, and advice for thriving as a freelancer.

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Interview with Deb, a sales copywriter who transitioned from software development

The main tools I have used for remote work are:

• Writing - Google Docs or Microsoft Word (depending upon client preference)

• Keeping track of my accounts, invoices and expenses - Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets

• Collaboration – Slack

• Writing specific tools – Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and Copyscape

• Meetings – Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, GoToMeeting

• Project management – Trello, Jira

• Productivity – Google Calendar

• Cloud storage – Google Drive and Dropbox

• Password management – Lastpass and Dashlane

I don’t use the above tools all the time – my choice at times is dictated by client preference. As an example, one of my current clients insists on the use of Jira, Slack, Zoom, Dashlane, and Google Docs. Another of my clients prefers Google Hangouts, Microsoft Word, and Trello.

Deb made the jump from full-time software developer to freelance sales copywriter—learn how he made the transition.

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Interview with Stefan, a founder building a location-independent startup

Here’s a list:

• Trello - task management
• Wave - invoicing and accounting
• Google - email, calendar, docs, sheets
• Hubspot - CRM
• Ocenaudio - audio editing
• PhotoScape X and Pixlr - photo editing
• Slack - communication
• Texting (SMS, Whatsapp) - communication
• Zoom - digital meetings

Stefan now has total control over his time since leaving the traditional office in early 2019. Hear how his routine is helping him build a solid remote startup.

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Interview with John, a web developer who works from home

As a remote team member, communication is the number one thing that can make or break a project or team. There are a number of tools we use.

1) We use Slack for work-related conversations, but just as importantly, we have a number of dedicated channels for watercooler-style chats. These include rooms where we talk about health, movies, board games, and even a book of the month club.

2) Basecamp is where all our projects live. If it's not written down in Basecamp, it didn't happen.

3) Zoom. Yeah, Slack has added the ability to do video and screenshare calls. But Zoom is what I use for any calls with clients. With the client's permission, I'll record the calls so that we can refer back to the calls to review any details that may not have made it into Basecamp. Or I'll record training sessions with the client and send them the video at the end, so they can use it as an ongoing learning tool for themselves or any new staff that come on board. The clients appreciate this small detail more than I can express.

4) Google Calendar. As I mentioned before, I live and die by my calendar. With Google calendar, my entire team can view my calendar - and I can view theirs - allowing them to schedule calls at a time that they know will work for me. This saves the back and forth of "hey, do you have time on Tuesday for a call?"

Those are the biggies.

 The easier we make communication, the more productive we can be.

John is a web developer running a mini-agency inside a larger WordPress agency - learn how calendar management and establishing boundaries have helped him boost his productivity.

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Interview with Meryl, a digital marketer and master of home office organization

Once you go to two monitors, you won't go back to one! I use email, document and spreadsheet apps, and a task management app that syncs tasks between the desktop and cell phone. I also use a phone and tripod for creating videos and YouTube to add captions.

Meryl K. Evans is skilled at creating a home office that leads to remote work flexibility. See her advice for creating a successful workspace, and hear about her journey into freelancing.

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Interview with Haley, a VP of Operations shares her stellar remote work strategies

To-do lists!

I start the week with a big to-do list. Writing everything down and then bucketing into categories: big picture, people, customers, blocking time for each.

I update it throughout the day, and each morning I make a new to-do list from yesterday’s list.

Our productivity stack includes Slack, Front, Airtable and Quip. I usually turn off notifications but always have Slack up and check other systems periodically throughout the day so that I’m not living in reactive mode.

Haley has figured out the way she works best as a VP of Operations. See her principles of remote work and the unique advice a former boss gave her about breaks.

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Interview with Erin, a virtual assistant with a successful approach to freelancing

There are over 20 tools that I use almost daily to keep my clients happy (and myself sane). People usually fall off of their chair when I mention how many tools it takes to keep a business running smoothly!

A handful that come to mind are must-haves:

• Harvest for tracking time and sending automated invoices
• Google Voice to ensure my clients can reach me even when I'm overseas
• Buckets (Trello competitor) for task management
• Hootsuite to help manage my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts
• LinkedIn for client prospecting and networking building with other VA's
• Google Docs for online course planning
• Udemy to list / sell my online courses
• Spotify for a constant stream of jams

Last but not least, my Macbook Air and iPhone. Apple fangirl aside, both machines are great for travel because they're durable, light, and are easy to shoot and edit high-quality videos.

Erin has found freelancing success as a virtual assistant—see her organizational tips & insights into how she picks clients that suit her business.

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