What tools do you use to stay productive?
Interview with Lauren, a content marketing team lead and hybrid remote worker
Slack and Asana. Slack keeps me connected to my team during my WFH days and keeps me accountable to the rest of my coworkers. It bridges that feeling of disconnection when you’re away from the office. Asana is our project management tool and that keeps me focused on the actual work that needs to be done. Between those two things, it’s pretty easy to keep on track.
For Lauren, remote work was a non-negotiable arrangement—see how she manages a hybrid remote work situation and her tips for those on the remote job search.
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Interview with Vernon, a freelance technical writer
As a technical writer, most of my time is spent either testing, researching or writing. As such, the tools that I use support those functions.
Specifically, I am a software technical writer; that's my specialty. So "testing" involves using the software that I'm working with. I use a Windows 10 laptop, but if I'm writing documentation for a Mac app such as Focus, then I'll use a Mac Airbook that I have access to.
I am, however, looking into running a virtual Mac on my Windows laptop, for convenience, using VirtualBox or some other suitable virtualization software. This program will also come in handy should I require testing apps within a Linux environment.
Some applications are online, be it an applet on a website or a full-blown SaaS platform. For these, a good web browser that supports the underlying architecture is necessary. As such, while I usually use Google Chrome, I might have to use another browser such as Windows Explorer or Windows Edge should there be any issues.
Most of my research happens online, so a good web browser is key. As I said before, I like to use Chrome. It's fast, reliable, highly customizable and extendable given the applets and extensions in the Google Web Store. It rarely crashes and most websites support it.
The actual act of writing can be complex. Most of my writing used to be done in Microsoft Word, but I've recently had to look for frugal alternatives. I've been using the OpenOffice suite of programs, specifically OpenOffice Writer.
It's not as polished or feature-rich as Microsoft Word, but it definitely gets the job done. I may return to using Microsoft Word, but so far I'm good with what OpenOffice has to offer.
Now, Writer and Word are great for starting, making notes and preparing drafts, but the final product may require something more specialized. For those clients who require PDF documents, depending on what they're asking for, I could simply render the .pdf file using Word or open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
If the client requires Help Files to be written for their program then I would use RoboHelp. RoboHelp allows me to write software documentation and export it to a number of file formats such as Adobe AIR and Microsoft WinHelp.
For clients who require, or already have structured documentation or require their documentation to be done in an XML or SGML formats then I would use Adobe FrameMaker.
So far in my short career, these last two options have not been requested. They are standards within the industry though, so I know that it's only a matter of time before I acquire clients who will make such requests. Having said that, I'm learning how best to use them.
Apart from these tools, I've had to use other online tools used by the client such as Freshdesk and Confluence for documentation, DropBox and Google Drive for file sharing, JIRA and Trello for task scheduling and teleconferencing apps such as Zoom, Skype and GoToMeeting.
The last set of tools I use are for time tracking. For those clients who pay me on an hourly basis, and so far they are all on Upwork, I use Upwork's Time Tracker app. It records my work session when activated so that my clients can review the work I've done, ensuring them that I am doing what they pay me to and that their money is well spent.
Vernon is a freelance software technical writer that uses lists to organize his hectic freelance schedule—see how he maximizes his time throughout the workday.
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Interview with Kati, a co-founder shares her tips for juggling multiple side hustles
I use any free tool available! Slack, text, Skype, FaceTime, email, G Suite, MS Office, coffee, Zoom, HubSpot....
We use Google Docs quite a bit to internally create, edit, and share documents such as client information, needs assessments, and to collaborate on social media posts and marketing.
Also, within G Suite, we are creating forms for clients to fill out.
Skype and FaceTime are valuable if we need to communicate “face to face” or if a text isn’t getting a creative idea across.
Sometimes tone and facial expressions are better when they can actually be heard and seen.
We use Slack if a client uses it to collaborate and share files and ideas. So far, not many clients use Slack, but we like to be set up for whatever they are used to using for communication.
Kati has made a career at using the internet and gig economy to her advantage—see how she successfully manages multiple side hustles and a business.
Read full interview from Interview with Kati, a co-founder shares her tips for juggling multiple side hustles.
Interview with Laurent, an introverted remote worker & engineer
Our current software stack is :
- Whereby: For video calls & meetings.
- Twist: For text messages. All the discussions about product development need to be there in public channels.
- GSuite: For email and documents.
- Trello: Product & engineering management.
- GitLab: Our git repo and CI/CD pipeline.
- Fellow: For meeting agenda sharing.
On the hardware side, I've got a MacBook Pro, a Newsoul USB C Portable Monitor, Macally solar-powered keyboard, and a Jelly Comb wireless mouse.
In this interview, this VP of engineering shares his strategies for managing family time and organizing meetings as an introvert.
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Interview with Danielle, an author who found the benefits of coworking
I love Trello, Slack, and Calendly. They help me tremendously with productivity.
Calendly is such a great hands-off scheduler. It stays in my email signature, so if someone wants to meet or schedule a call, I can direct them to the link so they can schedule it according to a time that works best for them. It’s one less back-and-forth thing that needs to be done.
Trello is used for my overall and book publishing to-do list and also for my social media editorial calendar. The use of labels and add-on calendar functionality enable me to see a high-level view of what I have running and scheduled for each social platform. It’s great to have it all in one place with my to-dos.
Slack keeps me connected. I am plugged into a few different workspaces (5), and they keep me well-informed about people, culture, jobs, and professional skills (+ more). It’s like a virtual networking session 24/7, which is huge when you’re remote or independent of traditional co-workers.
Danielle's remote work journey led her to become an author—see how coworking with other remote workers and digital tools have helped her to fulfill her passion.
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Interview with Phil Strazzulla, an entrepreneur enjoying the health benefits of remote work
Zoom, FocusMate, Ahrefs, iMessage, and plain old Gmail are my weapons of choice.
A curiosity for remote work led Phil to make it a primary work arrangement. Hear how it has helped to improve his health and impacted his approach to rest.
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Interview with Mike, a business developer with a one task a day remote work routine
As a team, we rely on G Suite for email, calendar, and video calls. We also use Trello and Slack. I don’t use any special productivity tools.
Mike had a lackluster experience with remote work 12 years ago. Today, he has embraced location-independence. Hear about his "one task a day" routine & vital tip for job seekers.
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Interview with Mindi, a content manager and social media strategist
I'm a nerd when it comes to productivity tools. Some of my favorites include:
- Asana, for managing projects with my team
- Slack, for instant communication with my team and clients
- Mailplane, best email application I've found that integrates with OmniFocus (and allows me to create hyperlinks to emails, so I can reference them later!)
- OmniFocus, my personal project management system
- Toggl, time tracker for myself and my team
- Calendly, for making it easy to share calendars and schedule calls
- Zoom, my go-to application for all my video or audio calls with clients
A ten-dollar per hour social media gig got Mindi hooked onto remote work—see how she meets her client and business goals and manages time zone differences.
Read full interview from Interview with Mindi, a content manager and social media strategist .
Interview with Josephine, an integrated content producer traveling the world
Slack, Zoom, Trello, Airtable, G Suite, WhatsApp and Hubspot are my go-tos. Use each every day.
I also use the Adobe Creative Cloud for my production and post-production needs. And Sketch. Holy crap, I use quite a fair bit of tools!
Josephine got a dream gig of traveling while engaging in her passion for digital storytelling. Hear about the work she is doing to bring awareness to remote work.
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Interview with Grainne, a professional writer and content marketing manager who works remotely
I use Buckets.co every day for managing my tasks, brainstorming with other peeps, and collaborating on projects.
It's my main work hub, and I can't imagine organizing my work via any other medium now. I also use Slack on a daily basis to communicate with the team I'm working with.
Grainne's freelance work led to her landing a remote work job—see how she manages distractions and balances her work with Buckets.co and her clients.
Read full interview from Interview with Grainne, a professional writer and content marketing manager who works remotely.