Now that I've added two interns to coco+kelley (with the hopes of hiring an assistant on the horizon) and possibly adding a third intern to the mix later this summer, I'm starting to really get organized around here...
Do any of you use online project management tools? Since we tend to work virtually most days, having an online system for keeping track of tasks, projects and all that jazz would sure be handy. Right now, I'm using Asana (which is the tool we use for Rue), but I'm wondering if there are others out there any of you would recommend?
And, of course, any of you small business owners who have experience in managing their own little staff, I'm always open to words of wisdom and advice as I forge ahead!
*image by belathée for coco+kelley
Teux deux. I love it. You move day by day and the things you dont cross move automatically to the next day, there is also a someday list at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be more organised! I need some one to "focus" me!
ReplyDeleteI use SpringPad, you can enter your items online, as well as have access to them through an app, on your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. It is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what you end up doing...I make excel documents with lists and what needs to get done for my blog. I'm also pretty old fashioned with a notebook and pen for the most part!
ReplyDeleteManaging a small office is a learning experience! I work for a really small company and have had to learn a lot about hiring and managing people - I still have a lot to learn! One piece of advice I would give is to make sure that you try a person out before hiring them full time. When you're working with a very small team everyone really has to be the right fit in terms of their personality as well as their work ethic.
Good luck!!
I don't have any recommendations, unfortunately, but I do wish you tons of success! It is really great to get insights on your life, and the challenges, of being a business owner.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used this, but I have heard good things about it from others and they offer a free monthly trial which is always nice: www.gzmprojects.com
ReplyDeleteHow do I stay organized? Very simple: I just don't.
ReplyDeleteUmpf.
Bit old school here, but I am still using Microsoft Project along with Outlook. Between the two, I can make sure we are on track expense and time wise, and get everyone informed and where they need to be when they need to be.
ReplyDeleteI'm such an old-school gal. I like paper, though I know it's not eco-friendly or tech-savvy, I keep all business receipts in pretty little gold paper clips by month. I have it all in an excel file, too, but there's something about those gold paper clips...
ReplyDeleteLOVE the desk photo, by the way. Beautiful blog!
I end up doing everything in my Outlook calendar. A bit old fashioned compared to the tools out there now for time management...
ReplyDeleteYou know what is exceptionally hard is when you start to ignore the pop-up reminders because you've seen them so many times telling you to make calls into certain companies. Kind of like the snooze button. It's a vicious cycle for me :)
Salesforce is my favorite to use. You have areas to keep your contacts, add automatic dials and set meetings in a calendar, communicate with your "team" in an almost facebook-style layout where you can attach voicemails, emails, videos, music or pictures to your posts, AND track your progress. I've used a lot of different programs, and I swear by this one. Great customizable design and personalized tracking.
ReplyDeleteI use Basecamp (looove it) and Teux-Deux. Basecamp lets you manage multiple projects, share documents, allow others access to a project but not others (even clients!), keep a calendar and checklists for each project... it's kind of brilliant. I think they JUST integrated the to-do's with the calendar but I haven't investigated that yet so meanwhile my official to-do is on Teux-Deux because I like the simplicity and I like checking things off.
ReplyDeletePersonally I am obsessed with good ol' GoogleDocs. You can access them on your phone/computer what have you and it makes it really easy and straight forward to work as a team. There are probably more professional (and $$) systems out there, but google docs fits the bill!
ReplyDeleteOrganization is often very personal. What works for you might not work for others. It sounds like you got lots of good advise...one many of us will benefit from.
ReplyDeleteOutlook for emails and appointments linked to my phone. Hard paperwork gets fanned out by project on a large table. I love my stapler and I currently love giant black binder clips. Dropbox works great for large files we need to share with others.
ReplyDeleteI was going to mention BaseCamp like Maggie Rose did. When I was working for start ups we used that. It was great easy tool, its been about a year or two since I used it, so I can only imagine that its gotten better.
ReplyDeleteI am going to check out teux deux.
Another vote here for TeuxDuex! I also read David Allen's "The Art of Getting Things Done." He stresses having one single location for listing all of your things, to get them off of your mind so you can focus, which is what TeuxDuex is perfect for!
ReplyDeleteMy desk is my sanctuary...My whole life can be found on my desk so its imperative that it stays organized!!!
ReplyDeleteCorrection! (I just looked it up) It's called "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity" Yes, I am a total organization nerd.
ReplyDeletewe have a software program that manages us and organizes tasks and stuff - but it's a hefty $$$ to invest in - but great way to see if ur employees are doing what they suppose to as well assign tasks and so forth ..
ReplyDeleteWhere are the stapler and tape dispenser from?!?! They would be the perfect additions to my (semi)organized life!
ReplyDeleteI have no clue about project management software HOWEVER if you haven't already done this, implementing it will be helpful: Decide the details of how your staff will be evaluated. Evaluation is important because it allows you to formally give feedback to staff members on a regular basis. This way there is no descrepency about how they are performing.
ReplyDeleteDecide how often you will do a formal evaluation.
Provide a detailed summary of expectations that they will be evaluated on. Let them know what those expectations are verbally and hardcopy (or electronic if you prefer).
Give them regular check ins on how they are progressing.
Allow them the opportunity to evaluate themselves and you as their supervisor.
Have a one on one meeting with them to go over their evaluation from you.
This may seem micromanage-y but in truth, having documentation about their performance can only help you. If they need a reference for another position, you can use your documentation to provide solid examples and feedback regarding their performance. If you regretably have an unhappy employee who wants to take you to task for "treating them unfairly", you have documentation to defend you.
Also, that feedback will help them get better. Which means your team is better. Which means your organization is better. Win win!!!
And if you already do all that, I apologize for the long comment!
I wish I had something helpful to say.. but I struggle with it ALL THE TIME! I love that quote by the way.
ReplyDeleteKacie
I try really hard to never ask my team to do something that I'm not willing to do - even if it's something like making coffee or stamping the post! It means a lot to them to see you do it too. That's my main advice. Here are my others: 1) Surprises - the good kind - are great to lift morale, especially in the middle of a really hard/long project or to celebrate the end of one. 2) Reflect on what your past employers did that made you really enjoy working for them, enjoy your job, and try to mirror those attributes. 3) As hard as it might be at times, first and foremost, you're the boss, not the best friend; it's super hard at times, but it's an important line to draw and your team will respect you for it. Good luck and congrats on getting the extra help!!
ReplyDeleteI used trello.com to manage my wedding and honeymoon. I find the visual aspect of trello suits my needs perfectly.
ReplyDeleteDropbox. It auto updates and stores a copy to your harddrive and is accessible by iphone and ipad. Probably droids too.
ReplyDeleteIt's easier to use than google docs. There's no shared calendar function but it's been a blessing in my start up with my small team. I have a colleague with a larger team of 20+ wherein this program doesn't work too well for them [too many cooks in one kitchen]. But for a small group [I always have less than 10 including my temps], this is great. On the actual dropbox site, you can check to see who last updated one, view previous versions of files, restore previous versions, and view deleted files. It's a great back up system.
Also, in terms of employing people, I agree with Lisa Lisa Lisa about setting up evaluations. It gives every body a good sense of what needs to be done by whom. Also, I try to give everyone a sense of responsibility over at least two things that overlap with someone else. Just so you're never in a bind [only one person knows how to complete one project and then something happens and poof they're gone and so is a lot of your project's progress].
Also, I tend to talk to my staff about issues rather than email. Everyone knows that, given the opportunity, a lot of people will read negatively into emails. So constructive criticism is best in person, eye to eye, rather than eye to screen.
also, I just came across this: http://www.designsponge.com/2012/05/biz-ladies-best-online-tools-for-your-business.html
ReplyDeleteI use Goal Enforcer. The former science teacher in me loves to see information organized in charts and graphs. Plus, it's so fulfilling to 'check' a task (circle) and see it turn green! Love the green. However, after reading these comments, I'm going to check out TeuxDuex. Right now.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to check in with Toby Fairly...she's been doing seminars on this type of thing. franki
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with TeuxDeux - totally LOVE it and it satisfies my love of lists and crossing things off :)
ReplyDeletealso second the question about where that awesome stapler is from?!
My husband and I use Trello to manage household tasks. It's simple, free, and works great for us!
ReplyDeleteI searched high and low for my dream to-do list software and settled on Things. It's fantastic!
ReplyDelete