Technology connects people all over the globe. Now it also gives small business owners the ability to manage employees even if they’re not physically in the same location. This is the reason why online outsourcing and telecommuting are becoming part of the norm. With the help of technology, you can literally create a virtual office and communicate through online channels and keep your team on track.
While it is true that technology is rather powerful, it does not mean that managing teams and employees remotely can be done in a snap. It must be learned and planned.
With that in mind, Small Business Trends has collected a variety of prior articles that address the key issues related to using technology to create a better team and a better business.
101 Small Business Web Applications You Must Check Out
If you are planning to manage a team with technology, you must try to learn as much as you can about the different tools available to you. Here we look at an incredible list of 101 online tools that you can use for this purpose. We have categorized the list based on what each tool does best.
20 Online Project Management Tools to Boost Productivity
It’s said that a team is only as good as its output. This makes productivity paramount to anything else. Lucky for you, there are now some online project management tools that you can use to remotely manage your team.
17 Web-based Sketching and Painting Tools
In addition to the basic business processes, you also need some tools for creating and designing graphics. Here are 17 sketching and painting tools that you can use while you’re online.
5 Tech Tools to Help You Manage Your Small Business From Home
Managing a business from home is quite the fad nowadays. Bosses in the old days (think back to just 10 years ago) had to constantly travel to their offices just to get things done. But with the Internet, it is now possible to manage everything, even if they are working at home or living far away. In fact, some bosses live in other countries and they can still manage their business. If you want to do this, here are 5 tech tools to manage your small business.
How to Groom Social Media-Ready Employees
It is one thing that you have the tools to manage your employees. But it is another thing to groom your employees for the use of these tools. For example, some employees are not as accustomed to using social media. Here are some ways you can train employees to use sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others.
Top Gmail Apps and Plug-ins for Running a Business
Did you know you can use Gmail to run your business? It’s the main email processor of the world’s largest search engine, and it’s being used by lots of small businesses already for basic email needs. But more than sending or receiving emails, did you know that you can use it for business management, too? Here are some apps and plugins that can help.
Scaling for Growth: The Benefits of a Business Phone System in the Cloud
As technology has evolved, the phone systems have also changed. Once limited to traditional phone lines, phones can now be connected via the cloud. The good thing about this system is that it is faster, cheaper and more effective. Here is the benefit of having a cloud phone system for your business.
4 Cloud Storage Options for SMBs
Aside from cloud phone system, your employees and business can also benefit from the cloud as a remote storage system. Here is an article discussing 4 storage options that are perfect for small businesses.
Go Remote: 10 Ways to Free Up Your Business With a Tablet
Tablets have transformed the way we view and use the Web. To the same end, they’re freeing up time for small business owners and making them more efficient. Here are 10 ways to maximize your tablet for your business. There are valuable ideas here from using tablets to train employees remotely to using tablets for managing customers.
6 Marketing Collaboration Tools For Your Online Strategy
There are some online tools that you can use for marketing, too. But since these tools promote collaboration, which is best for team members who are working far from each other, we thought that we should include them here. Here are 6 marketing tools that can help you collaborate with your employees no matter where they are.
Team image via Shuttestock
Aira Bongco
The small business application list is exhaustive. I have bookmarked it so that I can go back to it in the future.
I personally use Dropbox and Basecamp (mentioned in the articles) and I think they’re great.