Technology is great, but only if it helps you work better. On this episode, I share 7 tools that I use and will help you get the most of our your time. I currently use them all daily in my work and I’m excited to share their benefits with you.
My three criteria for selection these tools:
- Cross-platform
- Not apps/tools that you already know everything about
- Clear business model
- Frees time to invest doing the things you are best at
- I currently use all of them
Highrise (highrisehq.com)
- The problem this solves: Trying to piece together everything someone has every told you in multiple places.
- Far less complex than traditional CMSs
- Manage relationships
- Track conversations
- Tag people for events, projects, etc.
- Track details (birthdays, family names, etc.)
- Integrates Twitter and LinkedIn
- Basic task management
- Tracks pending customer deals
- Free plan up to 250 contacts / 30-day free trial
- What will this help you do? Get stuff out of your head and manage lots of different relationships.
Basecamp (basecamp.com)
- The problem this solves: Re-doing the same work again and again and checking in to see if people have done stuff.
- Project management tracking
- Templates for projects
- Integration with a team
- No free version, but a 60-day free trial (no credit card), $20/month
TimeTrade (timetrade.com)
- The problem this solves: Spending countless hours going back and forth with people on times to schedule with you.
- You give TimeTrade calendar access (Outlook, Calendar, Google calendar) and it looks for free spots
- You have a link and people can schedule and cancel automatically
- Great for people who are outside your organization and don’t want to have any detailed access to your calendar
- Appointments show up automatically in calendar and by email
- One downside – you need to watch what is free in your calendar
- Free version is available, but I use the $49/year version
Lift (lift.do)
- The problem this solves: Keeps you on track for the daily habits that are important to you.
- Set habits in the system
- Track when you complete them
- Follow others and encourage others and get encouragement in return
- Example: Wake up at 5am
- It sends you little motivators by email on alerts on your phone
- This version is entirely free
- See screenshot below from my iPhone
Instapaper (instapaper.com)
- The problem this solves: Cool articles on the web distracting you from getting your work done
- Set up an account and install an extension in your browser
- See something you like? Hit the button on your browser and it saves it into your account.
- Read it later on the device you want to use. I use the Instapaper app on my iPad.
- I can then send it other places.
- Instapaper account is free, but the apps are a few dollars, depending on the device you use. Or, you can read on the web.
- Pocket is a another alternative, but I’m not clear on their business model.
Buffer (bufferapp.com)
- The problem this solves: Staying engaged on social media without having to be on social media all the time
- One of my goals this year – show up more online. But how, with limited time?
- Fill your queue with relevant things for the people who follow you
- Buffer will post them on your behalf at regular intervals
- Great way to feature the work of others – I do this especially with Twitter
- Free version available, but I use $10/month version
1Password (1password.com)
- The problem this solves: Not having to track all those passwords in your life and also limiting the ability of hackers to get access to your life
- Create unique passwords for every site you visit online
- Keep them all in one place, protected by a master password
- Login automatically from your browser
- Syncs across devices using Dropbox or iCloud
- Massive time saver and fantastic peace of mind
- Just this week, Adobe announced they had a breach of accounts
- $40-$80 depending on the version you buy
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