The importance of online Project Management Tools for small business owners cannot be overlooked. Neither can the significance of using an appropriate project management tool.
With the invention of new technologies allowing for the real-time tracking and monitoring of operations, online project management tools have grown in popularity for small businesses.
Please see my Blog Why Small Business Owners Should Apply Project Management Strategies.
A good project management software should enable the business owner to carry out functions such as:-
- planning,
- organising,
- coordinating,
- monitoring and
- control
It should offer user-friendly ways to break down the scope into tasks. Plus allow the user to monitor the progress of the business with respect to cost and time. The multi-user, real-time communication that many tools offer is a major plus, allowing collaborative among members of staff and departments.
With all that in mind, here is a list of our favourite online project management tools for small business owners:
Trello – www.trello.com
Trello tops my list because of the many features you can get absolutely free. This is an online planning website that allows you to:-
- create a board for any project,
- add in your team,
- break down the scope into detailed tasks,
- track the progress of each activity,
- post comments & feedback on each activity and
- automate repetitive tasks.
The free version is unlimited in time, the number of personal boards, cards, and lists and offers up to ten team boards.
If more boards are required the upgrading to Business Class for $9.99 or Enterprise for $20.83 per user per month allows for:-
- unlimited team boards
- more users,
- larger file attachments,
- app integrations and
- better administrative & security features – among other benefits.
Asana – www.asana.com
Asana comes in second and has features quite similar to Trello. Its user-friendly interface allows for:-
- planning,
- structuring,
- prioritisation,
- visualisation and
- tracking the progress of tasks.
It also offers effective communication and collaborative teamwork for businesses.
The Basic plan is free, allowing for up to 15 users. Upgrades to Premium and Enterprise go from $10.99 and $24.99 per user per month respectively. Additional benefits of upgrading include:-
- advanced reporting,
- more app integrations and
- data export options
Wrike – www.wrike.com
Next up is Wrike which is also an amazing project management tool, offering:-
- online management of workflows through simplified planning,
- scheduling using Gantt charts,
- resource and task allocation,
- centralised communication,
- app integrations,
- real-time reporting, and
- interactive dashboards.
The free version is for small teams of up to 5 users. Upgrading pricing is calculated per user per month. The Professional plan handling up to 15 users is $9.80, the Business plan handling up to 200 users is $24.80, and the Enterprise plan accommodating an unlimited number of users at a tailored price.
Additionally, it also has premium add-on features which include resource management, advanced reports & business analytics, publishing and encryption among others.
Teamwork Projects – www.teamwork.com
Teamwork Projects made it to the list because of its additional features beyond task and workflow management. Perhaps not as popular as the other three, it allows for:-
- the creation of tasks and activities,
- scheduling of timelines and milestones in Gantt charts,
- risk prioritisation & management,
- billing,
- cost management,
- progress report generation,
- proper file management using notebooks,
- collaborative teamwork and
- app integration among other amazing features.
Moreover, they have a Free Forever option that allows up to 5 users, but with a limited file space of 100MBs, up to 2 active projects and limited app integration. The Pro and the Premium plans cost $9 and $15 per user per month and allow for more storage space, more users and more app integrations. The Enterprise plan is priced according to your needs.
Conclusion
As a small business, any of the above online project management tools will go a long way in making your business more efficient and productive.
If you are just starting out, the collaborative teamwork features will allow you to include your virtual business manager (www.bravapro.com) as part of your team. In fact, your business manager could help you set up the system and automated processes for workflow. Therefore, leaving you to focus on the more critical tasks.
So, try them out, select your favourite, and get started!