As an entrepreneur, you have to keep a lot of balls in the air. You have your hands in almost everything that’s happening at your company, which means being effective at delegating as well as having excellent time management skills is a major plus.
But let’s be honest. Not many entrepreneurs and small business owners shine in those areas, which is why project management tools can be an entrepreneur’s best friend.
The benefits of project management tools are vast. They can help entrepreneurs delegate tasks with ease and organize their to-do lists so that projects get completed and stay on schedule. But, every system offers something a little different and should be chosen based on your particular needs.
To make the search for the perfect project management tool a little simpler, here are six that every SMB entrepreneur should consider using:
Basecamp
One of the first project management tools to hit the scene, Basecamp is an excellent PM site for beginners. The interface provides a centralized location for every task you need to accomplish within a team structure. This not only includes tasks and projects but all forms of communication. So, rather than a long chain of emails, everyone involved can post to a centralized board, and users can be given different permissions depending on the role they play.
There is also a “to-do” section where administrators can assign additional tasks with due dates. Important files can be attached to these assignments, and a calendar is available to schedule meetings and set deadlines.
Price: $99/month all-inclusive with no user fees
Asana
Asana is a program that allows a team to use existing templates to add new workflows to the system. Additional functions include the ability to:
- Create tasks
- Manage communication
- Break projects into subtasks
- Comment on projects
- Automatic Notifications
Asana will email any updates you need to track and stay on top of everyone’s work. This is ideal when a team must start another project before completing the first. Management can check the status easily without needing to open the app or contact additional team members. Or, if they choose to log in, there is an analytics section for more detailed insights.
Price: Starts at $10.99/month, billed annually, or $13.49/month if billed monthly
Trello
Trello is based on the Kanban-style of project management. The program functions off of Gantt charts, which are bar-type charts that illustrate a project’s schedule and progress. Trello is designed to take traditional concepts of project management (the ones you see in manufacturing) and make them simple for the everyday office.
Trello is intuitive and highly visual. This makes it an ideal platform for a non-project manager. The card-based design is user-friendly and easy to understand.
Just like the Kanban-style of old assembly lines, each card has a list of tasks that can be moved according to project evolution and shifting priorities. Cards can also be updated via email, so there is no need to log-in for simple changes.
Price: Free or $9.99/month for Business Class. Additional plans are available.
Todolist
Todolist is heavily focused on communication. They cover the basics like task assignments, automated notifications, and scope management. What sets this platform apart is the flexibility.
Todolist functions on ten different platforms. That means everyone in a project can easily collaborate, regardless of their device or operating system. This leads to much faster adoption across the board.
Price: Free or $3/month for Premium. Additional plans are available.
Pivotal Tracker
If you’ve been using one of the best project management tools and are ready to take it to the next level, you may want to consider Pivotal Tracker. This style of project management focuses on the agile structure. It’s a story-based system with an easy drag-and-drop interface. If you prefer to manage people through mobile apps, Pivotal Tracker has an excellent selection.
This platform is perfect for people managing multiple projects (and tasks within them). Because the system is focused on agile PM, it comes with an extensive analytics tool to measure your efficiency between projects.
Price: Starts at $12.50/month billed annually, or $29.17/month billed monthly.
Monday
This is a status-focused project management tool with easy onboarding. Workflows can be quickly managed and customized. Build dashboards to gain important insights and track progress at a glance. Monday is a simplified system for beginners. It provides updates with ease and is an action-oriented platform.
In addition to extreme customization, Monday also offers a variety of premade templates. If you already have systems in place, the program is great for integrations like:
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Zapier
Monday also has a lot of options for automation. Turn on your auto-pilot and easily mechanize a workflow until finished.
Price: Starts at $39/month billed annually. Additional plans are available.
Before you decide on the best site for your brand, consider your top three needs, in addition to budget. Is it communication? Does your business need to grow? Once you establish what’s required, it will be easy to choose the best project management tool to provide value.