Cloud-based technologies have made working remotely or from home accessible to many, but the knowledge of how to apply these technologies is sometimes not obvious and often overwhelming.
The perception of migrating away from your normal place of work is often fraught with compromises in both productivity and technical ability but cutting the apron strings from the office can be painless, low cost or even free.
To save you from a multitude of confusing and expensive options, I’ve condensed some of the best, low cost or free options to choose from. This does leave with only one important decision to make: Do I need to get dressed this morning?
I love CRM systems and a good CRM system should give you a level of transparency to everything you do, ensuring you’re not missing opportunities. I personally like Capsule. You can try it free for 30 days and the cost is relatively low in comparison to some of the big guns. Also, their support team are amazing.
Needless to say, communication is key when working remotely and you can get a full business-grade phone system for inbound and outbound calls from SwitchboardFREE for only £5 a month with no contract and no hidden extras. Set up is easy and with the app, you can do it all from your smartphone.
LinkedIn is the obvious one here. For professional liaisons and high-level networking, this is a must-have for any professional. The instant messaging is great, just don’t get too side-tracked by the news stream.
What’s better than a Conference, a free conference. Talk to your colleagues for free using Con-Flab. This little known conference site is used by some of the largest companies in the UK and for good reason.
If you’re finding the isolation too much then get some headspace. Headspace is cloud and app-based answer to the hecticness that is life, work and everything besides. What’s more, you can start with their free trial. Embrace solitude and be at one with yourself.
In a distracted world, staying focussed can be a challenge. Only respond to priority calls by letting someone else shoulder the burden. Pocket Receptionist can not only take your calls but take orders, payments and calendar bookings and you no longer need to discuss changing your energy supplier or talking to that one customer that just won’t leave you alone. Sit back and ensure all your calls are answered for you. You’re far too important to take calls yourself.
If you want the daddy of all to-do lists then Trello is the answer and It’s Free. Collaborate with others. Invite users and customise to your heart’s desire. I love this one so much I use to assign chores to my children.
Keeping on top of relevant information in your vertical or area of interest can lead you down a rabbit hole of tangents. The web can take you from looking at office furniture to cat memes in an instant.
Bring your focus back by using Feedly to consolidate all your information into one stream.
The above list should give you some good pointers on how to make working from home more productive and less stressful without breaking the bank.
Good luck!
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