Let’s Talk Project Management Software!

When I begin working with a client I normally start by asking what project management software they use, and it’s not surprising that the response usually comes back as...none.

Many entrepreneurs are doing all tasks within their business themselves, and therefore feel that having a tool is pointless. However, project management tools are meant to help every size of business, even the solo ones.

They’re also designed to help when you do decide to scale your business and bringing on a team, even if it’s just one other person.

Within a platform, business owners can communicate, collaborate and tackle projects with amazing speed and efficiency. They can also keep their project related correspondence, files, tasks, etc. all in one place.

The short answer? There isn’t one that is THE best. What is the best tool for me may not be the best one for you.

The best tool for your business is the one you will actually use.

I’ve personally danced between five – yes, five – all at once! What I realized during this time was – project management software isn’t an ‘optional’ thing if you want to stay organized within your business.

However, if you choose a tool because someone else told you to, that won’t work either. It must fit your business rhythm – it must be something you yourself can’t live without. And for that reason, I changed how I recommend project management tools to my clients.

For years, I used to tell everyone ‘Basecamp is the way to go’. Then, clients would either not use it the way I wanted them to, or, would simply avoid it because they ‘couldn’t figure it out’. It wasn’t a part of their individual business language and because of that, they resisted it.

Now, we did eventually find a project management platform that worked for them, but, it took a little time, research, and yes, testing within their day-to-day rhythm.

The one piece of advice I want you to remember when choosing a project management platform is that a tool is only as good as its use. Let it sit there, and it won’t be doing you any good.

Luckily, most softwares out there will let you either have a free account or a trial period to help you get familiarized with their dashboard and features. So, test several of them out.

Think of it as trying on shoes! Determine which ones fit well, are comfortable, and feel like you could use them daily. Then once you figure out which one you want and stick with it.

During my own quest to find the best project management tool for my team, I decided to pull together a list of pros and cons on some of my favorites.

Basecamp is considered the leading project management tool around. It’s simple and easy to use interface enables collaboration between team members and clients.

Trello is a collaboration tool that organizes projects into boards. In one glance, Trello tells you what's being worked on, who's working on what and where something is in a process.

Podio enable you to organize and connect everything you work with including: projects, customers, employees, etc. Work is structured – so everyone knows what they're supposed to do, while always keeping sight of the bigger picture.

Asana makes it easy for teams to track their work and get results. From tasks and projects to conversations and dashboards, Asana enables teams to move work from start to finish.

Redbooth is the award-winning platform that empowers teams and companies to collaborate, communicate in real time and achieve breakthrough productivity.

Trello is a collaboration tool that organizes projects into boards. In one glance, Trello tells you what's being worked on, who's working on what and where something is in a process.