Three tools that my remote business couldn’t live without
- Written by Pure Public Relations founder and Managing Director, Phoebe Netto
Business owners need to get lots of things done in the most efficient way. In order to get there, it’s critical for business owners to invest in making sure their tech is up-to-date and efficient.
There are a handful of apps and cloud-based services I use in my PR agency to increase our team’s productivity, help me keep on top of everything, and reduce business costs in the process. Here are some of my favourite apps and tools that you too may find helpful.
Loom
We’ve always been a fully remote business, since long before the pandemic reared its head. Over the years, we’ve really honed our ability to work remotely - and Loom is a critical piece of the puzzle.
Loom is one of my favourite hacks for reducing meetings while still communicating effectively with my team. Instead of scheduling and attending time-consuming meetings, we can simply record our thoughts, screen recordings, presentations, or project updates using Loom. When a team member needs something, they can create a Loom video outlining their request and any necessary details.
This not only saves time but also provides a clear and concise way to communicate with the team. Plus, team members can watch these videos at their own pace, increasing their understanding and retention of the information.
Google Alerts
You’ve probably heard of Google Alerts, but are you using them to their greatest advantage? Google Alerts allows you to monitor developing news stories, keep up to date with competitor or industry movements, get the latest on important events, or even keep tabs on your favourite sports teams (if you’re too busy at work to watch them play).
Simply set up the topics and keywords that you want to be alerted about, and Google will email you to notify you when the search term crops up in news stories. So, if you’re in the paper industry, you can use ‘paper’ as a search term and get sent regular updates about everything from new book releases to anti-logging rallies.
Evernote
Evernote is one of my all-time favourites and makes portable organisation easy, allowing you to organise and store information that you may need at a later date. Within the app you can record images, audio and documents, then tag them and sort them into folders in the cloud. You can then access your notes and have them sync automatically across all your devices, including your smartphone, iPad or laptop.
Next time you are handed a business card or post-it note, you don’t need to worry about losing little pieces of paper. Just take a photo in Evernote and it is there when you need it. You can even search for text within images.
Or if you find an online article that you want to read later, save the URL in Evernote and when you are waiting in line you can access the online article on your smartphone using the Evernote app.
If you are like me, some of your greatest ideas come when you are away from your desk. You can make the most of these moments by recording an audio message while you are on the go, creating a reminder, or writing your thoughts when you wake in the middle of the night. I use Evernote as a filing cabinet, word processor, list maker, and more.
Finally, remember that technology is a powerful tool, but it's only as effective as the systems you have in place to harness them. To ensure success, invest in your team's training and comfort with the tech you use within your business: whether it’s the latest generative AI or tools that have been around for decades.
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