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Tools to keep your
business running efficiently
when working remotely
Working remotely isn't a new phenomenon - over the
years the desire for a better work-life balance has become
increasingly important to the average employee. While
a primary concern for business owners is that if people
aren't in the office, they aren't working, a recent survey
(Capgemini Consulting report) indicated that mobile
workers were clocking around 240 more hours each year
than those who are office bound. Robin Olivier, Managing
Director at Apple Premium Reseller Digicape recommends
the following mobile applications to better facilitate
communication between staff members, particularly within
the context of a more mobile workforce:
▪^ PERDOO is an app that assists business when executing
strategies. "Not only does Perdoo promote collaboration
amongst the management team, it also offers a reporting
dashboard to quickly and easily assess the status of roll-
out," says Olivier.
▪^ TRELLO^ or TEAMWORK^ are apps that can make
delegation, time management and progress tracking a
breeze.
▪^ SLACK^ provides a platform to house all your team's
communication together, "creating a shared workspace
where conversations are organised accessibly," says Olivier.
▪^ OFFICEVIBE^ is a cloud-based online tool which provides
a real-time overview of company culture. It measures
metrics such as engagement, personal growth, recognition
and satisfaction; offering two-way anonymous feedback
to give staff the confidence to raise issues they otherwise
would not.
ON OUR BOOKSHELF
A quick pick of our top small business reads...
ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
STARTUPS
Harvard Business Review RRP: R
This is an easily-read 100 page
collection of ideas and best practices
drawn from The Harvard Business
Review (HBR). It succeeds in taking you
on a deep dive into relevant niche topics such as hiring
an entrepreneurial leader, writing a great business
plan and why the lean start-up methodology is
relevant for SMEs. Slanted towards the tech industry,
discussions and case studies include Marc Andreessen
and Reid Hoffman on what's next, Norman Winarsky
on lessons learnt in creating Apple's Siri, advice
for getting Venture Capital, buying your way into
entrepreneurship - and a lot more. A quick, accessible
read which punches above its weight.ON LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM
SPORTS
Harvard Business Review RRP: R
If you thought Manchester United's
legendary Sir Alex Ferguson had a
lot to teach you, you were right. On
Leadership Lessons from Sports takes
the HBR's access to other legends across sporting
codes, soliciting advice and guidance on mostly, how
to win. Many aspects of leadership are universal, and
understanding its effect in a sporting context gives a
valuable perspective on how to apply it to your own
team. Management, innovation, sustaining growth and
teamwork are other focus areas in this easy-to-read
collection of articles.HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
ENTREPRENEUR'S HANDBOOK
RRP: R
Harvard Business Review
Entrepreneur's Handbook is an
excellent book to learn about
launching and growing your new
business. Starting with preparing for the journey, it
goes on to help you define your enterprise, finance
your business, scale up and look to the future. If you
see an opportunity and create an organisation to
pursue it, you truly are an entrepreneur - and exactly
the type of person this book was written for. A good,
easily-understood book, and one you can come back
to time and again for advice as you grow.HOW TO FIND THE BEST
SOLUTION TO A PROBLEMUse this tool when a problem DROPS
onto your desk, and build a solutions
mindset in your employees:D - Describe the problem
R - Reasons behind it
O - Options to solve it
P - Pros and cons of each
S - Select best option
Source: The Manager's Coaching Toolkit by Dr David Allamby