Working from home offers freedom and flexibility. But if you’re not careful, things become a little too free and a little too flexible. After working from home for the last 8 years, I’ve found some productivity tools for entrepreneurs that are incredibly useful. Not only in creating structure and boundaries, but also for staying organized, and getting my work done. Today, I want to share some programs, systems, and groups–almost all with a free version–that have been meaningful in keeping everything flowing in my work-from-home business.
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Table of Contents
Asana
Asana is a work management platform that has both a free and paid version. You can easily track tasks and projects, assign due dates, or invite guests to your Asana boards. Asana also offers different views: whether you like to see your tasks in list form, on a calendar, or in movable ‘stickies.”
Some more pluses–I find Asana easy to navigate. I appreciate that Asana allows me to get email reminders when tasks are almost due. I also enjoy their animations that help you celebrate finishing a task–jumping unicorns no less!
(I can’t believe this is the first thing that popped up when I searched “Asana jumping unicorns.” How could you be anti-unicorn?)
I’ve never needed to pay for the more robust Asana features. With the free plan, you can have up to three project views at one time. Paid Asana, which starts at $10.99 per user (if paid annually), may be for you if you have a large team, need to manage more than 3 projects, or would like to use automations. You also get access to 24/7 support with the paid plan.
If you’re not sure what you need, read more about Asana’s different tiers of service. But, I recommend starting with their free version and seeing how you like using it before paying.
Trello
Although similar to Asana, Trello has a more tactile feel, if a computer program can be tactile. Trello features drag-and-drop “sticky notes” that you can move around and reorder on each project. In Trello, projects are separated into different boards, kind of like an old-school bulletin board.
Much like Asana, you can assign due dates, invite other people to your boards, organize and color code projects. Trello’s free plan doesn’t limit the number of users, but it does restrict you to 10 boards.
Trello vs. Asana
Trello offers a simpler interface than Asana. It comes down to your preference and how you enjoy ordering your tasks. I actually use both programs. Lately, I’ve been using Asana for my personal tasks and Trello boards for client projects.
Other positives: I appreciate that you can easily change the background color of the board, as it makes it easy to quickly distinguish between different projects. And I also appreciate the color-coding and labeling features, because it’s simple to quickly scan the boards and see what’s going on.
There is also the ability to create a checklist of tasks, which makes it clear to see where you stand on a project and what’s still left to do.
The paid version of Trello starts at $5 per user, per month, if you pay annually. You may want to invest if you need more than 10 boards.
Toggl
I’ve tried a few different time-tracking systems, but I find Toggl the most reliable and intuitive to navigate. It’s quick and easy to start the timer, assign it to a project, and even color-code your projects to make it easy to quickly find something.
I use Toggl to track client projects and work for my own business. I create a new entry for each type of task, and assign it to a specific project.
Major benefit: Accuracy
Some other tracking programs I’ve used are not always accurate when I search for specific entries. The numbers fluctuate, and this has caused errors when I’m invoicing clients. However, I haven’t faced this problem with Toggl.
Another major benefit is that you can easily see if your timer is on or off when you click over to another tab. The color is either gray, which means the timer is off, or pink, which means it’s on. This makes it easy to keep track, and your time-tracking will be a lot more accurate.
Pricing
The lowest tier of the paid version of Toggl ($9/month) includes a billable hours feature, which could be super useful if you don’t have a CRM to invoice your clients (see below for my CRM recommendation). They also offer project time estimates and alerts–helpful if you need to work a specific number of hours, or if you need to estimate how long a project will take.
Slack
Slack is a messaging app. Sometimes I use it to communicate with clients. Other times I use it to have conversations with other service providers. When I co-hosted a content challenge, we used Slack as a hub. We’d give everyone their optional homework for the day. And we also offered the space for participants to get to know each other.
Slack is divided into different channels that are like themed areas to discuss a particular subject. If you belong to more than one Slack channel, you can access them all from the same place. You just have to have used the same email to sign up. This keeps things simple and streamlined.
Let’s see, what else is fun about Slack? Two things I appreciate are being able to get quicker answers than email, and fun emojis.
I’ve only ever used the free version. But if you’d like access to all your messages longer than 90 days, the paid version might be for you. The lowest tier is $7.25 a month, billed annually, or $8.75 billed monthly. Read more about Slack’s paid features here.
HoneyBook
HoneyBook is a CRM for small business owners who need to manage clients and projects and want to be able to do it in one place. HoneyBook has many features, but here are a few that I find the most useful.
Customizable invoices
Billing and invoicing can take a ton of time, but HoneyBook allows you to customize your invoices and make them into templates. You can also create service types and categories to make monthly invoicing a quicker process.
HoneyBook manages payments
It’s also worth mentioning that although HoneyBook uses Stripe as its credit card and ACH bank transfer processor, it’s a bit different from the way some other CRMs work with Stripe. HoneyBook handles the whole thing, so if you ever have a question about a payment, you should contact them directly. It also means you don’t have to set up a separate Stripe account.
HoneyBook charges a competitive 3% fee for both domestic and international cards, and 1.5% for ACH bank transfers.
Editable templates
They include many email and contract templates for small business owners. My favorite is the one requesting a testimonial after working with a client. As we all know, it’s smart to get testimonials while we’re still top of mind. HoneyBook makes it possible to automate the process of sending the form, so you can set it up to be sent to your client right after you finish the project.
Helpful support
Other pros: I find that HoneyBook’s support is helpful and knowledgeable. They have a chat feature from within the CRM. First, a bot will try to assist you with articles to help you find the answer to your question. If that doesn’t work, a human being will get back to you shortly. They will look at the particular file or invoice I’m having an issue with and give me screenshots of how to resolve the problem.
Cons: HoneyBook is only set up for US and Canada-based businesses. Also, since it’s a robust CRM, it will take some time to understand the ins and outs of the HoneyBook system.
I recommend reading about HoneyBook’s pricing since they offer different tiers of service and discounts for signing up for 2 years.
I’ve partnered with HoneyBook to share 30% off your first year when you join with my referral link, or use the code willow at checkout.
Use this HoneyBook link for 30% off your first year.
Adobe Express
Once you’ve got your projects organized and your clients managed, there’s still the matter of actually looking the part. Adobe Express is a design tool that makes it easy to create branded graphics, social media posts, and marketing materials without needing design experience — a good alternative if Canva or Photoshop ever feels like too much.
You can start from a template, drop in your brand colors and fonts, and have something ready to share in minutes.
Adobe Express has a free version that covers a lot of ground, or you can access the full version (with many templates and premium assets) starting at $9.99/month.
I think it’s worth exploring the free version first to get a feel for it. It’s a solid addition to your productivity toolkit as an entrepreneur, whatever version you decide to use.
Co-working and other groups
So, we’ve covered online productivity tools for work-from-home entrepreneurs. But they aren’t the only thing that makes a difference. Focus isn’t only about productivity and keeping your head down working.
At home, I’m able to create a quiet atmosphere and get a lot done. But, sometimes I need human interaction. That’s where conversations with other entrepreneurs and freelancers come in handy.
Working by myself is usually a luxury but sometimes it gets lonely and stale. That’s when I take advantage of Focusmate, a virtual body-doubling program. It’s similar to Zoom but the advantage is that they match you with another person working at any time of the day or night. You can work at a desk, clean your house, exercise, or do whatever you need to get done, as long as you stay on camera.
Focusmate
How Focusmate works
Focusmate matches you with another person through their calendar system. At the beginning of the session, you’ll see your partner. Both of you use the first minute or so of the call to declare your goals for the session. Then, you can also add updates in the chat if you choose to.
Some people also like to share their screen to show you what they’re working on — I’ve seen the beginnings of novels, and interesting and accomplished people’s resumes.
The time is focused, as the name suggests, and you don’t talk to your partner while they’re working. But once the session is up, a bell chimes, and you can let your partner know how things went.
Why it works
Focusmate says this video-conferencing approach works because “When you work alongside someone, even virtually, it creates a sense of responsibility and commitment.” I’ve noticed firsthand.
Focusmate offers three different session lengths: 20, 50 and 75 minutes. You can schedule them days ahead, or only 10 minutes beforehand. I’ve had good luck finding partners at almost all times of the day. An added benefit is that I meet people from around the world.
With the free version of Focusmate, they offer 3 meetings a week. If you need more than that, it costs $6.99/month, billed yearly or $9.99/month, billed monthly; either option gives you unlimited meetings.
Say you try Focusmate free and enjoy it. With this link, you can get a free month of FocusMate Plus, their paid service. It means you get unlimited sessions for a whole 30 days!
Digital Cleanup
It’s hard to concentrate when your computer and devices are filled to the brim with photos, videos, and files you no longer need. But cleaning things out isn’t that fun, either. It’s always easy for me to find an excuse. That’s why I love that The Ecopreneur Community hosts a monthly Digital Cleanup.
Keeping your computer and other devices uncluttered helps you stay productive and also reduces your carbon footprint. The hosts of The Ecopreneur Community always have a bunch of tips for how to clean out files quickly. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to clear out files surrounded by a (virtual) group of interesting, purpose-led business owners.
Sign up for the Digital Cleanup here. You’ll see that The Ecopreneur Community hosts some other events, which are also great.
Creative Hour
All work and no play does not a productive entrepreneur make. If you’re feeling the need to connect with interesting people, join our small group of creatives and entrepreneurs for Creative Hour. Every second Thursday of each month, we discuss a new business or creativity-related topic and offer an opportunity to connect with interesting people from around the world.
Many entrepreneurs I speak with are looking for ways to get their message out to more people. So, we often offer topics around pitching and online collaboration. Our monthly meet ups are a great place to get to know other purpose and heart-led business owners and creatives.
Sign up for Creative Hour here.
Productivity is illusive and it takes a mix of ingredients
Productivity can be a fine balance for work-from-home entrepreneurs. That’s why I like these online tools and groups to keep things flowing and create variety in my schedule.
With tools like Asana and HoneyBook, I can keep my projects organized and communicate with clients in a streamlined fashion. And, with Focusmate and the Digital Clean Up, I can beam in workmates to keep me more structured, accountable and supported.
With Creative Hour, I get to explore my ideas and discuss important topics with other entrepreneurs. It always seems to make it easier to concentrate on my work the next day.
The structure of these productivity programs, coupled with social activities online, seems to be a winning mix for me. Of course, you’ll have to figure out what works for you. But I hope these productivity tools for entrepreneurs will help you create a conducive environment to get stuff done and have plenty of time for fun outside work.
