It’s easy to know what the team is working on at your business when, as a fledgling business owner, you’re the sole employee.

That will change as your business grows and you add more talent to your staff. As your team expands you’ll find yourself asking things like:

• Who’s working on what?
• Has anyone even started those projects you’ve been asking about for the past three weeks?
• How much has your team completed on certain tasks?

It’s tough to know the answers to these sorts of questions without tracking down your individual employees and getting a status update from each of them, right?

Wrong.

Nowadays, cloud-based tools make it possible for everyone to be on the same page. Using these productivity tools your team can align on common goals, know what other team members are working on, and hit deadlines more efficiently — no matter where in the world they’re located.

How to Increase Productivity.

One of the most frustrating things about working remotely is wasted time. And a big time waster across remote teams is duplication of effort — when two or more people are working on the same thing (unbeknownst to one another) because of poor planning, communication, and tracking. When that happens people get discouraged because all parties involved realize they could have been using their time more wisely.

Sharing your documents and files with one another prevents this issue from happening. With cloud-based documents and tools, files automatically sync so that one person can see what another is working on. What’s even better is that multiple people can work on these files at the same time if need be. Shared documents are a great and quick way to knock things off your to-do list.

Cloud-based productivity tools don’t stop there, though. They also offer things like video calls. Video calls help your team stay together as if they were meeting in the same room. The face-to-face interaction removes the chance of confusing tone in an email, so your team knows the importance of hitting a deadline without feeling over-managed. Set up a weekly video meeting with your team, and individuals, so everyone can stay on the same page with your business.

Make the Most of Your Time with Cloud-Based Tools.

What cloud-based productivity tools do we recommend?

At Domain.com, we’re big fans of both Google’s G Suite and Microsoft 365. You may be more familiar with one or another, but both offer intuitive, helpful solutions for working from home or remotely.

Do you identify with any of the following statements?

• I need to improve my productivity.
• I need to access files at the office, at home, and in-between.
• I sometimes do work on my laptop, but also my smartphone or tablet.
• I need an email address that my customers’ recognize.
• I need big workplace solutions at small prices.
• I need to maintain the security of my work documents while at home or elsewhere.
• I need to know what my team is working on and when.

If so, G Suite and Microsoft 365 are here to help. Let’s take a look at what they offer. 

Google’s G Suite

G Suite is perfect for those looking to increase their business credibility, build their brand, communicate effectively with employees and customers, and improve productivity.

G Suite Communication Tools

Gmail, Calendar, Hangouts, and Meet are tools designed and built to help you maintain open and effective lines of communication. These resources offer instant messaging, email (that matches your domain name for a professional look), and video chat capabilities.

G Suite Collaboration Tools

Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, and Sites are tools created to allow for work and collaboration from anywhere. They let you work harmoniously with your team from across the room or across the globe.

G Suite Storage Tools

Having hard copies of your documents can be nice, but it certainly isn’t convenient. G Suite offers Google Drive and Cloud so you can store, edit, and securely maintain your important information. Access and share your files instantly, from anywhere, without worrying about merging documents or attaching and downloading files.

G Suite Management Tools

You want your team to have access to the materials they need while working remotely, but how do you make sure your important business documents don’t get into the wrong hands? G Suite offers Admin, Vault, and Mobile tools to help you easily and securely control your data, devices, and users.

You can learn more about G Suite and our offerings here.

Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft 365 is a great solution for those who are building their digital identity and establishing their business online.

With Microsoft 365, you’ll receive familiar and trusted business tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and so much more. Its tools allow you to analyze your business data, protect your business information, and enable social networking and real-time communication with your teams.  

Domain.com offers various Microsoft 365 plans so you can begin with your domain name and a matching email address, and grow into the solutions you need. If you’re already an established business, we’ve got the perfect Microsoft 365 plan for you, too.  We’ll dive into what each one covers right now.

Email Essentials

This plan offers business-class email and calendar services. It includes 15 GB of Exchange Online storage and offers the familiarity of Outlook you know and trust.

You’ll receive an email address to match your domain name with this plan, and that gives you credibility and instant recognition in your customers’ inboxes. 

And don’t forget to keep the team on track and working together with the shared marketing calendar that you’ll receive in the Email Essentials plan.

Business Plus

This plan consists of the core cloud services you’ll need to run your business, including business-class email, online meeting tools, and cloud storage to edit, collaborate, and share your files. You’ll never have to worry about uploading and attaching documents again!

Our Microsoft 365 Business Plus plan provides you with 50 GB of Exchange Online storage, Microsoft Office Online (with familiar tools like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), 1 TB of business cloud storage with OneDrive, and online meetings, IM, and video chat capabilities with Microsoft Teams.

If you’ve got a remote team, consider starting with this plan, Business Essentials, or the following plan, Business Pro. 

Business Pro

Microsoft 365 Business Pro gives you the freedom to take your office anywhere you go. Working from home, the cafe, or while traveling? Microsoft 365 has your back. 

With this plan, you’ll receive Microsoft Office for desktop, Microsoft 365 apps for mobile and tablets, and automatic syncing across all your devices. 

Put some time back in your day by automating tasks like booking appointments and meetings with Business Pro!

Learn more about Microsoft 365 and get started here.

Work Together Like You’re All Local.

The internet has changed the meaning of a typical workday. Your team members can work anywhere they want, but it’s up to you to make sure they’re not working on whatever they want. Centralized productivity tools address that issue, and make them feel like they’re working in the same room. With close collaboration and the sharing of ideas, your business gets better work from the team.

When your team is spread far and wide across the country, or the world, the tools you use are the thread that holds your business together.

Once team members can work towards the same goal, see what the rest of the team is working on, and efficiently hit all their deadlines, your business stays on the right track. Even without being in the same room, your team can come together to complete the essential tasks that grow your business.