Top 20 Productivity Tools We Shouldn’t Be Without

Share Files Through Dropbox

“This must-have app is installed on all our laptops, tablets, and phones. Since we’re often traveling or working remotely, Dropbox is absolutely essential in helping the whole team stay literally in sync. In addition, it makes updating and distributing decks that need to stay extremely up-to-date, like our Media Kit, very simple and efficient.”

Producteev Keeps Up Productivity

“Producteev is a cross-platform productivity application. It works online, on Desktop and across mobile applications to help streamline your personal or corporate activities.

Producteev is ideal for small teams and we use it extensively in my businesses.”

Keep Track of Tasks on Any.DO

“I organize my life around “to-dos” and without a doubt the best app to organize these tasks is Any.DO.

It’s simple and beautiful, which makes it a pleasure to use on a daily basis.”

Track the Noteworthy on Evernote

“Without a doubt, Evernote. I keep all meeting notes, client info and personal ideas in one place, and am able to access anything and everything from any of my devices on the go. I’ve used it religiously for the past couple years, and can’t help but wonder, “What the heck did I do before Evernote?”"

Get It Back With RescueTime

“RescueTime is a great app that runs in the background on your computer. It graphs your activity and breaks it down onto a scale from “very distracting” to “very productive.”

RescueTime helps me to find the leaks in my productivity so that I can address them and get the most out of my time.”

Stop Guessing With Wunderlist

“Wunderlist has become a wonder for me. Not only is it very easy to input all of your projects, your clients and their associated priorities, but the accessibility of it constantly syncing to all of your portable devices, such as your smartphone, tablet and computer. It is unrivaled and has made my life that much easier, whether in the office or on-the-go.”

Keep an Eye Out With Trello

“Trello allows me to easily keep track of our major tasks and the stage of development on each.

Trello is a simple and intuitive interface is perfect for web development teams. Best of all, it’s free.”

Money Matters on Freshbooks

“Client perception is important when you’re small. They need to see you have your act together, especially on the basics. If you can’t get that right, how can you handle their business?

Invoicing and expensing with Freshbooks makes it easy for me to look good and work efficiently.”

Day-to-Day on Google Calendar

“Without Google Calendar I’d never get anything done. Since the calendar is web-based, I always have access to it whether it’s on my laptop, iPad, or smartphone.

I also use the calendar to block off times when I want to focus on a task for several hours straight.”

Capture Leads on Instant Customer

“This CRM system allows me to capture leads when public speaking or networking. From the audience, people can SMS to opt-in to my email list and special offer. Or they can give me a business card, and minutes after I scan it in, it sends them a series of pre-programmed emails with follow-up resources, and a promo offer. “

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Top the To-Do on Google Tasks

“I’m a very process-oriented person and I need to have a list of things to accomplish every day. Google Tasks, which is part of your Gmail, is a free task-list service.

I update my tasks constantly and it keeps me focused each day.”

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Mix Business With Pleasure on Yammer

“Yammer keeps my whole team organized, on track, and in-the-know on all important communication for a particular project.

Yammer is where we share files, discuss goals, and most importantly, where my virtual team has an opportunity to build real relationships with their peers.”

Stay Up-to-Date Through Glasscubes

“My team and I use Glasscubes on a daily basis for managing documents, keeping track of tasks and organizing information.

Glasscubes is great because it’s really cut down on the amount of emails we were sending back and forth — and helps keep track of content and its status.”

Keep It Clear

“I’m finding a nice balance with Clear, a new iPhone app that’s gotten tons of attention because of the way the designers rethought the touch screen user interface. Underneath, it’s a very basic to-do system, but I’ve never been big on bells and whistles when it comes to productivity. The truly incredible UI is the kicker, and seems to fit well with how I prioritize in my head, so it’s stuck!”

Just Do It With Do.com

“I use Do.com to manage all of my various business projects. It helps me track who is doing what and what is left to be done on any given project. Track time, billable hours, share files, etc. — This site can do it all for free. When I discovered it, I knew I would never go back to emails or Excel for managing projects.”

Hire a Remote Assistant

“As a startup social entrepreneur, there is absolutely no way that I could afford a traditional executive assistant. Through YourRemoteAssistant.com, I have a full-time assistant for just $1,099 per month. This serve has enabled me to delegate in an entirely different way at a cost that my organization can afford.”

Pomodoro Technique for Top Productivity

“Apps and project management tools can help you manage and prioritize tasks effectively, but when it comes to getting stuff done, use the Pomodoro Technique. Dedicate laser focus to one and only one task for 25 minutes — make sure to use a timer! Once the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break. I find that when I use this technique, I tend to not get distracted by small urgent things.”