Our Favourite Productivity Tools of 2022
From Xero guides to our most-used cloud accounting apps, we’ve featured loads of software tips on our website! Today, we’re going to look at remote working applications and how we use a variety of tools to make work from home a breeze for our team. You may have heard of a few of them, others might be completely new to you, but here are our top work from home apps for 2022.
ClickUp – Project and task management in one place
Starting with ClickUp, we’ve found quite a few clients and connections that have never heard of this useful app! To begin with, it’s completely free and works as a project and task management tool. From creating calendars with your team’s schedules to mapping out all of the projects each individual department is working on, ClickUp helps you manage your team, workload and time.
ClickUp’s aim is to be a free application that can replace the many programs remote or home-working team need to use in order to get work done. It combines the features of more popular apps such as Monday, Asana, Trello, and Excel to create a singular platform that businesses can rely on. You can also import data from all of the aforementioned applications and more. For example, if you’re currently using Trello to manage your team’s projects and deadlines but find it could be easier to visualise and organise data, you can sign up to ClickUp for free and import everything you previously stored on Trello with the click of a button.
We love ClickUp because it allows us to stay on top of ideas we come up with in meetings. If we say we would like to write a blog on Xero, it’s easy to immediately create a task for this, assign it to the person responsible, and set a deadline that is visible on the calendar’s of everyone involved.
Tango - Create process walkthroughs in seconds
Tango is a very unique, one-of-a-kind software that allows users to document their actions step-by-step through screenshots. Tango essentially takes automatic screenshots and automatically writes up instructions of your actions for clients or team members to look back on later. These screenshots can then be turned into playbooks or product guides and can easily be shared. The aim of Tango is to help businesses with training – whether that be on Xero, Excel or any application on their computer. You will no longer have to make long training videos without labels or timestamps, instead, you can organise your screenshots in a format fitting to your purpose.
Editing the guides you’ve created is super simple, with options to trim, revise and blur certain screenshots. You will also be able to add descriptions, change fonts, text size, and colour – it’s almost like Canva for guides and playbooks.
If you spend a lot of your time showing clients or team members how to use certain software or explaining processes in areas such as accounting, programming, or filmmaking, Tango will help you save time, create higher quality and easily digestible content, and get these guides to your audience faster than you could edit an explanation video!
We love using Tango because it gets our Xero and app process explanations to clients quickly. In some cases where clients are needing the same app guides, we can share content we created previously to save us time and to get a quick, thorough guide to our clients.
Pomodoro Timer - Get more done using the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomofocus app is based around the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method created by Francesco Cirillo. According to Todoist, the method comprises of 5 steps:
- Create a to-do list and find a timer.
- Start the timer for 25 minutes and try to get as much of one task done as you can, hopefully finishing it.
- Once the time is over, write down what you completed and cross of any tasks off your list.
- Take a 5 minute break to get your mind off of your work.
- Repeat the previous steps 4 more times and once you’re done, you can take a longer 15-30 minute break, depending on how much time you need to rest your mind.
This technique was created to give your brain some break in between work sessions and avoid fatigue. It’s estimated that we can only concentrate on something thoroughly for around 3-4 hours each day. This technique allows you to get more work in whilst feeling like you’ve had time to grab a snack, go to the bathroom, and get other things done. It creates a healthier work balance for you to be productive over longer periods of time.
Pomofocus basically helps time your breaks and work periods easier, eliminating the hassle of using your own timer, constantly changing the times on it, and having to write up a list. It’s an all-in-one Pomodoro Technique application that lets you add your tasks for the day before getting started with your tasks. You can also set the estimated time you might need for each task and how long of a break you need in-between. It will automatically repeat the cycle 3-5 times to help you stay focused and avoid distraction from organising the method yourself.
Available on both macOS and Windows operating systems, we’d definitely say it’s worth a shot if you’re working from home and struggling to be productive throughout the day!
Grammarly – Makes sure your spelling and grammar are always on point
If you haven’t heard of it, you’ve most likely seen their ads all over the internet, Grammarly is a free online writing assistant that has saved us so many times! From spelling mistakes in emails to grammatical errors in blogs, Grammarly is like a built-in autocorrect on your browser. It not only checks for spelling and grammar but gives suggestions on how you can improve wording, while also letting you know how your writing is coming across. If you’re writing an email for example, it might let you know that your message sound enthusiastic, formal, or even informal. This can help you take a step back and think about what you’re trying to say and how you’re coming across to the receiver.
However, Grammarly is not limited to your browser, it can work with practically any application that you may write on frequently. From Google Docs to Word, Evernote, LinkedIn, Facebook, or even Discord, you can get this app for social media and writing software on your computer.
If you write a lot at work, whether it be emails, blogs, presentations, or LinkedIn posts, Grammarly is a great tool to proof-check all of your writing before it gets sent out. No one likes the sinking feeling of making a good post, interesting blog article or writing an important email, only to realise once its sent that you’ve made a simple spelling or grammatical error.
Xero – Keep your accounts up to date with little effort
Starting from the basics, Xero can do any of the fundamental features needed in a cloud accounting software. Paying bills, VAT returns, claiming expenses, connecting to your bank account, accepting payments, and tracking projects are just a few of the software’s long list of features. While providing elementary accounting support, Xero also gives users the option to see advanced analytics about their finances through varying levels of subscriptions. Analytics Plus gives data on future cash flow, conducts automatic financial health checks, and tracks a variety of different metrics. For a full list of Xero’s basic features, have a look on their website here.
The Xero app store currently has thousands (yes, thousands!) of different applications and extensions to choose from. Whilst Xero allows you to search for apps based on industry and sector, this massive number of apps ensures that you’ll be able to find the right applications specific to the requirements of your business and industry.
We love using Xero because it’s an easy to understand software that makes accounting and bookkeeping more accessible to everyone. Whether you’re figuring out accounting from the ground up for your business or you’re a seasoned accountant, you’ll be able to use Xero and find everything you need for your business to be regulation compliant and organised.
We at Sllick specialise in finding the best combination of cloud applications and technology to automate your accounts and make the most of your business. Every company requires a different, tailored solution to gain the most from their digital journey and we’re here to create the roadmap for you.
Book a free discovery call with Sllick now to be up and running on Xero in no time! We arm you with the knowledge to get things right, from the start!
