There are thousands of tools available to streamline your business, save you hours and increase your output but they are all flawed, imperfect and need you to adapt to their methodology.
So how do you choose the best tool for your project?
If you’re in any groups, you’ll hear recommendations, see training sessions on tools and read people passionately telling you that their particular tool can bring huge benefits. Do you choose software based on recommendations, based on cost, based on having access to training?
From working with thousands of businesses, I think the major factor should be having a tool that fits your work style. It should fit within your budget, it should deliver value above the ongoing cost, it should be well-designed and as simple as possible but primarily, does it help you work calmly and have a clear picture of the past, present & future?
I’ve worked with companies throwing thousands of dollars at Infusionsoft, happily using whiteboards, loving the checklists in Asana, running calendars in Sunsama, loving webforms in Podio, happily pulling out their paper diaries, tagging away in Simplenote, syncing social data with Nimble, selling products with Gumroad, selling subscription boxes via email and setting up payment pages with Moonclerk.
They’re all making their lives easier and harder in some ways but they can see how the machine works, know how to adjust the parts and know that work is getting done.
It’s all imperfect but at S&P we don’t judge people for stringing together the best tools they had available at the time. They’re busy and they’re getting stuff done. Then they get enough of a break one day to step back and see that they could do things a little cleaner, a little faster. It’s at this point that we step in, do a friendly audit and get them a project plan for building a stronger machine, with a clean windscreen & panoramic view, for the journey ahead.
You might be absolutely convinced that you’re not a systems thinker. That you’re not the systems guy. That you’re more of a free-thinking entrepreneur who leaves systems thinking up to the geekier members of the team. You write notes on paper, you’re swamped with emails and your work gets done, not perfectly but at least …
My brother won a golden ticket a few years ago and gave it to our family to visit the Nestle chocolate factory. Thatâs where I met Ruth & Charlotte (not their real names), working the end of the line for one type of chocolate bar. The final machine would pass them each a few dozen …
For many industries, having an email archiving solution is mandatory and it can be hard to find a solution that meets the specific archiving needs of the business. The main considerations when choosing an email backup or archive for your business is the secure of the storage, the process to store, the cost of the …
It does sound like using a marketplace would work the best for what youâre looking to do. If youâd said that you just wanted somewhere for beekeepers to exchange information then you could have looked at using the free Mighty Networks group or setting up a Facebook group. As youâre looking to create a place where …
A clear picture – the major factor in choosing software
There are thousands of tools available to streamline your business, save you hours and increase your output but they are all flawed, imperfect and need you to adapt to their methodology.
So how do you choose the best tool for your project?
If you’re in any groups, you’ll hear recommendations, see training sessions on tools and read people passionately telling you that their particular tool can bring huge benefits. Do you choose software based on recommendations, based on cost, based on having access to training?
From working with thousands of businesses, I think the major factor should be having a tool that fits your work style. It should fit within your budget, it should deliver value above the ongoing cost, it should be well-designed and as simple as possible but primarily, does it help you work calmly and have a clear picture of the past, present & future?
I’ve worked with companies throwing thousands of dollars at Infusionsoft, happily using whiteboards, loving the checklists in Asana, running calendars in Sunsama, loving webforms in Podio, happily pulling out their paper diaries, tagging away in Simplenote, syncing social data with Nimble, selling products with Gumroad, selling subscription boxes via email and setting up payment pages with Moonclerk.
It’s all imperfect but at S&P we don’t judge people for stringing together the best tools they had available at the time. They’re busy and they’re getting stuff done. Then they get enough of a break one day to step back and see that they could do things a little cleaner, a little faster. It’s at this point that we step in, do a friendly audit and get them a project plan for building a stronger machine, with a clean windscreen & panoramic view, for the journey ahead.
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But I don’t think like that!
You might be absolutely convinced that you’re not a systems thinker. That you’re not the systems guy. That you’re more of a free-thinking entrepreneur who leaves systems thinking up to the geekier members of the team. You write notes on paper, you’re swamped with emails and your work gets done, not perfectly but at least …
The day a machine replaced Ruth & Charlotte
My brother won a golden ticket a few years ago and gave it to our family to visit the Nestle chocolate factory. Thatâs where I met Ruth & Charlotte (not their real names), working the end of the line for one type of chocolate bar. The final machine would pass them each a few dozen …
I’m looking for an email archiving solution via BCC
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As a beekeeperâŠwould you use an online marketplace âfor beekeepersâ to buy/sell products, exchange information with other beekeepers?
It does sound like using a marketplace would work the best for what youâre looking to do. If youâd said that you just wanted somewhere for beekeepers to exchange information then you could have looked at using the free Mighty Networks group or setting up a Facebook group. As youâre looking to create a place where …