project management

Managing a small business is not a piece of cake. In some cases, it might be even harder than running a big business – big companies have a wide range of professionals who operate with one scope of tasks. Small business entrepreneurs, on the contrary, are responsible for business strategy development, communication with clients, progress tracking, and many other important tasks. 20% of small businesses shut down after the first year, and 50% after five years of existing. An interesting fact that 77% of greatly performing businesses utilize project management software (PM Software). Having that in mind, small business entrepreneurs, when dreaming for their business to grow, should invest in technologies. 

5 Reasons Why You Need a Project Management Tool for Your Business

As mentioned above small business owners should turn to technologies specially developed to help their business to progress. Here are 5 main reasons why any small business entrepreneur needs project management tools:

Painless Project Planning

PM software will give you accurate predictions on project progress, define and manage costs, scopes, and schedules. The main benefit of the PM tool is the automation of teamwork and other processes. Moreover, the tool will keep plans updated and help a business owner track the results.

Efficient Task Management

While working on big projects team members need to complete many tasks that make it very difficult for a manager to assign them and follow the performance. With task management software in place, small business entrepreneurs can manage tasks and assignments easily. In addition to that, teams can work more effectively that means business grows more rapidly.

Seamless Team Workflow

It is not that easy to get your employees to work in agreement as one. PM software allows a manager to create an uninterrupted and flawless workflow where he/she will be able to follow all the tasks the team members are working on and track the progress. Smooth team workflow is very crucial for every business. That is why finding the right technologies to create one is something to focus on. 

Sufficient Communication

Project management tool develops a portal for communication both between team members internally and between team members and clients externally. In terms of internal communication, documentation, data, calendars are stored in one place, and any team member can get access. As for external communication, PM software enables clients to log in and look through information pieces relevant to their case. In addition to that, clients can give feedback, track progress, and provide updates anytime they need. 

Precise Project Tracking

It is very important not only to track project progress but also time spent on each task. With the right PM software, managers will collect data about team members, their work, and the time they spend on task fulfillment. It will help plan future projects more effectively, follow team members’ KPIs and goals achievement, differentiate, and prioritize tasks.

5 Best Project Management Tools to Use in Business

A handy PM tool will help a small business owner to overcome challenges and lead his/her business to persistent growth. However, a wide range of software options, presented in the modern tech world might be quite mind-blowing. So, we decided to present five best PM software solutions for your business.

nTask

nTask is a PM platform utilized by team leaders to manage projects, communicate with teams, create and assign tasks, plan meetings, and more. With nTask, it is easy to predict the risks of the project and avoid them. nTask has a free trial option, as well as freemium and subscription. One of the users points out that this platform is good to keep the work teams collaborating, accomplishing their tasks, and organized. nTask is easy to use and enables managers to track and solve any problems that arise as quickly as possible. 

GanttPRO

GanttPro is a PM tool that uses Gantt Charts for managers and their teams to start operating immediately. Managers easily create and assign tasks, set deadlines, track progress, build workflow, collaborate with teams, and export reports. GanttPro has a free trial option and then charges $4.50 per user. Anika Albrecht, Project Manager, claimed that GanttPro saved time on writing offers to their clients, and it was much easier to set up the project on a high level.

Trello

Trello simply looks like a board with sticky notes where teams, at one glance, find their tasks, follow the workflow, collaborate with their manager and teammates, and get access to the board from any device. Trello helps managers create cards with tasks, assign them to teams, attach photos, write comments, and add checklists. And the best thing is that Trello is free! Margo Visitacion, Forrester Vice President stated that Trello was popular because it was easy to use and that without much effort it could bring people to circle to work on various projects. 

Smartsheet

Over 80 thousand respectful brands use Smartsheet because of its simple interface, comfortable Gantt Charts, and features that automate workflow. Smartsheet features consist of a wide range of PM tools: task management, time tracking, results reporting, and others. In addition to that, it has a free trial option. Michael Graw, Techradar reviewer pointed out that Smartsheet was a very advanced tool. However, it was not the easiest software to use. One needs time to learn how to operate Smartsheet. 

ClickUp

ClickUp is one software that can replace five apps easily. It provides users with documentation storage, task creation and assignment, time tracking, workflow development, meeting scheduling, and even emailing solutions. ClickUp has a free trial option and a free version. Autti Laitinen, the Grafiant advertising agency owner, said he had gone through many different PM tools, but chose ClickUp in the end. Autti stated that even a free version was versatile and helpful, not mentioning the scope of features that the paid version proposed. 

Bottom Line

Before choosing a PM tool small business entrepreneurs should ask themselves a few questions: how many projects they work on at once or how many team members work on one project to pick the best project management tool for your business. Just do not forget that the best software solution is the one that makes the process of business management easier and more effective. Moreover, it will lead your businesses to rapid growth and make it more profitable.

Alexey Kutsenko is the Head of Digital Marketing of DDI Development company. He is experienced in the development of the marketing strategy for companies in different industries. He knows how to do the right marketing and watches all current marketing and industry trends.

Project management stock photo by ESB Professional/Shutterstock