When it comes to working from home, many people immediately think of the freedom and flexibility that comes with it. And while those aspects are certainly true, there are also a number of challenges that come along with remote work – from managing your time effectively to staying productive when you’re not in an office setting. But with the right remote working tools and strategies in place, you can make working from home a breeze.
Scroll down to find the 30 best remote working tools.
What Is Needed To Work Remotely?
- A good headset – A quality headset is crucial for remote work, as it will allow you to stay connected with your team and clients while avoiding distractions.
- A task manager – A good task manager can help you stay organized and on top of your work, especially when you’re working from home.
- A calendar – Keeping track of your deadlines and appointments is essential, especially when you’re not in the office.
- A reliable internet connection – Without a strong internet connection, working from home can be pretty frustrating.
- A good attitude – Don’t forget to take time each day to recharge your batteries!
- An ergonomic office chair – When you’re sitting all day, it’s important to have an office chair that keeps you comfortable and pain-free.
- A clean work environment – Working from home can sometimes feel cluttered and overwhelming, especially if your house is full of distractions like family photos and other personal effects.
- Accountability partners – Having someone to check in with on a regular basis can help keep you on track.
- A separate workspace – Working from home without a designated work area is challenging, because it’s easy to get distracted by your other responsibilities at home.
- Flexibility with your schedule – It’s important to work with your managers and clients to find a solution that works for everyone.
What Is Remote Working Software?
Remote working software is a type of tool that helps people work from a long distance. Remote working tools can include communication and networking systems such as video chat applications or messaging tools, cloud storage, task and project management systems, remote team management apps. Remote workers need to have good remote working software too.
Looking for document management software for your business? Find MCP’s list of the Best Document Management Software Solutions.
How Can I Remotely Work From Home?
If you want to work from home, there are a number of ways to do it. All you need is a computer and an internet connection.
- Remote working tools like Slack and Zoom make it easy for you to connect with other people in your office, no matter where you are.
- Texting, emailing, and using Google Hangouts are all great ways to communicate with people without being in the same room.
- First, you need to make sure that your job is a good fit for remote working. If it is, ask your boss if there are any tools or programs that can help you work from home.
- Next, set up a dedicated workspace in your home. This could be a desk in a corner of your living room, a section of your dining room table, or even a small corner in your bedroom.
- Find a location in your home where you’ll have space for storage and find ways to keep yourself accountable, including setting up a time when you do all of your work.
- Thirdly, make a list of the remote working tools that you’ll need to complete your work. This includes programs like Slack and Zoom, along with authenticator apps (and remember that Google Hangouts is free).
- Finally, make sure that you turn off all distractions during your work hours. That means closing the door to your space, turning off notifications on your phone, and not checking emails over the weekend.
What Are The Best Practices When Working Remotely?
Remote teams need to establish a set of guidelines and work together. Remote workers should also embrace the positives of working remotely such as flexible hours and the ability to manage workloads more effectively.
Make Virtual Conference Highly Effective
One way to make your virtual communication highly effective is to ask the participants in a conference call to identify their interests and goals for the meeting. This will help them understand what is necessary to include in the discussion and be more productive in the virtual call.
Mentally Prepare Yourself To Work At Different Times Of The Day
Remote workers need to be ready to work at different times of the day. Remote workers can’t just work during their own time, because they are always interacting with people in other time zones. Remote workers need to be ready for this, so they need to prepare themselves mentally before communicating with a team member who works in another time zone.
They should contact them during non-work hours if they are working too. If you are going to work with your fellow employee, then it is important that the two of you schedule all discussions in advance.
Looking for collaboration software for your business? Find MCP’s list of the Best Collaboration Software Solutions.
Schedule Face-To-Face Meetings at regular intervals
In-person meetings not only make communication better but also facilitate the development of a personal relationship with others. Remote workers should schedule in-person meetings from time to time to develop a sense of trust among themselves.
Make Time To Socialize With Your Colleagues
Most importantly, you should make time to socialize with your colleagues that you are working with remotely. You can do this by linking up in a live chat window, or sharing links to funny Youtube videos. This will help solidify the bond between colleagues and it will also create a sense of teamwork.
Maintain A Clear Borderline Between Work And Life
It can be difficult to maintain a clear borderline between work and life, especially when working remotely. One way to establish a clear borderline is to set specific times for work and stick to them. Make sure that you have enough time for both work and leisure, and try not to let work take over your life.
Acknowledge Your Presence
When working remotely, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and to be held accountable. One way to do this is by acknowledging your presence. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as leaving a voice message, sending an email, or using a chat program. You can also use video conferencing to ensure that you’re being seen and held accountable.
If your manager forgets to ask you about your current assignment, don’t worry! You can still take the initiative and tell them the status of your work.
How Do You Manage Your Team Remotely?
There are a number of ways to manage your team remotely. One way is to use remote working tools such as Skype, Google Hangouts, or Slack. These tools allow you to communicate with your team via video call or chat.
You can also share files and documents with your team using these tools. Another way to manage your team remotely is to set deadlines and expectations for your team. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and that tasks are completed on time.
Finally, you can also hold team meetings remotely to discuss project updates and progress. By using these methods, you can effectively manage your team remotely.
Remote workers benefit from having a “richer” technology, such as video conferencing, that gives participants many of the visual cues that they would have if they were face-to-face. Video conferencing has many advantages, especially for smaller groups: Visual cues allow for increased “mutual knowledge” about coworkers and also help reduce the sense of isolation among teams.
However, there are disadvantages to video conferencing as well. Remote workers can feel more isolated on an individual level because it is difficult to make eye contact on a screen. This has been shown to lead to less collaboration and inspiration of creativity. Remote workers need a balance of both email and video conferencing tools in order to become more efficient and feel less isolated.
What Is The Best Way To Support Remote Employees?
There are a few key ways to support remote employees:
- Enable remote working tools and make sure they are easy to use. This includes providing access to video conferencing, chat tools, and file-sharing platforms.
- Make sure employees have all the necessary equipment, such as a laptop, phone, and headphones.
- Encourage employees to take breaks, and make sure they have a designated workspace that is distraction-free.
- Provide regular check-ins with employees to ensure they are on track and meeting their goals.
- Make sure employees feel connected to the company by sharing updates and news. This can be done through email, chat tools, or video conferencing.
- Encourage socialization among remote employees by hosting virtual team-building activities. This can help reduce feelings of isolation.
What Tools Are Used To Manage And Complete Work Remotely?
Below is a list that contains the best remote working tools that you can use to manage and complete work remotely:
- Remote organizing and collaboration with tools like Trello and Podio
- Remote working software for meeting scheduling such as 10to8 Meeting Scheduling Software, Soapbox
- Remote working tools for video chat & calls such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Video Conferencing
- Remote working tools for cloud storage & document management such as Google Drive, Xtensio, Skitch by Evernote, Microsoft OneDrive
- Remote working tools for remote access & support such as StoryXpress Recorder, TeamViewer, Fluvid
- Remote working tools for project management such as ProofHub, GanttPRO, Hiver, Sprint Retrospective Tool, Miro, Filestage, Wrike, Github
- Remote working tools for time tracking such as TimeCamp, Hubstaff, Toggl
Looking for project management software for your business? Find MCP’s list of the Best Project Management Software Solutions.
Remote Working Tools For Meeting Scheduling
Remote working tools for meeting scheduling include video conferencing, chat software, and online calendars.
With video conferencing, team members can see each other and share ideas in real-time. Chat software allows for quick and easy communication, while online calendars can help team members find a time that works for everyone.
Remote working tools make it possible for teams to connect and collaborate no matter where they are in the world. By using remote working tools like video conferencing, chat software, and online calendars, teams can schedule meetings effortlessly.
1. 10to8 Meeting Scheduling Software
10to8 allows you to have instant daily briefings with your team. 10to8 is optimized for teams that are dispersed, which makes it a great choice for those who live in different time zones.
This software integrates with most calendars such as Google, iCal, Outlook, and Exchange. This makes it easier to manage deadlines because they can be added directly to 10to8, saving you the hassle of double-booking meetings.
2. Soapbox
Soapbox helps teams to organize and coordinate creative activities. With this, you can create an agenda, assign next steps, take notes, access suggestions from the developers of soapbox, and view insights on what they talked about with their team.
3. HubSpot Meeting Scheduling Software
This free meeting scheduling software by HubSpot is a powerful tool even when you use it as stand alone software. It becomes better when you integrate this with the apps such as google Calendar or Office 365 that your team already uses. With the minimum of efforts, this tool can help you book more meetings, and close more deals.
Remote Working Tools For Video Calls
Remote working tools for video chat and calls can help keep you connected with your team while you’re working from home. Some of the most popular tools include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Video Conferencing, VirtualOffice, UnRemot, Krisp. These tools allow you to easily connect with your team and collaborate on projects.
3. Slack
Slack is one of the most popular chatting programs you can find anywhere. Whether it be at work or just around town, you can’t avoid hearing people talking about how much they love Slack in every office setting!
If you’re not using Slack, it’s time that you start. With this app, it’s possible to create channels for different teams or topics so that every piece of information has its own place. You can also easily search within the shared information and get a response quickly.
4. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams allows you to communicate with your team in many different ways. You can chat, have a group meeting, call co-workers, and collaborate in other ways. With MS Teams, you can do things like screen and file sharing in a manner that’s more convenient for your business. You also have access to virtual backgrounds as well as app integrations if needed.
Microsoft Teams’ new “Together mode,” a function that enables teams to work together even when they’re not all in the same room, is one of Microsoft’s best features. It was rolled out as of writing and will be available soon so make sure you sign up if it sounds like something worth checking out!
5. Zoom Video Conferencing
With Zoom Video Conferencing, you can easily talk about complex tasks that need more attention, and even explain the person who is sitting on the other end how to perform some tasks by sharing your screen.
Zoom also allows you to host webinars or bigger team meetings. You’ll be able to set up invitation-only sessions, so only those whose invites were sent will have access and see you!
Zoom Rooms is a revolutionary new concept that sets Zoom apart from other competitors. Zoom rooms are conference booths built for teams to share ideas. Zoom rooms makes it easier to collaborate and share ideas on the spot or on the go.
6. VirtualOffice
VirtualOffice offers a variety of video backgrounds that look as good as office.
But what makes this tool excellent is that it allows you to use your business logo in your virtual office. The best thing about working with VirtualOffice is that you can brand the office with your business’s logo and it looks fairly natural.
7. UnRemot
Traditional office space is a thing of the past. Remote working tools like UnRemot allow for a flexible and mobile workplace in which you don’t have to be in the same place as your coworkers to seamlessly collaborate on projects. This is a great way for your team to stay connected throughout the day without interruption, thanks to webcam technology that allows you to broadcast video chats with easy one-click join options.
Remote Working Tools For Document Management And Cloud Storage
There are a number of remote working tools that can help with cloud storage and document management. These tools can make it easier to stay organized and productive while working remotely. Some of the most popular remote working tools for cloud storage and document management include Google Drive, Dropbox, and Evernote.
8. Google Drive
Google Drive is a cloud-based storage system that allows users to access their files from any device. Google Drive has a lot of great features for collaboration and easy access, like creating folders or sharing files. You can set different permissions so only certain people have privileges to view what’s inside private folders while still making it easier on everyone when they need information at once!
9. Xtensio
Xtensio allows teams to create cohesive, on-brand business content with the help of team members. With this, you can easily performing tasks like creating how-to guides, sales decks, and presentations for external. This allows teams to work effectively and efficiently together.
Xtensio documents are the perfect place for collaborative work. All changes and revisions sync across all devices, which means you can always stay up to date with your team members no matter where they log in from!
You will also have an easy time navigating through these files as Xtensio automatically groups them by project or client-assignment.
10. Skitch By Evernote
Skitch by Evernote is a great way to take pictures of documents, business cards, and the office whiteboard. The app makes it easy to markup and annotate images, which can be helpful for explaining things or for getting feedback on your work.
Skitch is the perfect tool for any remote working team. It is easy and quick to use, so you can avoid confusion when adding arrows and circles on screen shares that will help your co-workers understand exactly which part of an image or write up means what.
11. Microsoft OneDrive
OneDrive is an amazing service for storing your files and accessing them from anywhere. With OneDive’s Cloud Storage feature, you never have to worry about losing important data because the file will always be stored online in a cloud-based system!
12. Dropbox
Dropbox is a great way to keep your team’s content organized and easy to access. You can store files in the cloud and share them with your team members anytime, anywhere. Dropbox makes team collaboration simpler and more efficient.
Dropbox also offers cloud storage solutions that you can use to organize your team’s content. Dropbox is great for keeping files and sharing them with your team members anytime, anywhere. Dropbox makes it simpler and more effective to collaborate as a team.
13. Google Docs
Google Docs is the best way to collaborate, share and brainstorm. With its easy editing features that save your work for you in real time, plus an extensive library of fonts available at any moment it’s impossible not love this tool!
Google docs comes with some unique advantages like never losing your work in progress because you can always save whatever changes are being made before logging off again or going on holiday.
Remote Working Tools For Remote Access & Support
These tools can include software that allows employees to collaborate on projects, chat with co-workers, and access files from any location. Additionally, these tools can also include support services that can help employees resolve technical issues or problems with their work.
14. StoryXpress Recorder
The StoryXpress Recorder is an innovative tool that streamlines the collaboration process between colleagues. When screenshots unable to perform the tasks, it’s time for videos!
StoryXpress makes it easy to record your screen and share the recording with your team. With StoryXpress, you can quickly and easily capture video recordings of your screen for collaborative editing and sharing.
15. TeamViewer
TeamViewer helps you access remote computers for support purposes. TeamViewer is easy to install, and once you have the login details, it is super simple to log into the remote computer. TeamViewer’s system is reliable, and you can place your faith in the software when accessing a remote device safely.
16. Fluvid
Screen recording software Fluvid comes with group sharing, making it easy to send recordings to multiple people simultaneously. Fluvid also offers video messaging instead of the standard email format, which is getting old and tired.
With Fluvid, you can screen record every minute detail of your meeting. This ensures that you don’t miss any important bits, whether you’re typing up something or have to open the door for the delivery person.
Fluvid is also a great tool if you want to create and edit videos for presentations, investor pitch decks, video demos, and more. After you import your video into Fluvid and finish making changes to it, you can either live stream the video or schedule it for later. Fluvid also has password protection so that only those with the password can watch your videos.
Remote Working Tools For Visualization
Remote working software for visualization can help employees feel like they are part of a team by allowing them to see what is going on visually. Well-designed, on-brand documents and business infographics not only make documents more engaging to read, but also subconsciously educate staff about your brand image.
17. Venngage
Venngage is a popular infographic and template-creation tool that can be used to create engaging and interesting visuals. Venngage allows you to create onboarding templates, remote working guidelines, business infographics, and other types of content that can support employees from onboarding to performance reviews.
Venngage is a great tool because it allows you to keep your brand assets consistent. This is especially important for distributed teams that might have never worked in the same space. Venngage makes it easy for anybody on your team to create amazing on-brand content.
18. Visme
Visme, a B2B design solution, is perfect for even the non-creative types. It is a design solution that helps telecommuters come up with stunning and engaging designs. It offers presentations, training templates, proposals, infographics, and other beautiful designs to help businesses stand out.
Remote Working Tools For Project Management
Remote working tools for Project management can make a project more successful. Remote working software can help teams upload documents, view drawings, and annotate them together with team members who are in different locations. These tools are designed so that the team members can stay up-to-date on everything going on with the project.
19. ProofHub
ProofHub is an excellent task management software. ProofHub allows you to set custom roles, create tasks with start and end dates, and connect ProofHub to other popular apps like FreshBooks, Google Calendar, OneDrive, QuickBooks, Outlook, iCal, Dropbox, Google Drive and more.
ProofHub also has custom reports that help you manage your tasks, projects and resources. ProofHub is a great resource for anyone in any industry.
20. ProProf Project
ProProf Project is a reliable tool that can help you organize your tasks. You can create projects and set tasks with deadlines, and track time. Additionally, ProProf Project lets you generate invoices, develop presentation-ready reports, manage timesheets, and more.
Gantt charts are a helpful tool for monitoring the progress of your projects and tasks. You can also keep track of what needs to be done when by using them, even if distractions in home office might cause delays with any particular task or project!
21. Hiver
With Hiver you can easily manage group inboxes. Use Hiver’s shared inboxes for better conversations with your team members in a virtual meeting. Hiver provides a shared inbox for any domain. It will automatically forward all emails to the shared inbox and every email can be assigned to a user and kept track of in real-time until the point of resolution.
Hiver also offers internal notes, which allows team members to collaborate with each other internally without relying on external chat apps.
Hiver helps team members communicate and collaborate more effectively. Hiver is a collaborative tool that integrates with Google apps to make it seamless for users to integrate Hiver into their workflows. Hiver allows teams to track emails with ease, assign emails as tasks.
Use Hiver as a replacement for external collaboration tools. Hiver makes it easier for teams to collaborate using Hiver notes as opposed to lengthy email threads.
22. Miro
Miro is an online collaborative whiteboard platform that aims to make communicating across distances easier for everyone. Miro works brilliantly with a touchscreen too, which makes the whiteboard-feel even more natural and kind of futuristic.
It is like having an interactive bulletin board for your team, where you can draw on it, add virtual sticky notes, connect work items, and invite teammates or others to collaborate on the board.
23. Wrike
Wrike is a project management software that allows remote teams to streamline the processes within your company. It has an intuitive design and comes with many features, including collaborative proofing tool which helps workers stay in loop about all tasks on their own projects.
24. Trello
Trello provides different boards for managing separate projects. It also allows you to assign tasks to members of the team, allowing them to work on those tasks independently from one another.
Trello is a popular project management tool because it allows teams to stay flexible and reward by looking at their work as a whole, not just as a series of individual tasks. Unlike other project management tools, Trello doesn’t have any hidden costs or fees.
25. Github
Github has helped make coding easier because it makes it possible for multiple people to work on one project at once without having to merge things together later. Github also helps keep track of any errors or bugs someone might find while they are working on a project, so they can get fixed before something bad happens.
Github is designed specifically for programmers, which means that if you are working on a computer science project, Github should be your best choice.
26. Trello
Trello is a simple, yet versatile project management platform that can help all types of remote teams. It allows you to create separate boards for each individual task and then add lists with cards representing those tasks in order to manage them efficiently.
Remote Working Tools For Time Tracking
Time Tracking Tools are software that help you keep track of your time. They can be used to log how much time one spends on different tasks, what types of projects they work on, and whether or not they are productive during their work hours.
Time tracking tools provide a more accurate picture of the tasks people spend time on than just relying on memory alone. Timetracking software is essential for anyone who wants to improve his or her productivity at work.
27. Toggl
Toggl is a time tracking app that can be used by remote teams to stay productive and avoid idling. It’s simple to use, with one-click tracking of hours for each task and activity. Time tracking reminders can also be set to notify you whenever you forget to start or stop the timer.
28. TimeCamp
TimeCamp is an excellent time tracking tool that can help you synchronize with your remote team. This tool eliminates the need for managers to guess what each team member is currently working on.
TimeCamp provides precise time tracking of billable hours and makes it easy to estimate the completion time of a project. With TimeCamp, you can ensure that timesheets are implemented successfully for your project.
29. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a Time Tracking Tool that allows remote teams to accurately assess their productivity and track project progress. Hubstaff Time Tracking software comes with an in-built GPS Time Tracking feature, which allows managers to track both transit as well as on-site Time of employees.
Time Sheets is a new way to manage your business in an easy, effective and efficient manner. They allow you to track the time spent by employees on individual tasks as well as billable hours so that payments can be made accordingly.
Final Thoughts
These remote working tools can help you stay connected with your colleagues, clients and prospects without sacrificing the comfort of a traditional office. We hope this article has helped clarify some misconceptions that may exist around remote teams and remote work in general.
The remote working tools mentioned in this article will help you to perform at your best as a remote employee. They can help you to establish a remote work-life balance by making it easy for you to connect with your team and stay organized. These tools can also help you to be productive while working from home.
Looking for remote working tools for video chat and calls for your business? Find MCP’s list of the Best Video Conferencing Software Solutions.
The Team Compare BizTech is made up of people from marketing backgrounds, digital marketing & content marketing backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. The team is passionate about creating unique, accurate, and engaging content.