Here at GreenMellen, we pride ourselves on our productivity, quick-turnarounds, and organization. Of course none of these qualities are achievable without an arsenal of tools that allow us to be that reliable resource for our clients.
In this post, I will share with you the strategies, apps, and tips we have discovered over the years. Of course, we are always looking for new and improved options, so feel free to post a comment below about the tools you have come to confide in a well!
Nozbe :: Project Management
There is no denying that we need an elaborate “to do list” that is able to keep up with the demands of our day-to-day tasks. We have tried several systems in search of the perfect task management app, and continuously find ourselves going back to Nozbe. We loosely base our productivity strategy around the book, Getting Things Done by David Allen, which states that each actionable step in a project should be line-itemed out as a task. Only the next task necessary to progress a project should be in your focus at a time. Nozbe categorizes these items as “Next Actions” and allows us to focus only on necessary tasks a day at a time.
Dropbox :: File sharing
Dropbox is our go-to file sharing app. We probably utter the words “it’s in dropbox” at least a dozen times per day. It’s just that easy…you need to share a file? It’s in dropbox!
Evernote :: Virtual Filing Cabinet
Everybody has a different use for Evernote. Heck, there’s a whole blog about different ways to integrate Evernote into your daily life. I, personally, use it as my digital filing cabinet for anything I need quick access to during the day. For example, CMYK and PMS values of some of my most used colors, pictures of business cards from contacts I meet, and recipes I may come across online that I don’t want to forget. My favorite use of Evernote, though, is to gather inspirational images for each client I work with. I can easily snap a picture of something that inspires me for a project when I’m out and about, and I can file it away under a client notebook. Makes project brainstorming a much easier and interactive process.
In the coming months Evernote is introducing a new tool that we’re anxious to try here at GreenMellen, Evernote Business. Evernote Business will allow advanced note sharing amongst individuals or teams, which may be a good solution for sharing meeting notes and project details.
Google Drive :: Shared documents
Until Evernote Business blows our minds with note sharing, we use Google Drive to share documents relevant to projects we’re working on. Previously called Google Docs, Drive allows us to simultaneously edit spreadsheets and documents from two different computers. For example, if we are virtually brainstorming a website map, Google Drive makes it easy work together on one document, adding our own input and ideas until we have a polished, finished product.
Google Apps (Gmail) :: The Catch-all
Last but not least, we are huge fans of Google Apps at GreenMellen. Also known as the business Gmail solution, Google Apps is the most intuitive solution for keeping email organized. By using labels, stars, and some fun features in Gmail Labs (such as “undo send”) we are able to answer emails quickly, archive the emails we’ve dealt with, and search for emails we need to revisit. Our ever-present goal is to get our inboxes down to ZERO by the end of each day. This doesn’t mean we complete each task that crosses our desk every day, rather it forces us to file any lingering tasks away into our project management system, Nozbe, to deal with another day.
Have you found any techniques or apps you trust in to get things done? Do share!
