Every business needs a project management tool. Whether you’re a solopreneur or overseeing a team of fifty people, you need a way to keep track of your business in one place.
And that’s what a project management system is for.
It’s more than a place to keep tabs on your tasks; it’s also a place to gather ideas, track expenses, record client information, organize your team or your own thoughts, and more.
But, with all the options out there, how do you choose the right system for your business?
What to Look For
When it comes to your project management system, there are a few features you’ll need regardless of your business type. They are:
- Automation
- Integration
- Different views
- Accessibility
- Core features
- Cost
I bet you didn’t think there was that much that goes into a Project Management system but let me explain why.
Automation
Automation makes life so much simpler. You can set your processes up to work automatically and trust that they’ll do what they need to do without you checking in every five minutes. It’s the best way to save time and money and should be the top feature in any project management system.
Integration
If you’re like me, you have a few apps and programs that you use to keep your business running. By finding a project management system that can integrate with them, you can finally create a control center where you can see and work with all your apps from one location.
Different Views
Lists, boards, Kanban, table, workload – no matter how you like to organize things, your project management tool should have it. That way, you can find exactly what you need at a glance.
Accessibility
You want your project management tool to be easily accessible through the internet, a mobile app, a desktop app, or otherwise. When you find one with apps, check that they get updated regularly and have easy access to technical support, should you need it.
You also want it to be user-friendly so you can set it up and feel comfortable using it, regardless of your technical ability.
Core Features
Here’s where it gets more personal. What does YOUR business need that should be included in your project management system?
Do you need:
- In-house document creation?
- Live meetings or chats?
- More storage?
- Screen recording?
- Color options?
- Time recording?
- Specific reports?
- Advanced scheduling?
There’s a good chance that the project management system you pick may not have everything you need, but if you can get one with about 90% of your core features included, you’ll be golden.
Cost
Finally, make sure your project management system is within your budget. Most will have a free option, then paid premium plans depending on what you need, so finding one within your range won’t be difficult. Just make sure you don’t pay for something you’ll never use again.
My Top 3 Project Management Systems
Here are three systems that fulfill most (if not all) of the requirements above. I’ve used them all at some point in my business and can confirm that they work well to keep everything organized, automated, and efficient.
ClickUp
ClickUp is BY FAR my favorite project management system. It has everything you need to take your business to the next level, organize your teams, track your hours, get live reports on task completion, and more.
For the low price of FREE, you get:
- 100MB Storage
- Unlimited Tasks
- Unlimited Free Plan Members
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Collaborative Docs
- Whiteboards
- Everything View
- Real-Time Chat
- Kanban Boards
- Sprint Management
- Calendar View
- Custom Field Manager Basic
- In-App Video Recording
- 24/7 Support
And more!
It’s the perfect system to keep your business running like a well-oiled machine, and you can try it for yourself HERE.
Asana
Like ClickUp, Asana is free and has a variety of features that can help your business grow.
With their FREE plan, you get:
- Up to 10 teammates
- Unlimited tasks, projects, messages, file storage, assignee and due dates, etc.
- List view projects
- Board view projects
- Calendar view
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- 100+ free integrations with your favorite apps
And more!
It’s easy to learn and can give your business the professional boost it needs to succeed. Try it for yourself HERE, or check out my article comparing it with ClickUp.
Trello
Finally, we have Trello. It’s simple, easy to use, and can help new businesses figure out what they need before committing to something bigger (like ClickUp). Plus, their unique board and card system is the perfect way to organize your business down to the last detail.
Their FREE plan gives you:
- Unlimited cards
- Up to 10 boards per Workspace
- Unlimited Power-Ups per board
- Unlimited storage (10MB/file)
- 250 Workspace command runs per month
- Custom backgrounds & stickers
- Unlimited activity log
- Assignee and due dates
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- 2-factor authentication
And more!
It’s perfect for new or individual businesses that may not need fancy systems yet, or you can use it as a backup system to keep important information safe and organized. Try it for yourself HERE.
Final Thoughts
Every business, no matter its size, needs a project management system. They’re how you organize information, keep track of tasks and deadlines, and monitor the health of your business. By using the criteria above, you’ll be able to find the perfect project management system that suits your business without breaking the bank.
