NO- OR LOW-COST TELEWORK APPS AND SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

Asana. Program or project management solutions. https://asana.com/apps

Integrates with other popular software such as , Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud and Tableau. This app helps you manage projects by team: marketing, operations, sales, etc. or by workflow: project management, workflow management, calendaring, and is ideal for remote teams and productivity among others.

There is a free offering with limited features, available to teams of 15 or less as well as more robust options. And, a team option is in the works.

Calendar. Calendar implements an all-in-one app to help you get organized, and using AI, will continue to learn your habits and aid with future scheduling. It can provide transcripts of meetings for future reference. The app also syncs with Google, Outlook, and Apple calendars. Future meetings created with Calendar will sync back to existing calendars.

Doodle: Create group meetings using Doodle and the free user option. Input multiple dates and times of your check, send it to meeting participants who can vote on the times that will best fit their schedules. It will also consolidate information for you, providing the selections that most can attend.

Find an Expert. (LinkedIn). A new feature that helps you identify expert resources.

Google G-Suite. G-Suite is the collaboration and productivity app for businesses, that combines all of the Google software you are already using: , , and Hangouts all combine into one for an immersive product powerhouse.

Hangouts allows you to host team meetings; Chats creates email chatrooms; and Google docs and images can be created within and shared across the platform.

If your team is using Gmail and Calendar, you can ask colleagues to open their calendars to other team members. This will allow you to schedule meetings that will fit their schedules.

Guru. Sounds like a librarian’s dream. Guru is a knowledge management system, that collects and manages a network of information for you and your colleagues. Free versions for teams of 1 – 10 users. Integrates with Slack.

It is easy to import and format information or write from scratch. They system will capture knowledge natively from Slack and anywhere on the web. You can also sync from your software as read only content.

HubSpot. A great tool for market, sales, or customer care. HubSpot will help with lead generation, analytics, and marketing automation. You can track emails and schedule meetings, or gain

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customer feedback. HubSpot also has embedded software for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and blogging.

Some Hubspot tools are free. There are also a variety of paid plans ranging from a special- promotion-starter Growth Suite at $50/month ($0/month when paid annually) to Enterprise plans starting at $3,200/month.

HubSpot also provides a large number of white papers and blogs devoted to various aspects of sales and marketing management. You can sign up to receive this information with or without a paid plan.

Microsoft Teams. Especially suitable for users of Microsoft Office 360, allows you to collaborate in small groups, create chatrooms, share files, and hold virtual meetings. Costs vary and a free version is available, but Teams is a bit cumbersome to set up and is best suited for enterprise users.

Mixmax. Designed to work with Gmail, Mixmax is the #1 sales engagement platform for the complete sales cycle and integrates with Slack, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Google Calendar, , and Twitter, among others. Robust program including polls, phone dialer, templates, reminders, notifications, and email tracking. Create blogs, conduct webinars. Prices start at $9/month up to Enterprise custom plans.

Salesforce. This CRM solution has been around for a while and offers an integrated platform for all departments including marketing, sales, commerce, and service a single, unified view of each customer. There are also options pre-built for vertical markets such as healthcare or Microsoft Teams manufacturing. A version for small business is also available with pricing beginning at $25/user/month for up to 10 users. Mid-range options run about $75/user/month. Custom options starts at $1,250 per month.

Slack. Slack creates unique email chatrooms by content or topic, without clogging up everyone’s email or server. Slack is compatible with many resources including Google Drive and Zoom. Free options are available as well as custom enterprise solutions. Many users find it easy to use. (See comparison chart.)

Teammates (LinkedIn): This feature is being piloted by LinkedIn to provide an opportunity access updates from your team. You can add those within your work circle and, eventually, other types of coworkers and important professional relationships. Today, you can add one manager, 19 teammates at your level, 20 direct reports, and 10 other teammates.

Teamwork. The Teamwork app was developed to help improve productivity via project management software and a built-in channel for communication improvements.

The Workload feature also allows managers to monitor the distribution of workloads among personnel especially when collaborating with remote and on-site teams.

Trello. is a “visual tool for organizing your work and your life”. A Trello board is a list of lists, filled with cards that can be used by you and your team. A simplified and visual project management

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tool. Apps are available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle and on the web on any screen size. When creating a project, you assign “cards” and tasks to people. Whenever a task is completed or changes, the board automatically changes in real time.

Teams can integrate with Salesforce, Slack, GitHub, Google Drive, and more. A free version is available.

Zoom. Create meetings, and chat and video webinars at low or no-cost. Try a free plan include up to 40 minutes for up to 100 participants. Unlimited meetings. You can also purchase plans with more functionality.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF HELPFUL ARTICLES ON REMOTE WORK FOR MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES

Albert-Dietch, C. (2020). Working remotely for the first time? These seasoned experts have advice for you to follow. Inc. This Morning newsletter. 19 Mar 2020. https://www.inc.com/cameron- albert-deitch/remote-work-advice-best-practices.html

Arruda, W. (2020). Valuable LinkedIn features to use during the coronavirus pandemic. Forbes. 2 Apr 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2020/04/02/valuable-linkedin-features-to- use-during-the-coronavirus- pandemic/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=career&cid=5e8f529 2fc818275ead32f4d#713a7e6e2b5b

Arruda, W. (2020). The team management software that will help your company perform remotely. Forbes. 1 Apr 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2020/04/01/the-team- management-software-that-will-help-your-company-perform-remotely/#3ea01d2e10fd

Bernick, M. (2020). Remote work and best practices: The coronavirus workplace services. Forbes. 16 Mar 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelbernick/2020/03/16/remote-work-and-best- practices-the-coronavirus-workplace-series/#17ed9dbf769c

This article addresses employment structures, policy and law.

Davies, N. (2020). How coronavirus stopped us worshippng the office, and made us miss it too. Forbes. 20 Apr 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nigeldavies/2020/04/20/how-coronavirus-stopped- us-worshipping-the-office-and-made-us-miss-it-too/#7241900e3c6f

Gerdeman, D. (2020). How the Coronavirus is already rewriting the future of business. Harvard Business School. 16 Mar 2020. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/how-the-coronavirus-is-already-rewriting- the-future-of-business?cid=spmailing-32127802-WK%20Newsletter%2004-15-2020%20(1)- April%2015,%202020

Gerdeman, D. (2020). The new rules for remote work: Pandemic edition. Harvard Business School. 30 Mar 30 2020. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/the-new-rules-for-remote-work-pandemic-edition

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Hurst, J. (2020). 8 best practices for successful remote workers. Glassdoor. 3 Jan 2020. https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/8-best-practices-for-successful-remote-workers/

Larson, B., Vroman, S., and Makarius, E. (2020). A guide to managing your (newly)remote workers. Harvard Business Review. 18 Mar 2020. https://hbr.org/2020/03/a-guide-to-managing-your- newly-remote-workers

Mautz, S. (2018). A 2-year Stanford study shows the astonishing productivity boost of working from home. Inc. This Morning. 2 Apr 2018. https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/a-2-year-stanford- study-shows-astonishing-productivity-boost-of-working-from-home.html

In this robust, two-year study, performed at a 16,000 employee company in Shanghai, the author found:

“an astounding productivity boost among the telecommuters equivalent to a full day's work. Turns out work-from-home employees work a true full-shift (or more) versus being late to the office or leaving early multiple times a week and found it less distracting and easier to concentrate at home.

Additionally, (and incredibly), employee attrition decreased by 50 percent among the telecommuters, they took shorter breaks, had fewer sick days, and took less time off. Not to mention the reduced carbon emissions from fewer autos clogging up the morning commute.

However, half the group preferred working from home about half the time due to feelings of isolation.

Murphy, M. (2020). When your employees are remote, you have to stop the body-in-seat mentality. Forbes. 14 Apr 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2020/04/14/when-your- employees-are-remote-you-have-to-stop-the-body-in-seat-mentality/#5e33ce792d33

Murphy, M. (2017.) You’re 87% more likely to love your job if you work from home. Mark Murphy/Leadership IQ Blog. 13 Apr 2017. https://www.leadershipiq.com/blogs/leadershipiq/youre-87-more-likely-to-love-your-job-if- you-work-from-home

Nordstrom, T. (2020). If leaders learn just one thing about work during this pandemic, this should be it. Forbes. 2 Apr 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/toddnordstrom/2020/04/02/if-leaders- learn-just-one-thing-about-work-during-this-pandemic-this-should-be- it/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=career&utm_campaign=care er&utm_campaign=career&cdlcid=5e8f5292fc818275ead32f4d#6f48986a3819

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