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March 9, 2015 0 Comments

4 of the Best Web-Based Organizational Tools

Staying organized is at the top of the list for success in a home-based career. When you don’t have a typical office to report to, the organization of your day and work falls to you. Luckily there are numerous web-based organizational tools to help you succeed!

Utilizing project management and organizational tools may sound like more work at first, but once you have them in place, they truly keep you on task, allow you to remember everything, and simplify your life.

We’ve compiled some of the best, most well reviewed tools so you can focus on career success while having your organization covered. These tools help you to manage projects, life, and everything in between so that you don’t miss anything.

Trello

Trello is an effective tool that utilizes lists for project and task organization. It allows you to create master lists (Boards) and then tasks under your Boards to stay organized. On one screen, you can see the big picture of your projects within your projects, keeping priorities at the top. Trello is free, has a simple interface, and is intuitive to use. Click here to check out Trello.

Basecamp

Basecamp is another project management tool that works very well for individuals, companies and organizations. Since you can assign tasks and organizing within your organization, it’s perfect for those working from home within a company. Similar to Trello in using checklists, you can organize clients, projects, and assignments in a simplistic manner. Basecamp has a free trial then starts at $20/month.Click here to check out Basecamp.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a free, easy-to-use tool within Google. If you have a Google or Gmail account, you’re set! In Google Docs, you’ll find Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, which allow you to create documents, spreadsheets, and details presentations. The best part of it all is that you can share your Docs with your company, clients or employers, and everyone can edit documents from their own computers. Google Docs automatically save, so you’re good to go as you work. Google Docs is free to use, and it’s a very easy way to keep important documents organized and easily shareable. Click here to check out Google Docs.

Dropbox

Dropbox has become very popular in recent years, and for good reason. It’s the perfect place to share, organize, and store online files, photos, videos, and so on. When you download Dropbox, you can keep the feed on your desktop, so when anyone from your team uploads a new file, you can access it instantly. Dropbox is also web-based, so you can login and access your files directly as well. It’s an easy way to free up space on your computer and share files easily without utilizing email. It keeps space clean and creates a central place to find any file. Click here to check out Dropbox.

The best way to stay on top of your to-do list for a successful home-based career is to stay organized with any one of a number of web-based organizational tools. These tools were developed to help you succeed!

Check out these other great articles about productivity / time management as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

(Image courtesy of holohololand at freedigitalphotos.net)

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January 22, 2015 0 Comments

Run Your Business Better: 5 Bookkeeping Tips for Work at Home Moms

If you wear the proverbial hats of mom and business owner, you’re already familiar with being pulled in numerous directions. And, if your business happens to be run out of your home, your situation can be even more complicated. Important papers can get lost (courtesy of the two-year-old with the big blue eyes), nerves can be worn thin and lines can become blurred between personal and business. In order to keep your business humming along and a decent-sized shred of your sanity, it’s imperative your financials are in order. Here are a few bookkeeping tips to making your home-based business thrive, so more time can be freed up to be spent as mom.

Track Your Accounting

First things first. If you’re not staying on top of your accounting, what are you waiting for? It takes some time to sit down and make entries, draw up invoices and set up a software system, but if not now, when? Disordered and mismanaged finances spell disaster for your business, so if you can spring for it, give QuickBooks for small business a try. If that expense isn’t in your budget, try a free system like GnuCash. Your first order of business is to get the system up and running so you can easily handle basic functions like entering debits and credits and creating invoices.

Invoice on Schedule

In your busy role as entrepreneur by day and 24/7 mom, it’s understandable that some tasks on your to-do list slide every now and again. Your five-year-old’s flu took precedence over everything, and your client’s major year-end project took priority after that. Life happens. But, whenever you’re able to, invoice right on schedule. A big mistake many female business owners make is letting this task take a backseat to other things. But, you won’t get paid if you don’t invoice, so this needs to be considered an ongoing, urgent action item.
Start preparing your invoice days (or even a week) before you plan to send them. Get them to your customers via mail and email if possible so you can ensure their receipt. If you’re not comfortable invoicing through your accounting software, there are multiple invoicing apps worth looking into (some of which are even free). Whichever way you go, do yourself a favor and bump this up on your list of to-dos.

Capitalize on the Cloud

In addition to enabling your accounting software to be accessible from anywhere, the cloud is your friend. One financial tip that can serve you well is to store a backup of all your company’s receipts and important documents in the cloud. This way you can access your data anywhere, even from your phone. Having physical backups, as well as Web-based backups, is one of the best ways to stay organized and be sure your valuable documents never get misplaced.

Pay and Be Paid

Since cash flow is important, you want to give customers every reason to pay you quickly. If you find yourself running into late payments from the same customers repeatedly, come up with an action plan for nixing this behavior in the future. Furthermore, make sure your invoices clearly offer simple ways to pay, like through PayPal or an app like Venmo. These also are easy and fast ways for you to pay your contractors, who will appreciate not having to wait for a paper check in the mail.

Get Cozy with a CPA

Last, but certainly not least, think of your taxes well in advance of tax season. Since you likely don’t have an accountant managing your bookkeeping, you might also think you can wing it with your taxes. But as the old adage goes, “don’t mess with the IRS.” Many CPAs will meet with you for free and offer advice about preparing for tax time, with the hope that you’ll use their services later. Once you find a CPA, you will be certain that you’re saving all necessary documents needed for tax time.

As a mom and business owner, you’re no stranger to hard work and sacrifice. Give yourself the ability to see the fruits of your labor by properly managing your bookkeeping from the get-go. By using these bookkeeping tips — tracking your accounting, invoicing on schedule, relying upon the cloud, making payments easy and meeting with a CPA — you’ll be well on your way to easy, breezy finances—and maybe even a little peace of mind too.

Check out these other great articles about business administration as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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June 11, 2014 0 Comments

4 Great Apps Every WAHM Needs in 2015

Not that long ago, work-at-home-moms relied on giant wall calendars, fax machines, decent computers and plenty of caffeine to get in a full day of productivity. Now, working at home means having a handful of the best devices and dozens of organizational apps that reach across your computers, tablets and smartphones. WAHMs keep discovering ways to stay on top of both work and family commitments—caffeine still required, of course—so there’s no excuse for not using them.

The following four work from home apps are perfect work-at-home-moms who are ready to start 2015 with a boost in digital organization.

Evernote

Being a WAHM involves lists—lots and lots of lists. Thanks to Evernote, WAHMs can access to-do lists, notes, schedules and all of the other mom stuff from any smart device. Evernote allows users to manage expenses, including those omnipresent piles of bills, receipts and invoices, and it can even help plan a trip to see the in-laws next summer. Available on both Android and iOS, the basic Evernote app is free, and upgraded versions with more bells and whistles can be purchased. Plus, since it is available for all devices, anything done on one device can then be accessed on another simply through the app.

Imagine that: she can be in line at the grocery store and planning an upcoming project on the new iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S4 or Windows phone she got over the holidays, and in the afternoon, she can continue planning from a tablet or laptop while she’s using her phone to schedule dentist appointments.

Dropbox

When it comes to must-have apps for WAHMs, Dropbox is definitely top pick. This amazing and innovative program lets users upload important work files, photos and documents and then share them easily with co-workers, employers, clients and more. Everyone who signs up for Dropbox automatically gets 2GB of space for free, and the app can be accessed from computers, tablets and mobile phones. Because who has the time to sift through piles of paper?

Google Calendar

For WAHMs who have relied on a huge white board calendar with different colored dry erase markers, Google Calendar is a terrific replacement. The Android app has more than 132,000 5-star ratings and allows busy work-at-home-moms to see daily, weekly and monthly schedules all in one easy to read place, and even includes maps to where they might be going to a meeting with a client, or to drop off their son or daughter for band practice. Once reservations are made for date night with hubby at a local restaurant or trip plans are finalized, they will be added to the calendar automatically through Gmail. The app also allows WAHMs to flip back and forth between different types of calendars including daily or several days at once.

Cozi Family Organizer

The Cozi Family Organizer has an average rating of 4.5 stars from more than 30,000 reviewers, and for good reason. The free app was winner of the Appy Award for the Best Family App and the BMA Gold for Best Mobile Calendar. This awesome program features a color-coded calendar that a WAHM can use to expertly keep tabs on her kiddos’ play dates alongside her own upcoming work deadlines, to-do lists and shopping lists. Just give each child or task a color and see at a glance what “teal Tommy” or “red Rachel” will be doing that day. For those who wish to do away with the ads that are part of the free version, they can upgrade for $29.99 to a premium version with additional features called Cozi Gold.

Let us know more work from home apps that you find useful in your home-based business. We are always looking for ways to make our workday more productive.

Check out these other great articles about productivity / time management as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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