SuiteWorks Recommends Some Great Small Business Apps To Help Our Clients

Here at SuiteWorks we often listen to our small business clients talking about productivity issues and concerns, how to get more things done in a day, and what can make them become more productive.  We've done a little research to help and we've come up with this list of 5 Productivity Apps that any small business will find helpful.

Here are some simple, day-to-day software solutions. Most of these apps work on iOS and Android, some will work on Windows.

Make quick-and-easy notes - Evernote (iOS / Windows / Android)

Evernote is the grandfather of note-taking apps. This product works seamlessly as you move from your mobile device to your desktop, something business professionals increasingly do throughout the day. Whether you want to keep track of an upcoming business trip, save your favorite web pages while you're researching online, or simply share notes with colleagues, Evernote makes it a cinch. The company is so committed to satisfying all types of business users, that they've moved beyond the app world to offer physical products. For example, Evernote-enabled Moleskine journals are a great way to enhance your note-taking experience, so you have the simplicity of pen and paper with the searchability of the Evernote app.

Create and sync lists - Any.do / Cal (iOS / Android)

For most small business owners, each day starts with a long list of tasks. There are a number of apps that will help to organize your daily responsibilities, but award-winning Any.do is starting to rise above the rest. The app lets you quickly and easily add daily to-dos. Select “done” to scratch an item off your list, or defer it to another day. This allows you to play around with your tasks, so you can get them done even if it means moving them a few hours ahead to fit your schedule. The company also offers up an app called Cal, which makes it simple to create tasks within events that can be synced with Any.Do.

Collaborate with colleagues - Quip(iOS / Android

Quip enables you to collaborate with others on documents. The app is a dream for business users who need to work on drafts and edits in real time, and keep in touch with constant updates. As the company says, Quip makes it easy to cut down on email because work groups can be notified on mobile devices as projects change and evolve. The app also works with attachments, and allows you to create and work on documents--even when you're offline.

Connect with industry news - LinkedIn Pulse (iOS / Android

Approximately 22% of online adults use LinkedIn, according to recent findings from the Pew Research Center. The popular social network has evolved from a place to find a new job to a place to connect to the latest news from thought leaders and influencers. With the company's Pulse app you can personalize your reading experience to get down to the exact type of content you need to help you run a better business. If you're away from the Internet, you can load up your stories beforehand so you can read them when you're offline. What's more, you can share the articles you find to network with other professionals and grow your own LinkedIn community--all within one streamlined download.

Communicate in real time – HipChat (iOS / Android / desktop)

In a world where business professionals struggle on a daily basis to keep up with their email messages, HipChat comes to the rescue. This cross-platform tool makes it a cinch for your entire team to message one-on-one or in groups. Unlike other private messaging services, there is no server technology to maintain. Moreover, the price is right (free for teams of five or less, $2/user every month beyond that). With the company's desktop, mobile, and web apps, everyone in your business can readily be available to participate in a chat. Not only can HipChat help to decrease email messages among your team, it can also help team members communicate more effectively. After all, too many email messages go unanswered--and if they are answered it's often hours or days later, leading to a decrease in overall productivity.

Learn More About SuiteWorks in this Video

Learn more about SuiteWorks in this video featuring a SuiteWorks business client, Jeff Krause

Organization Increases Productivity!

When you start work in the morning does your desk give you a clean fresh start, free from clutter, a workspace where you can be highly creative and productive, or does it bog you down and act as friction to getting things done?

If you're like most of us, your desk is probably not optimized for productivity and performance.

Let's start with the benefits.

1. When you have your desk set up well you minimize distractions and resistance to actually doing your work. You want your space to give you energy, not drain it.
2. You will work better when you desk is set up for workflow. Your desk surface is a place to do work, not store it. You'll have the space to spread out current work without overlap with clutter.
3. When the right tools are organized and at your fingertips your productivity increases.

One way to re-think your desk, is to use the PLACE system.

P - purge unnecessary items from the desk surface (this means material you are not working on, archives, junk mail..)
L - like items with like - group all your office supplies together, reference books etc.
A - access - frequently used items and tools need to be at your fingertips, others stored
C - contain loose items using a desk organizer or storage system
E - evaluate how well your system is working, make changes and get it right

After you have your supplies and tools organized - think about workflow. Since we operate processes from left to right, you might want to implement this approach to your desk. Productivity experts recommend keeping your inbox, phone, and diary or agenda (if you use one), on your left side, with work being processed in the middle and work that is complete or needs to be stored on the right. When you stop for the day, always make sure the middle and right side are clear.

It's easier organizing the permanent stuff: equipment, supplies, decoration, and reference.

Transient stuff, input to be processed, action reminders, and project support materials is the challenge, because to improve your productivity you may have to change the way you work.

Input to be processed - goes in your in-box (an old fashioned tray or basket). This unsorted, un-prioritized material, mail, requests, lists, folders - things others leave on your desk..

Action reminders - notes about to-do's go in your task management software or, if you are paper-based, your planner.

Support material - goes in files or, if it is too big to fit in a file, on a project shelf or project area away from your desktop in a binder.

Go through all the papers, books, folders on your desk and file everything away according to these groups.

Now you should have just an inbox and agenda/notebook on your left hand side.

Don’t manage your work from stacks of folders, manage your work from lists. Put what you need to accomplish on your action list and put the supporting materials in the pending files or a project shelf. When you are actually working on something, only then is it time to bring in the files and support materials. Be carefully about working on multiple tasks that require lots of support materials. If you can break down the task and only keep the materials for the task at hand on your desk surface you'll be much more focused and energized.

If you keep the idea below as a guiding principle, you just may find your desk surface not only more appealing, but you may get more work done and feel good about starting fresh tomorrow.

The desktop is for the work you are doing, not for storing the work that you have to do.

Tips for Selecting a Coworking Space

Are you interested in learning more about coworking spaces for your small business?

 

SuiteWorks Business Centre - Café Meeting Area

Coworking spaces vary dramatically in the service level and quality of work environment they provide to clients. At the low end, they may simply provide a chair at a communal table where an individual can access the internet, or they may provide a full range of business services including; conference rooms, reception, virtual office location, and self-contained offices.

 

When looking for coworking space ask yourself the following questions.

 

1.) How does the workspace handle sound and distractions?

2.) Is the desk configuration flexible?

3.) What other business services does the space provide?

4.) Are the services affordable and customizable for my business?

5.) Is the office space scalable so that I can use more space or services as my business grows?

6.) What networking opportunities does the space provide?

7.) Does the space provide a range of environments, from individual quiet areas, to space for collaborative meetings and events?

8.) Is the space attractive and does it give my business a professional appearance?

Karsten Strauss, writing about coworking spaces recently in Forbes said,

"Given the intense interest in start-ups these day, more and more young entrepreneurs are looking to coworking facilities to grab relatively inexpensive office space. In addition to WiFi, fax, conference rooms, kitchen and snack-prep areas; these ‘rental’ business studios also offer new companies the opportunity to rub elbows with others in their world. The coworking space industry has seen growth in recent years and that swell is only going to continue. "

He went on to add that the social aspect of coworking was a draw for business people tired of the isolation of working at home, “They find it inspiring, they find it more cost effective and they find that they’re able to be very productive in that environment because of technology.”

Read more.. Why Coworking Spaces Are Here to Stay | Forbes

 

SuiteWorks is a world class business centre serving all of central Ontario. Call us today to set up a complimentary Tour and learn how your business can benefit from a flexible office solution including coworking space and virtual offices - Toll Free 1.866.967.5711 or visit our website to find out more about SuiteWorks solutions for your business.

Take a Tour of SuiteWorks Online!

We're pleased to now offer an online virtural tour of SuiteWorks Business Centre. The tour allows you to explore and view different rooms at SuiteWorks including an office, boardroom, reception, and meeting area.

The virtural tour is shown below, but you can also see it on Google Maps.

The images really show how bright and contemporary the office space is. We have high ceilings, large windows, sky-lights, and open space.

Once you've seen the virtual tour, you'll want to book a meeting with us to see for yourself, and to speak with us about our flexible office and meeting space solutions.





View Larger Map

SuiteWorks is a world class business centre serving all of central Ontario. Call us today to set up a complimentary Tour and learn how your business can benefit from a flexible office solution including co-working space and virtual offices - Toll Free 1.866.967.5711 or visit our website to find out more about SuiteWorks solutions for your business.

How to Run a Productive Office - Infographic

This is an interesting infographic about improving productivity in the office. Whether your an office of 1 or many, I think there are some tips here that you'll find helpful.

Did you know?

• People work an average of 45 hours a week and 17 are considered unproductive.
• 55% of employees relate their productivity directly to their software
• People spend 5.6 hours per week in meetings.
• Only 34% are using proven scheduling tools and techniques
• Workers receive and average of 42 emails per day

SuiteWorks is a world class business centre serving all of central Ontario. Call us today to set up a complimentary Tour and learn how your business can benefit from a flexible office solution including co-working space and virtual offices - Toll Free 1.866.967.5711 or visit our website to find out more about SuiteWorks solutions for your business.

Where to Hold an Off-Site Meeting in Barrie

SuiteWorks Boardroom

It could be that you just don't have a pleasant clear space to get everyone together, or you may be thinking of the advantages of holding your meeting away from the distractions of the office. Whatever the reason, you'll want to find the best location, a location that has the environment and services to make your meeting a success.

In Barrie, professional meeting space is limited. For small meetings you may be most familiar with coffee locations, Williams, Starbucks, Café Cappuccino and for larger gatherings your options include conference rooms at local Hotels and Inns or the Barrie Public Library.

SuiteWorks Meeting Room

We'd like you to consider another venue when it comes to setting up your next off-site gathering. At SuiteWorks we can accommodate groups from 1 to 50 in professional boardrooms. You can also set up multiple rooms, if for example you need break out sessions or space for training groups. Perhaps you're looking for professional space off-site to meet one on one with employees. We can handle small meetings or large.

The advantage to using SuiteWorks is that our meeting space and services are flexible to your needs. Boardrooms can be booked by the hour, 1/2 day or full day. We can even can set up your space for evenings and weekends.

Here are our meeting room capacities:

Private Boardroom - 1 to 6 people
Courtesy Office - 2 people
Simcoe Boardroom - 25 with a Theatre Set-up, 16 with a Boardroom Set-up
Muskoka Boardroom - 16 with a Theatre Set-up, 10 with a Boardroom Set-up
Town Hall Boardroom - 70 with a Theatre Set-up, 35 with a Boardroom Set-up



Flexible Space For Your Event

Our boardrooms come fully equipped with comfortable office furniture and the latest audio visual tools. Staffing can be arranged to handle every detail and we also provide full catering. Of course, we give you the free coffee, office space, and equipment for a great meeting. However, it's the experience that we provide that sets us apart.

 It starts with our technology. We have you wired, whether you need a boardroom, classroom, or theatre style room. Our members get full access to Barrie's best collection of presentation and audio/ video equipment, at no additional charge:

• Internet connectivity for laptops
• DVD and VCR players and monitors
• Multimedia projectors
• Full size projection screens
• Multimedia electronic whiteboards
• Flip charts, markers and all the other stuff
• Our equipment also comes with tech support, so you're free to run your meeting.

 

SuiteWorks is a world class business centre serving all of central Ontario. Call us today to set up a complimentary Tour and learn how your business can benefit from a flexible office solution including co-working space and virtual offices - Toll Free 1.866.967.5711 or visit our website to find out more about SuiteWorks solutions for your business.