So here we are! Episode 1 of Ditch the Drift and I’m leading with some of my favorite business tools. 

Raise your hand if you’re a budget savvy business owner. 

Are you also looking to grow your team? 

The tools I’m going to share with you today will cost you nadda and they are perfect for staying organized AND growing your team if you’re ready for that. 

First, I want to say that it’s hard to set up the kind of systems and organization without these free tools so let’s dive in!

We are going to talk about:

  • Trello
  • Google Drive
  • Facebook

Trello

This is my go-to organizational tool. I use Trello to organize my entire business and teach others to do the same all the time. 

First, it’s free! I can’t remember a time I’ve paid for anything on Trello. If you’re a budget conscious entrepreneur like I am, this is the tool for you.

Here are some highlights about Trello I share in this episode:  

  • Like using sticky notes
  • If you’re still using pen and paper, you’ll love transitioning to Trello
  • Due dates are ESSENTIAL!
  • Easy sharing with the whole team

It’s just one of those tools you can use to set up your business for growth and scaling from the very beginning!

Google Drive

Having a business specific cloud where you can share your files is imperative. 

Remember when you used to have to send files through email and HOPE you had the most up to date file?

That’s all over with your cloud and I like Google Drive. It’s free up to 15 GB of data. After that it’s totally worth it to upgrade, but it’s not an immediate expense.

As your team grows, everyone needs to be on the same page… literally. 

 

 One lesson I want to be sure to share you is how to transfer ownership of the resources in your Google Drive.

As your team grows there will probably be documents that need to be added to your systems or should be added to your online programs. It’s a really good idea to be sure you’re always the owner of those documents, even if one of your team members creates them.

To the right, I put together a quick tutorial on how to transfer those documents without a lot of hassle!

Easy Systems Tip: Take 5 minutes a day to organize your online files. 

If you’ve been in business for a while, some of those files are collecting cloud dust and are no use to you if you can’t find them.

Use these steps to stay organized:

1. Every workday set a timer for 5 minutes and organize the files in your cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive… your desktop even!

2. To remember to do this task every workday, set a recurring reminder at the same time EACH WORKDAY during a time where you can stop and focus on this task

3. When organizing files, make higher-level files then subfiles inside. For example, 2020 > Products > {Name of Product}.

Facebook

One last FREE tool for your business. That’s Facebook.

Social media platforms are used by 1 in 3 people in the world with Facebook as the lead social media platform. 

With all the changes, it’s still one of the best places to support your current clients AND find new leads (without having to pay to be on the platform).

Some of my clients say they don’t want to be on Facebook because it’s too distracting and can kill productivity. Both CAN be true, but doesn’t have to be. I’m sharing in this episode my #1 FREE tool to stay productive on Facebook.

News Feed Eradicator for Facebook

With this Chrome extension, you can turn off your newsfeed so when you’re on Facebook you focused! You can add this extension here.

I use Facebook as a workplace a lot of the time. And I want it to be a place of productivity. Without this extension, it’s SUPER easy to get off track. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

The other resource I use to keep from falling into the rabbit hole that is Facebook is to time block. Set a time. Go to Facebook for a specific purpose and stay focused while you are there. 

TRAIN yourself to know when you are getting off track and pivot back to your main focus when you do. 

There are billions of people on Facebook so use that as a place to connect with new leads for free and support your clients in private groups!

Of course there are plenty of ways to use paid tools and everything I’ve share with you in this episode can be upgraded to something free. BUT you can start with something FREE first. 

If you have questions about any of the tools I’ve shared today, don’t hesitate to email me! I’ll be glad to help!

 

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