Project management software keeps teams on track to deliver finished projects on time and in accordance with a client’s requirements. However, you don’t need to be part of a team to benefit from project management software.
Here’s how solopreneurs benefit just as much as large corporations by managing their projects with software.
The right project management software keeps digital assets in one location
Keeping all of your digital assets in one location is the key to staying organized and on-task. When you have files in multiple locations, it’s hard to remember where certain files are, and you risk accessing older file versions without knowing. Accessing an older version of an image would be obvious, but you never want to send an old version of your business plan accidentally.
Box is a great project management platform for centralizing shareable content in a secure environment. With Box, you can properly tag all of your files and folders, set individual access permissions, and use integrations to connect multiple digital tools seamlessly.
For example, Box integrates with key apps like Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Asana, so no matter what applications you use to manage your tasks, your files will always be at hand.
Project management software makes sharing digital assets easy
When you need to share files with your clients, you can email small files. However, emails often become hard to find if you need to reference them later. This is especially true if you use an encrypted email service where the body of your emails aren’t searchable.
Lost files can delay a project by days or even weeks. For example, say your client loses an image file on their computer and you’re expecting their feedback. If they can’t find your original email, you’ll have to either send the file again or dig through your email account and forward the original email. That could take a few days if you don’t act immediately.
On the other hand, sharing a link to a file hosted inside of a project management application makes it easy to access without having to go through emails to find it. Your clients can bookmark the link or save it to a spreadsheet. As long as the file remains uploaded, the link will be valid. If they lose the link, you can copy and paste it, and you won’t have to go through the trouble of sending the file again.
Project management software keeps track of projects, tasks, and deadlines
Staying on task is easier when you have a central location to create a list of tasks with deadlines. Without software, it’s hard to meet your deadlines because you have to review a task list and mentally process your deadlines constantly.
With project management software, your tasks will be lined up in order and due dates will be fully visible. You can also enable email reminders so you don’t forget about upcoming deadlines. That brings up the next benefit: automated notifications.
Project management software automates notifications
As a solopreneur, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by small tasks. To-do lists tend to grow rapidly. Project management software with automated notifications can save you from overwhelm by emailing you as each notification arises.
Whether you’re working on your own projects or projects for clients, you can’t beat having notifications delivered to your email inbox. Notifications can include:
· New file uploads
· New assignments
· Reminders for tasks coming due
· Notices of task completions
· Username mentions
· New, unread private messages
It’s convenient to get notifications in real-time rather than having to log into your software account and go through notifications all at once. With automated email notifications, you can take care of urgent requests on the spot and save the rest for later.
Project management software helps solopreneurs set and stick to a schedule
Having a work schedule is critical to meeting client deadlines. Technically, it doesn’t matter if you’re a morning person or a night owl, as long as you work on a consistent schedule that works for you.
Project management software can help you stay consistent when using the features to keep yourself on a routine. For example, plan all of your tasks for each day and set hourly deadlines for each task. Just be sure to schedule in breaks for meals and rest.
Working this way will ensure you get your daily tasks completed on time, which will ultimately lead to completing your projects on time.
Success is all about meeting deadlines
Ultimately, your goal is to meet your deadlines and complete your projects on time. Using project management software will give you the advantage in meeting your deadlines and delivering projects your clients will love.
Anna Johansson – Anna is the founder and CEO of Johansson Consulting where she works with businesses to create marketing and PR campaigns.
