When I first started this journey, I never realized that it could potentially take more effort, planning, and organization to work remotely than my 9-5 corporate job demanded. Now, after several years of dedicated entrepreneurship, I get it. Remote work takes drive, motivation, being super skilled in organization and lots of self-discipline. It also needs the right business software to make it work.

Over the years, I’ve adapted well to working remotely and along the way, I’ve found the business software that works for clients and myself. These tools help make remote work a little easier and much more organized. I want you to think of these programs as your cyber-workspace. They’re part of my online office, helped me grow immensely, and I want to share them with you.

1. Airtable

*Airtable is a spreadsheet on steroids; it lets you organize anything. Ideal for small to midsize businesses, Airtable is formatted like a spreadsheet but has the power of a database. When you start to use Airtable, you’ll realize that this is the only spreadsheet you’ll ever need for your business and for your personal life.

When I say that Airtable is a spreadsheet on steroids, I mean it. Airtable is a business software that lets you choose how you want to view and sort all the information you have: as a spreadsheet, as a calendar, maybe you like to view information based on which social media platform you’re using it for, you name it, you can probably do it.

My favorite Airtable feature is that you can easily attach files into different cells. Why is this so important? This feature makes it super easy for collaborating with your team. My clients love this feature for planning social media posts.

If you’re looking for a superhero application with major flexibility, I promise you won’t regret using Airtable.

2. Asana

I’ve mentioned Asana before. I love Asana for its three E’s: Efficient, Easy, Effective.

Asana has a great tutorial system that takes you step-by-step through each part of their system. It’s a learn as you go type of training. A simple and effective business software. Doesn’t get much easier than that.

Asana has color schemes that really allow you to organize your thoughts, projects, and plans in a bright, effective way. Remote work can get a little redundant sometimes. Why not brighten it up? Asana is your one-stop shop for keeping things organized in your business.

3. Slack

*Slack is the ideal business software for creating a community for your clients and your team; it’s like a little hub for all the great happenings of your business. Remote workers love a feeling of belonging!

It takes the conversations out of your inbox and into their own personalized spaces, but it’s so much more than an instant messaging application.  You can create different channels that revolve around certain projects.

Slack also creates a sense of community by letting you video or audio chat with up to fifteen team members at one time. This feature is wonderful if you need to have everyone on the same page at the same time. Quick digital meeting? You bet!

Slack integrates well with tons of other apps you’re probably already using like Google Drive, MailChimp, Giphy, etc. It provides users with quick, easy access to links to files, docs, photos, etc. No more having to switch from one app to the next trying to get files to your team members.

Your time matters; with Slack, you can protect your time. They have features that allow you to schedule your nightly “do not disturb” hours, daily reminders, pause notifications for specific amounts of time, and how often you’d like to receive notifications when a message comes your way.

4. G-Suite

*G-Suite is my favorite as an all in one place. This business software makes it easy to keep track of everything I have going on; e-mails, docs and file storage are all here. G-Suite integrates well with Asana and Slack, so I don’t have to leave one application to get to what I need quickly.  You can absolutely get started with the free version and move up to one of the paid options as needed. More and more online businesses are migrating to G-Suite. It is quickly becoming the industry standard of sorts. In fact, all but one of my clients uses G-Suite to run their businesses and manage their remote teams.

5. Siteground

As far as web hosting is concerned, *Siteground knocks it out of the park. We recently transitioned from Hostgator and I only wish I would have known about Siteground from day one. Siteground puts consumer’s needs first. They have a team that made our transition for Hostgator to Siteground seamless. Anytime I have any questions, they are there to help me find a resolution. Siteground has top-notch customer service. Which is important for any web hosting platform. I want to know that the people behind the screen are looking out for my business’s best interest.

Technology that allows us to be as productive as possible and still maintain relationships with others is the key to success when working remotely. The five business software I have mentioned in this article have helped me create my own community in the online workplace.

Remember that working remotely is not as easy as you think it is. You always need to stay focused in order to increase your productivity.

*Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission if you choose to sign up for the software above. Trust me when I say, I don’t promote anything I don’t 100% believe in myself.