Being an entrepreneur is the equivalent of taking on multiple full time jobs. No matter which niche you are in (be it exciting creative projects or complex finance mortgage industry) and even the best business minded person is still human, though, so it’s a good thing that a team of professionals can be put together in order to get the job done.
Still, once you’ve taken the wise step of getting that team together, a new challenge will arise. Managing that team and keeping up communication with everyone for the sake of VIP client work, rush orders, and even some degree of day-to-day tasks, requires its own skill set. Here are a few basic tips and tools to help you get your team in full working order.
Tip #1: Go Beyond Skype
Skype is one of the best tools for small teams working together on business projects. In addition to providing high quality voice over internet processing at a reasonable cost, its video conferencing tools and chat options make it an incredibly versatile tool. Beyond just using Skype, however, you can use other Skype based accessories, such as Jott. Jott is a software utility that will allow you to receive automatic text notes for your calls, voice mail, and notes. If you’ve decided to go a different route than Skype, Jott will also work for phone calls.
Tip #2: Conferencing and Event Utilities
Simple Event is one of the great sites that provides tools and services related to conferences, presentations, and webinars. Whether you’re enabling your team to make more effective presentations, or increasing the quality of your team training, tools of this nature are of prime importance.
Tip #3: Exchange Information
Microsoft exchange, and the accompanying exchange hosting, will allow your team to collaborate on projects, share and exchange information, synchronize their schedules, and generally stay on the same page. Microsoft is a reliable method of going about this, but whatever you do, make sure your team stays synchronized on all their projects.
Tip #4: Invest in Netbooks
Mobility is a key to business power in today’s world. While they may not be the smallest investment you’ve made, purchasing decent quality netbooks for your team will increase their ability to work on the go. Mobile devices can also help if you want to go the extra mile.
Tip #5: Create Action Steps and Items
Your team may be great at ideas, but it does very little unless those ideas translate into actual tasks and accomplishments. Tools like the Action Method, available for your computer systems and mobile devices, help your team make the transition from thought into reality.
Tip #6: Treat Your Team to Conferences
Conferences, training sessions, and similar events can help your team develop skills while reinforcing a sense of team spirit. In addition, treating your team in this way will make them feel like valued members of the group. Remember, you chose your team based on their professional abilities and their shared desire to see your business projects through to completion. Trust them to meet those expectations and make their life as easy and pleasant as possible. After all, a happy team is far more likely to stick around and stick to their guns when the project becomes challenging.
