Category: Productivity

5 Ways to Remain Productive through Quarantine

How to remain Productive Through Quarantine

Now we all are somehow frustrated regarding the ongoing situation, the lockdown, the work from home, and no respite in vision from the grinding routine. Even though having the best possible environment in the form of a family we still are lacking in giving our best for the position. 

The greatest issue that every team has faced over the last few months even though the remote working phenomenon has taken over the world and is literally the most profitable move for businesses worldwide cutting in on the office expense and all. However after a few weeks of the boom; the productivity levels have indeed been negative. 

The productivity charts have gone drastically bad. There seems like nothing can help you get those graphs up and your work seamless, now we are not going to say that the Staff Timer App magically makes everything better we are just going to tell you how having this app has helped the productivity stay constant, or better yet how about I tell you how we do things the “Staff Timer App” way?

I like the latter question, so here is how we at the Staff Timer App make sure the productivity remains constant and always grows upwards:

Looking to boost your productivity while working remotely? Sign up today!

Informed Tasks

The best gift you can give your employee is not a raise, which by the way is a very good gift, in the case of work is to let him or her know the targets or goals for the day, do not let him or her wander about in the abyss of countless possibilities and leave them on their own.

This not only hurts productivity but also hurts the organization and if you are working remotely it is total time wastage. We make sure our employees our well-aware of their duties and tasks at the start of the day.

Effective Communication

Now, this here is the core of many solutions to your remote teams. Communication is the key to a relationship. Remember your employee is dependent upon you for feedback and report checks. So make sure you get to their query first and after that indulge in other tasks.

Employees’ productivity demands a lot upon the feedback, not the tweaks but proper feedback that tells them their weaknesses and their strengths so they can be an effective part of the organization.

Our seniors make sure that the employees get the best feedback for their work without any biases so they can ace their work and achieve the daily targets efficiently. 

Give them Time

No good has ever come from rushing to a conclusion we all agree, similar is the case with a task once you have given a task to an employee, understand that not everyone knows everything, so for them to do a task it requires time.

They are already under pressure to nail a task, so be patient with them. We understand this issue and that is why time tracking is a great option. You are up to date with the progress of a great little trick we employ at Staff Timer. 

Respect the Breaks

Yes, people read the heading; respect the break. Make sure to respect the breaks. When our employees are on break for lunch or running any other errands. We understand that not to disturb them or bug them constantly asking them over and over again for the tasks assigned to them.

Breaks are important, they help deal with burnout and essential for mental health. Too much of anything is dangerous, and too much screen time is essentially bad. So letting them relax will freshen up the approach and a sudden burst of energy is good for overall productivity. 

Work only in Working Hours

Condone overtime at all cost, condemn it and avoid it. Overtimes are a hassle and a killer of productivity so try and finish work within hours, anything done over time will reflect hastiness and blunt edges.

The simple reason for this is that the human mind can only function at full capacity for 8-10 hours after that it requires rest and we ourselves become tired so the work done after working hours is not as polished as the work done in time.  

So here are our exclusive 5 pointers that keep Staff Timer fresh and productive. We always wake up with new dreams and we have a team that can reach those goals and fulfills those dreams.

All because of these little things we take care of and not to mention the Staff Timer Aap itself which always keeps us ahead of the curve.

8 ways to communicate and collaborate effectively with your remote teams

Every global organization is very well aware that effective communication among remote teams is crucial for success. But if you have a remote team, communicating effectively with them has always been challenging. A lot of important details can be lost over long messages or emails. 

So how can you have better communication with your teams dispersed globally? Staff timer app, like a lot of budding startups, has a very flexible remote work policy. Almost 10% of our team members work remotely full time, with many more shifting to remote work partially. We know, shifting to remote working arrangements makes communication and collaboration pretty daunting at first, but if you follow the simple tips given below with your remote teams, you are sure to see a difference. 


Accept That There Will Be Challenges!

As mentioned above remote work has its own challenges. Specifically, if you have never worked in an office setting before. Adapting to remote work, making your own work schedule, using digital means of communication, and learning can be a hassle. Sometimes working from home can make you feel unproductive. But if you are aware of the challenges yourself and willing to accept them only then you will be prepared to face them one on one. 

Before you transition to remote work, lay out a proper plan about difficulties that you may face such as team communication, meetings, distractions, and so on and so forth. Note them down and develop solutions on how you can best tackle them while you are away. A detailed policy document can do the trick! 


Check-in Daily With Your Teams

Working remotely can make you feel isolated at times. With no one around to bug, you may start to feel lonely at times. So it is crucial to check up on your team daily. Ask them about their daily tasks. One best solution is to have video meetings to catch up on things.

Always have open lines of communication. Have weekly, monthly meetings but along with that stay prepared for any ad hoc calls too. Checking in with your employees not only boosts their morale but they can also share any or all issues they are facing. As far as the checking on the progress of employees is concerned, so that you stay on the same page as them is through the Staff timer app. 

Intelligence reports can give you a sneak peek into daily work activities that make it easier to track daily tasks. Through real-time monitoring and screenshots, you can track roadblocks and progress that may otherwise go unnoticed.


Recognize Your Team’s Efforts

When employees are working from home, they might feel disconnected from their peers or may feel that their efforts are not recognized or acknowledged. You can prevent this if as an employer you make it an obligation on yourself to recognize your teams’ accomplishments and point out good work by giving a quick shout out through email or the company’s public communication channel. There’s nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment and success.


Watch That Tone with your remote teams

One of the biggest challenges of written communication is its ability to be misunderstood. Without facial expression or body language that we usually use to identify meaning, messages can sometimes appear as rude, when they weren’t meant to be.

That’s why it’s important that you thoroughly review each message or email before hitting send. Just ensure that your message is rightly conveying the meaning behind it. Pro tip: using emojis can help lighten up the tone of the message. 


Use Team Collaboration Tools

Digital tools matter a lot while working in remote teams. Many companies have said that they can not live without project management or collaboration tools such as slack, zoom, google docs, and the like. Some of the most frequently used tools for remote team collaboration are listed below:

    • Staff timer app: Time and task tracking
    • Asana: Project management
    • Basecamp:  Staying in touch with the client, also project management
    • GitHub :  Version control
    • Google Suite : For emails and collaboration
    • Google hangouts/meet :  One-on-one and group meetings
    • Dropbox: Document sharing
    • Google Docs: Document sharing and collaboration
    • Salesforce :  CRM
    • Hubspot: CRM
    • Slack: Company-wide communication
    • Trello : Project management and communication
    • Skype: For client meetings and calls
    • Zendesk : Support
    • Zoom :  Videoconferencing


Encourage Group Discussions and Feedback

It is important for you to encourage group discussion and open and honest feedback with your remote teams. Encourage them to ask questions, so that they can have a clear understanding of the subject at hand and tasks. This not only decreases errors but also increases your remote team members’ confidence to ask questions. At the end of the day, it is your responsibility to make sure that your messages are effectively and clearly communicated to them. 

Also, you can get honest feedback out of your employees by showing that you are interested in paying attention to what they have to say. As an employer, you can also make mistakes so if ever you are wrong about anything instead of going into defensive mode, try to willingly own them. 


Switch to Video Conferencing

Email is a useful way of non-verbal communication, but if you need fast responses, you should turn to video chat. It offers a more personalized communication because it lets you see body language and expressions. There’s no room for misunderstanding.


Some Intentional Fun is Good

One of the tried and tested ways to improve team collaboration is by having some virtual fun. Crack appropriate jokes, celebrate birthdays, have virtual lunch, and learn sessions for socializing. It helps remote teams to connect with each other and perform better with a refreshed mind. It also makes them feel special and included no matter the distance.

Few challenges of working from home and how to avoid them

During the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, many companies have shifted to ‘work from home’ policy. Some of us, such as freelancers, writers, and developers are already familiar with the very notion of working remotely. But this is a very first experience for many other global teams and companies, forced by events obviously. Remote work does sound wonderful because of its many advantages such as no daily commute, no stress of work or waking up early, most of all home-made food! As good as it sounds, working from home is definitely not without troubles and challenges! 

It’s important to overcome the challenges whether you are permanently working remotely or are currently a remote worker. Not only will you be happier and more productive but you will also succeed in transitioning towards this new work arrangement.

Here are a few common remote-work challenges and how to fight them.

Separating work and professional life

It’s evident when you work from home, it becomes harder to have a clear boundary between work and personal space. Ideally, your home is a place where you unwind after a long day, feel safe and secure. It’s a place when you put all the stress related to work behind you. So when you are working from home, sometimes we might lose track of the time and even after working hours we are compelled to check that one last email or slack notification or even a meeting call. 

This is why it is important you set aside a separate physical space for work and a separate place for relaxing once you are done. Also, advise your family to respect your boundaries. And for you, invest your time in your family after working hours are over and avoid checking up on any work-related notifications. Eventually, the clearer the boundaries, the better you will be able to distinguish between work and personal life. 

Working more than expected

One of the many reasons why managers don’t approve of employees to work remotely is because they fear that the employees might dodge work if they have no manager overlooking them.  But, in many cases the opposite seems to be true; meaning remote workers over-work. Just like mentioned above, when your professional and private life is under the same roof, it becomes difficult to keep the two distinctive.  

Also, sometimes we lose track of when the work time starts and when it ends, which can be pretty exhausting and we are unable to realize it even. One way to avoid overworking is to set reminders to take regular break intervals after every hour or so. Either take a walk outside the house, have a tea break, or walk to the kitchen to even fill up your glass of water can be immensely helpful and ultimately make you more productive. 

Distractions, distractions, distractions!

Even if you have a dedicated working space or have a set work schedule, you can still be prone to many distractions in your environment.  Staying productive can be really challenging. It can become difficult to focus on when your family and personal chores are surrounding you. So it’s crucial to remove these distractions before they get out of hand. One of the effective techniques is to move yourself to a separate home office space as mentioned above. But also making sure that your home office is too free of distractions. Moreover, you can use noise-canceling earphones to steer clear of noise. 

Once you are free of distractions, only then you will be able to work efficiently and measure your daily productivity. Another way to stay on course is to use a time management software (try Staff Timer app), which allows you to log tasks and know the total time spent on them. Just the act of keeping track of your time can make you more aware of where your time is going. You can see your work patterns and improve accordingly.

Feeling lonely when working from home

Feeling lonely is one of the biggest challenges that remote workers are facing nowadays. This physical separation has made workers feel less connected to their social circle and company. Humans tend to have social needs but when people are confined to just working remotely without any socializing, it can add to declining mental health and even productivity. Meeting and socializing at work not only strengthen bonds but also connectedness between teams. 

So it is important to make your remote teams feel included even while apart. There are a few ways remote employees can avoid loneliness by working outside the home once in a while. Use video conferencing tools to communicate with your team. Schedule team-wide virtual meetings that allow employees to connect virtually especially in this period of a worldwide pandemic. 

Communication challenges

While working from home it becomes super difficult to stay on the same page as the rest of the team. Instant messaging, emails, calls are just some of the ways through which employers and employees stay in touch. But sometimes people can misinterpret them in a big way. Team and task collaboration tools like Staff timer exist specifically to make it easier for companies to stay organized and easily delegate tasks to their members via voice notes.

Moreover, different time zones can add to your nightmare. You might be waking up just when your teammate is going to bed. That means you can’t always rely on your team members to be available to solve any issue when needed immediately. So it is important to keep the lines of communication open and according to schedule.  

How a productivity app can help you as a parent

Have you ever considered using a productivity app in your house? You’re sure to be surprised by the many ways through which you can use it on your children and run your day smoothly. If we could, we would give our children 24/7 attention. Our children love us and of course, we love them as well. 

Nevertheless, most of us have a lot of other duties and obligations to tend to throughout the day, such as meetings, dinner preps, reading, meetings, alone time, etc.

Use a productivity monitoring tool like the Staff Timer app to define when you can give your undivided attention to the children. Track their screen monitoring time so that the children can learn important lessons and boundaries. Here are a few ways in which a productivity monitor can help your child improve his/her quality of life. 

Weekly Family Meetings

Using an app like Staff Timer for individual sharing can help create boundaries for siblings. When each member of the family has a set amount of time to express views and knows when the timer goes off, it makes it possible to share or speak concisely and respect other’s voices. The timer helps lessen the chance of one sibling’s voice becoming dominant and helps encourage the quieter ones. 

Screen Time

When children start their screen time during the beginning of a week, it is recommended to minimize the screen of elementary children to weekends only for 1 to 2 hours each day. 

A timer or productivity monitor will help them stick with limits and move on to the next part of their free time when the timer goes off. Encourage children to first have outdoor time, learn instruments, read, be creative, and do screen time last so that it helps with boundaries and motivation. 

One-on-One Connection Time

While practicing one-on-one connection time with your child, use a time monitor to let the child know exactly how long this period of time will last. Before starting your session of time, ask your child what he or she would like to do and follow their lead. This way you will let the child know when the timer goes off so you both can move onto the next task of the day. 

This method will let your child learn to respect and know the importance of time while thoroughly enjoying the one-on-one session.

While using YouTube kids 

Entertainment is a major part of our kid’s time during the growing age. So, what could be a better platform than YouTube? Moreover, the app is now offering a kids platform. 

If you have young kids, you will be well aware of this generation’s YouTube infatuation. It is incredible how well children know their way around the social platform. Although there are some major benefits to easy-access entertainment, parents have continuously stressed that the app is too much of a free-for-all. 

YouTube, fortunately, recognized youngster’s easy accessibility to inappropriate content and are making good on their promises to up their YouTube kid’s security measure. 

The app is now giving an option to show approved content only to kids with two other options like older content and younger content. Still, a productivity monitoring app like Staff Timer can assist you even further in this aspect. With this app, you add projects so that you can now know where most of their time is being spent. 

e-Learning with LinkedIn Learning

Everything in life has turned digital and learning through digital media is the best option for a modern student. With the LinkedIn e-learning program, our children can effectively spend time on learning, access online platforms for assignment help, and work on weak areas with expert guidance form scholars and teachers. 

Furthermore, mobile learning has become the trend of the decade, lending easier access to web-based educational activities. Online tools like video lectures are the easiest way to catch up with the topics that pose doubts to students. 

Now here is where an app like Staff Timer shines. It allows you to add a different project named “e-Learning” and ask them to spend designated time on it. 

Conclusion

The tech world has far exceeded our abilities to create a positive restriction in a timely manner. So it is important for an organization like YouTube to take responsibility and work efficiently to protect our children. We are hopeful that these features in combination with a productivity monitor are major steps in the right direction and will lead to a better and more productive generation. 

8 Types of Management Styles for Efficient Leadership

Some people are born to lead while others need to practice hard at it. For those who want to work hard on different types of management styles, this article is going to be of tremendous help.

There are different styles of management and no one can say only one is right while all the others are wrong. In fact, truly great leaders incorporate different styles in order to make their leadership more effective. 

In this article, we’re going to talk about ten types of management styles for effective leadership. So let’s get into it!

The Most Effective Types of Management Styles

The truly honest answer is that no one type of management style is the best for all situations. 

The ideal types of management styles should be appropriate, flexible, and effective for all circumstances. As we all know, different situations require different kinds of leadership.  

Effective leaders always take a number of considerations before deciding to lead. Some factors that’ll influence your management style include:

    • Type of business 
    • The volume of incomplete work
    • Your natural personality and management qualities
    • Your staff’s quirks and personalities

After taking all of these factors into consideration, you’ll be ready to take effective action. 

Why Learn Different Management Styles

Identifying your own management style or knowing which style works in which situation will have a big impact on the day-to-day business operations. 

Here’s how learning different management styles can make you successful:

    • You won’t have to rely on trends
    • You’ll comprehend how to adapt
    • You’ll learn how to engage your employees
    • You’ll identify your weaknesses and how to improve them

Different Types of Management Styles for Efficient Leadership  

  • Democratic Management Style

Democratic management style involves taking the point-of-view of staff in company decisions. This type of management style lets your employees know that you respect them and their abilities. It also shows confidence in your own leadership skills. 

You won’t have to rule with an iron fist and always be severe with your employees. Your staff will be empowered and you’ll simply have to oversee the direction of your company. 

  • Inspirational Management Style

To inspire people is no walk in the park. But when done in the right manner, it has proven to be very effective. 

To practice the inspirational management style, you’ll need excellent people skills, a big heart, and a desire to improve your employees both professionally and personally. 

  • Authoritative Management Style

Most people prefer a democratic management style but sometimes specific situations call for a dictator of sorts. For example, imagine you’re a new manager who needs to bring order to a chaotic office. The best possible approach is to be strict and to take disciplinary action when necessary. 

But keep in mind an authoritative management style doesn’t ask you to be rude to your employees. 

Read More: Why Personal Time Tracking is Important

  • Result-Based Management Style

Result-based managers want one thing from their employees: efficiency. They don’t want to hear how things are done as long as they’re done well and in the quickest possible manner. 

If employees come up with a better way of doing things then these managers are happy to make changes to the company policy. Only results and output matter in the end. 

  • Collaborative Management Style

The collaborative management style might sound similar to the democratic management style but differs in one major way. 

In a collaborative management style, managers don’t just simply ask for a generic vote from their employees—they actively seek feedback from their team members. 

Collaborative managers want a genuine thoughtful conversation about their business. This empowers their staff and makes them feel as if they’re an integral part of the company. 

  • Example-Setting Management Style

As the name suggests, managers using this style consistently set an example for their employees to follow. This allows workers to know what kind of standards are being expected of them. 

The bar is always set by the manager’s actions and methods. This type of management style can even change the ethics and working style of a working environment. 

  • Strategic Management Style

Strategic managers don’t waste their time on the minute details of day-to-day business operations. They’re concerned about the entire forest instead of just the trees. 

These managers are comfortable with letting their assistants oversee most of the daily responsibilities. While staff looks into the everyday mundane work, strategic managers are busy planning the next phase of expansion. 

  • Charismatic Management Style

The charismatic management style—also known as a persuasive management style—depends on the personality of the manager. 

In this type of management style, the managers focus on developing personal relationships with their staff and team members. Their employees in return appreciate the fact that their boss is genuinely interested in getting to know them better. 

Key Takeaways

Experienced managers will know how to successfully incorporate the above-mentioned types of management styles in their daily activities and tasks.

Why Personal Time Tracking is Important

Personal time tracking is an important part of our lives. Its importance can be perceived by the fact that once you master it, you’ll immediately improve the quality of your life. 

A scary thing about time is that once it’s lost, you’ll never get it back. But there is also light at the end of the tunnel. You can organize and track your time to get ahead in life. 

If you revolve your day around to-do lists then unmet deadlines will inevitably pile up. That will lead to a fear of failure as well. This will end up paralyzing your professional life. Just imagine working long hours at the office, only to achieve nothing in the end and compromising your personal life in the whole process. 

Only by implementing personal time tracking in your life can you change your fate. 

Time is one of our most valuable assets. So much so that the great Benjamin Franklin used to say, “Time is money”. And personal time is known to be the equivalent of happiness, harmony, and quality. These qualities are the foundation of work-life balance and satisfaction. 

In this article, we’re going to discuss personal time tracking and why it’s so important in our lives. So without any further ado, let’s just jump into it. 

What is a personal time tracking?

As the name suggests, personal time tracking means keeping an eye on your personal tasks, projects, activities, and routine. 

When we talk about personal time tracking, we don’t necessarily mean tracking only household chores. Time tracking can also extend to your work life as well. In fact, it’s not outlandish to consider time tracking as the main key to professional success. 

How to track time

Nowadays, you can easily track your time through time tracking apps like Staff Timer. But that was not always the case. 

People have been tracking time through different methods since ancient times. Our forefathers used to observe the sun and the stars. They even invented peculiar devices like sundials. Today, we’ve come a long way since then and now use all types of time tracking software to efficiently keep track of time.

Before the introduction of modern devices, employees had to physically clock in and out of a time clock machine. This machine was invented in the late 1880s by Willard Le Grand Bundy. When the patent for his time recorder (the precursor to modern time tracking apps) was approved, Bundy started a company that developed employee attendance machines.

Bundy’s company later merged with other organizations to form the International Time Recorder Company (ITR). Fun fact: this particular company was the actual predecessor to IBM. 

Time tracking software

Time tracking software allows users to effectively track their time.  

Efficient time management can help meet tight deadlines, avoid stress, improve productivity, and above all else, make extra time for themselves. It can also help maintain a work-life balance by keeping track of the time.

Employee time tracking software 

Nowadays, time tracking software can be found in almost every industry. Workplaces that require the use of computers or mobile devices are quickly embracing these apps. Many companies have also started using employee monitoring software to watch over their employees’ work activities. 

See Also: Best Time Clock Apps for Multiple Employees

Time Tracking: Advantages

Time tracking apps in the workplace are popular for a reason. Some pros include:

  • Exposing sensitive problems like harassment.
  • Reducing/preventing theft.
  • Discovering which workload may need to be redistributed.
  • Helping monitor and ensure safe practices.
  • Reducing instances of employees wasting company time.
  • Highlighting bottlenecks or areas where employees spend more time than necessary, letting employers review the process and improve upon it.
  • Allowing employers to monitor their employees’ work activities and ensure that they’re being productive and following the rules.
  • Tracking hours worked on specific tasks, leading to an increase in accuracy for invoicing.
  • Helping with recordkeeping, such as tracking employee time, projects, tasks, etc.
  • Monitoring customer interactions to ensure policies are being adhered to and customers are being treated well.

Time Tracking: Disadvantages

Every rose comes with a thorn. Time tracking apps provide a lot of downsides in the workplace as well. Some drawbacks include:

  • Employees feeling as if their privacy has been violated.
  • Increase in employee turnover rate if tracking becomes very intrusive.
  • Time tracking being perceived as a sign of mistrust; breeding resentment and reducing employee morale and productivity.
  • The line between work and home getting blurred; most people often use the same device for both.
  • Important data getting misused by the higher-ups. 
  • Legal issues to contend with, ensuring employers remain within their legal rights while also respecting their employees’ privacy rights. 
  • Tracking programs only being useful if they are carefully scrutinized, requiring lots of time and money.
  • Modern time tracking becoming a great risk by creating a false sense of security.

Key Takeaways

Personal time tracking is only useful in the right hands. If you want to be someone of importance then you have to start tracking your time. Otherwise, the sands of time will quickly blow past you. 

Instead of using traditional methods like pen and paper, use time tracking apps to keep an eye on your activities. They are fast, reliable, and secure. To read about some of the best time management apps for 2020, click here. 

If you found this article helpful, do share it with your circle. Good luck and stay productive!

How to install Stafftimer app on MacOS Catalina (10.15)

How to give Staff timer app screen capture permissions on MacOS Catalina

 

With macOS Catalina (10.15), Apple introduced new security and privacy features for your Mac. To ensure that Staff timer app is able to capture screenshots of your screen, you will need to grant our app access. Please follow the steps below to do that:

Step 1

Go to your system preferences

 

Step 2

Click the icon labeled Security & Privacy.

Step 3

Click the Privacy tab at the top, then select Screen Recording from the left-hand column. Finally, check the box next to Staff Timer App to allow our app to capture your screen.

Step 4

Accessibility

Staff Timer App must also be checked in accessibility for an average rate to work – on your mac go to system preferences > security and privacy > privacy > accessibility and checkmark Staff Timer App.

Please restart Staff Timer App after following the above steps.

Note*

If by any chance you’re not seeing Staff Timer App in Accessibility or Screen Recording, restart your Mac and try again – that should do the trick. If it’s still not showing, please submit a radar with Apple here using the Feedback Assistant as this is a known issue with macOS 10.15.

 

See Also: How to Use Trello for Project Management

How to Track Project Budget Accurately and Effortlessly

Budgets are really hard to estimate sometimes. Even if you have created a complete Project budget plan you still have to make sure it stays within the bracket and in order to do that, keeping track of your project’s budget is crucial. Without which it can become difficult for you to ensure whether your team is spending just the right amount of resources on tasks and priorities or not. 

Come up with a realistic budget plan

The first step in tracking your project budget accurately is to come up with a realistic budget before your projects begin. Figure out not just how much you’ll need overall, but also when and where you will need the bulk of your money. This includes creating a schedule with deadlines for different parts of the project.

In order to keep track of the spending, you may opt to have one person sign off on all expenses, or you might prefer to have different people overseeing different parts. Whichever you choose, make sure that this is clear to both you and your team. Then have a central area where all costs are recorded so that you can monitor your projected budget against your actual needs. This will let you course-correct when necessary and nip budget problems in the bud before they get out of hand.

– Nate Masterson, CEO @ Maple Holistics

Time is Money

Don’t forget that your budget is also a timeline. It estimates how long you’ll need to successfully complete the project. This is because time is money. When a project takes longer than estimated, you’re going to spend more money than you planned, so pay attention to how your timeline is progressing and update according to the data.

– Chane Steiner, CEO @ Crediful 

Use Budget Tracking Apps and Softwares

There are a lot of project budget tracking apps and software out there currently and are continuously evolving. They allow multiple team members to check-in and indicate what has been done and hasn’t to see if you’re keeping in time with the projected budget and timeline.

Remember, if you go over the deadline, you will likely go over the budget. The great thing about it is that these types of software can catch issues as they happen that can throw you off budget—if a mini-portion of the project hasn’t been finished in the time that’s been allotted, it serves as a warning signal that you may fall behind. 

There are hundreds out there currently, but I would recommend one that allows for a smartphone app, mostly because it can help track on the go. Many team members work remotely or off-site or have to run in and out of important meetings for the project, instead of them having to remember to check in and check off the portions they did that day at the end of the day (which they may or may not do/remember), they can do it as each task is completed. This ensures that the timeline is kept as well.

– Jake Lizarraga Writer @ Finance Fox

Keep all your data both physically & online 

In addition to using automated software to track project budget, you should keep all the project’s receipts in a special place, both physically and online. It’s always good to keep track of all receipts in case the software breaks or you get questions from others in the company or the IRS. Then you can pull out your physical and online receipts to verify and show proof of what you have spent the project’s money on.

– Stacy Caprio, Founder @ Growth Marketing

Leave room for unforeseen circumstances

Leave room in the budget for unforeseen circumstances. In many cases, projects tend to go over their initial budget. If you set aside a portion of your initial budget for unmarked costs, you will have some wiggle room in case they ever arise—if no unmarked costs occur, you will be able to finish the project under budget.

– Chris Terschluse, Head of Marketing and Content @ chimebank

Standard spreadsheet V/S Automation tool

Overseeing a project budget is a huge responsibility. It includes the coordinating costs and managing risk and making sure the rate at which your organization spends this budget. You can choose two options for tracking your budget, i.e., standard spreadsheet or Automation tool.

Using a spreadsheet tool like Office Excel to enter and edit numbers is the standard, manual approach to budget tracking. If you have the time, it’s the cheaper option, but there is always a chance for human error there.

Another way to handle cost management and budget tracking is by using an automated tool. You can break down the budget spend by individual tasks, project phases, and even from the employee end. For extensive projects and payments, there’s also the option to track recurring budgets.

– Aqsa Tabassam, Senior Growth Marketer @ Brandnic

 

The budgeting project accurately requires attention to details because one small mistake can lead to a much bigger and unresolvable issue later in the project.

Some more tips to track project budget accurately and effortlessly:

    1. Make sure to plan ahead of your project. The more time you have on hand before the project starts is a great sign to show that you are actually working on it.
    2. The overall project might look complicated at first, but when you create a baseline, you identify what to include in the project or the proposal itself.
    3. Forecast the budget before the start. This means that you can actually outline the financial that will be used for the project and the results that it will provide. This is forecasting is important.
    4. Monitor the schedule that it will take on each task in the project. Scheduling is easy when you know, how of the project.
    5. Understand the vision of the project and implement it with style according to the financials included in the forecasting.

– Adeel Shabir, Content Marketing Executive @ GigWorker

See how Staff Timer can Help Manage Your Project Budget

Staff Timer can help manage your project budget by keeping track of employee work hours. The app efficiently keeps track of daily, weekly, and monthly employee hours. 

Let’s say your company requires at least seven hours daily from its employees. This means every employee needs to fulfill his/her quota for the month. If some employees are not putting in enough hours for the month, its safe to assume that they are not giving it their best shot. These types of employees will drag the whole project down. They will most likely waste the resources and budget allocated to the project.  

Here’s how you can sign up for Staff Timer: 

    • Go to the signup page by clicking here.
    • Fill in the required fields and press ‘Start Free Trial’.
    • Check your email and verify your account.
    • Go to the app and create your company.
    • Add your project. 
    • Invite team members.
    • Ask team members to download the app in order to start time tracking.

With Staff Timer app, employers can first check employees’ track records before assigning them to an important project. If their record is impeccable then they can safely assume that their project and its budget are in good hands. 

Employers can easily check their employees’ track record by going through their weekly and monthly reports. Incidentally, they can also watch employees’ daily work videos to know how they complete their tasks and whether or not they’re a good fit for a certain project. 

Staff Timer app also takes a screenshot after every minute or so. This is another way through which employers can gauge their employees’ suitability for different types of projects and thus allocate the budget accordingly. 

Easy Productivity Techniques to Focus on the Right Work

Our attention spans have taken a hit. If we can’t focus properly then we won’t be able to finish important tasks on time. This all eventually leads to a decrease in productivity. 

In this article, we’re going to discuss some easy techniques that will keep you away from distractions and help focus on the right work. 

Focus on the top 20% of your tasks

The Pareto Principle or 80/20-rule says that you should focus on the top 20% of your tasks. Why? Because in any situation, 20% of the inputs are responsible for 80% of the outcomes. To make good use of your to-do-list, give importance to those 20% tasks that greatly influence your top goals. 

Schedule everything in your calendar

Just making a to-do-list is not enough. You need to mark the events on your calendar as well. This will serve as a constant reminder and let you estimate how much time it takes you to finish certain tasks. 

Try to do your most important task in the morning

Top priority tasks will fill you with the most trepidation. Begin working on these activities first thing in the morning. Once you start and find a flow, these tasks will stop becoming a hindrance and your overall productivity will increase. 

Take care of your body  

You get only one body in this lifetime so take special care of it. If your body is always tired, pain-ridden, and sleep-deprived, your productivity will take a major hit. Why? Because it will impair memory, raise stress levels, and decrease your ability to focus. 

Take care of your mind

Our brain is like a CPU. The better it performs, the faster we can get things done in a more productive way. A calm and focused mind will serve as a great foundation to increase your overall productivity. 

Use time tracking apps

As the name suggests, a time tracking app helps users effectively track their time.  

Effective time management apps, like Stafftimer, can help people make deadlines, avoid getting stressed, improve their productivity & efficiency, and above all else, make extra time for themselves. They will also be able to maintain a work-life balance by keeping track of their time.

Use the Pomodoro Technique

Recent research shows that taking a 5-minute break after every 25 to 30 minutes increases productivity. It allows you to recharge and refresh your mind. 

Our attention span is decreasing and many find it hard to focus for a long time. Look into the Pomodoro Technique and see if it helps. 

Batch similar tasks together

Take care of similar tasks in one go. For example, taking an hour each day to dust the furniture, appliances, cars, etc. This way, you can finish your work faster. Plus, by taking time out to get these batches done, you ensure that they don’t get left hanging. 

Keep a time log for some time

If you know that you’re not being productive but are not sure where all that time is going to, try keeping a log for a few days. 

Write down everything you do during these few days. You’ll soon find where your time is being spent and can start managing it more effectively. 

Unsubscribe from all YouTube channels

Like social media, YouTube channels can waste a lot of your time as well. Unsubscribe from all the channels. You’ll soon find that most of them were not worth your time. 

There are channels that you’ll intentionally visit to watch their latest video. These are the ones that actually hold your interest and you don’t need to subscribe to them.