Best Project Management Software for your Business
By now you all know I love me a good system! I talk about them all the time, and as a system strategist, I know a lot of them! So people naturally ask me what they should use for themselves and their business.
Unfortunately, it really depends.
I'm tech agnostic - meaning I do NOT believe one tool will work well for everyone. I'm all about making a tool work within your business, instead of fitting your business around a tool.
So today I'm discussing what I ask my clients to make an appropriate recommendation AND reviewing some of the more popular apps!
Questions I ask my clients
What are you looking for this system to house?
Business & personal? One or the other?
Docs & spreadsheets?
Who needs access to the system? Just you? Your team? Contractors? Clients?
Do you need/ want automations & integrations?
Are your systems more task-based or strategy-based?
How much customization are you looking for?
ClickUp
ClickUp is usually my go-to system recommendation! Why?
It has an easy to use & easy to customize interface.
You can even customize a TON of properties
AUTOMATION & INTEGRATIONS GALORE!
It has a TON of views, so you can see tasks in lists, boards, timelines, etc.
It has a great dashboard system.
There is a bit of a learning curve, but it’s a fairly easy platform to learn.
Airtable
Airtable isn’t usually thought of as a project management tool, but it is! It has some great PM templates and timeline/ gantt views for their bases!
The interface is easy to use & customize, but the learning curve is a bit steeper than that of ClickUp
AUTOMATION & INTEGRATIONS GALORE!
It even allows for some pretty powerful, excel level, formulas!
Airtable is better known for its database potential, So it would make a great system for a CRM, content schedule, directory, HR system, etc.
Notion
Notion - my software soul mate! Why is Notion NOT my go-to for clients? Because Notion has a steep learning curve. When you open a Notion account there is NO interface, you literally build it from the ground up.
So for neuro-divergents, it's an AMAZING platform, you can create a system that would work with you and your brain. But there are no automations with Notion. There are a lot of really dope integrations, that have made it a much more powerful system though.
I use Notion for:
Personal and business planning and goal setting
As my PM tool
As my CRM
As my content calendar
for my client portal
for journaling
And the list goes on....
If you're interested, check out my Notion Dashboard template!
Asana
Asana is one of my LEAST favorite PM tools. Why? because you're SOOOOO limited with what you can build. The interface is SO fixed that you cannot customize properties.
Asana only JUST came out with integrations recently, and only a few seemed super helpful.
Is it a decent PM software? Sure. Will it get the job done? Yes.
But more importantly, will it grow with your business, and adapt with you? NO, no it won't!
It's ok to start with this, but it's definitely NOT what you want managing your systems once you begin to scale.
Trello
Yet another system that has a rigid interface. It's hard/ impossible to change or truly customize the properties for the projects you're planning.
The board view is helpful for visual people, but all the other PM software offers board views as well. Yes, they now have other views and yes they offer automation & integrations, but again, the customization is minimal.
As you can see, customization is a big factor in my decisions! I know I need and want to recommend a platform that can grow with my clients and their businesses.
Hopefully, this list was helpful in your tool decision-making process!!
