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Top 20 Tools To Boost Team’s Productivity

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Pulling together a collaborative and productive team with all the right skills to grow your business could be the hard part. This challenge happens far more often than you would think.But the good news is that you can overcome your team’s productivity issues with the right tools

There is a sea of tools out there for every facet of team productivity. In this article, we will narrow down the choice and take a look at the top tools that every member of your team can use to boost their effectiveness.

From your business analyst to your account executive, here are the top 20 tools for maximizing the productivity of all your team members.

Communication Tools

1. Chanty

Chanty is an AI-powered business messenger and a single notification center focused on refining business processes for small and medium teams. It helps businesses become more productive by featuring instant messages with an unlimited searchable history, plenty of storage space, robust file sharing and uniting notifications from multiple software services in a single place.

Pricing: Free (the product is at beta stage).

2. Slack

Slack is a well-known team communication tool from Silicon Valley. This feature-rich messaging

The app operates in private and public channels and also has voice and video calling. In addition to advanced chatting features, Slack has many shortcuts, hacks and integrations with third-party platforms that help to increase team productivity.

Pricing: Free basics, Standard plan: $6.67 per user per month, Plus plan: $15 per user per month.

3. Fleep

Fleep is a team messenger attempting to link up project collaboration and team communication. Here you can schedule lightweight tasks chatting with team members and invited business partners. A bonus is that Fleep features an unlimited message history as well as unlimited integrations in its free package.

Pricing: Free; Premium plan starts from €5 per user per month (advanced file-sharing and premium support).

4. Microsoft Teams

If you decide to build a communication hub around already used Office 365, the simplest choice is Microsoft Teams — a chat that combines conversations and teamwork tools with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, and much more.

Pricing: Starting at $5 per user per month.

5. HipChat

HipChat is a conservative-looking instant messenger with fast one-to-one and group video calls and handy screen sharing feature. It should be mentioned that HipChat offers self-hosting which makes IT departments happy.

Pricing: Free; Plus plan starts from $2 per user per month.

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Video Conferencing Tools

6. Zoom

To be honest, Zoom is pretty cool with its HD video conferencing, screen sharing from desktop or mobile and recording features. Following this, Zoom allows you to create the collaborative whiteboard and send group texts, images and audio files during meetings.

Pricing: Free; Pro plan starts from $14.99 per month per host (the person who schedules, starts and controls the settings in a meeting).

7. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a popular choice due to its HD-quality video, screen sharing, personalized meeting URLs, a whiteboard feature, and the ability to connect to meetings via desktop or mobile. Additional bonus: options to translate control settings — perfect for global teams.

Pricing: from $19 per month.

8. Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts is both fun and easy to use and looks great. You can choose which groups of people you want to invite to your Google Hangouts session, making it easy to start a video conference in seconds.

Pricing: Free, Business Plan starts at €4 per user per month.

9. Skype for Business

And then, of course, there is the old faithful Skype which has been around forever. It is a proven solution for instant messaging, voice, and video calls. Skype for Business has all the primary features of the other tools here except toll-free numbers, which GoToMeeting has.

Pricing: Starting from $2 per user per month.

10. Appear.in

Similar to Skype, appear.in lets you create online meeting rooms for video calls. It is a great tool for teams that already use a chat, but also need a tool for online video calls. Top features include:

-Claiming your own personal video room,

-Setting a custom background image of the room,

-Locking the room for private conversations,

-Sending messages and links in text chat during meetings,

-Sharing your screen.

Pricing: Free up to 8 people, Premium coming soon.

Document Collaboration Tools (File Storage and File Sharing)

11. Dropbox

In short, Dropbox is a cloud-based platform that allows users to store and share files. It is scalable so Dropbox is good for both teams and individuals. Files synchronize seamlessly across all devices. Account owners can grant others access to storage folders as well as single files. Distributed workers can have shared access to digital assets (files, spreadsheets, documents, photos) regardless of their physical location.

Pricing: Free, Business Plans start from $8.25 per user per month.

12. Google Drive

Google Drive is a handy hub for creating, sharing, collaborating, and storing documents and presentations. For distributed workers, pulling together a presentation from three different content creators is simple and fast thanks to user access controls and link sharing.

Pricing: The first 15 GB of storage is free; the price for additional storage starts from $1.99 per user per month.

13. Evernote Business

Evernote is the tried-and-true titan in note taking and note sharing. The business plan allows you to take and manage notes and then share them with your team. Its primary and most powerful features are the Notebook Stacks and the tagging system that let you find anything in seconds. It also features a Web Clipper browser extension for capturing ideas while surfing the net, and mobile apps for taking down notes, even voice ones, from wherever you are.

Pricing: Evernote Business is priced at $10 per person per month.

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Project Management Tools

14. Wrike

Wrike combines simple design with efficient project management tools. And it is also known as the best project management software. It is a powerful tool for managing and collaborating on projects. You can manage and customize the entire flow of work — from incoming requests, to delegating tasks, reviewing initial drafts, providing feedback and approving revisions. Plus: custom workflows and statuses, Gantt charts, customizable reports, time tracking, board view.

Pricing: Free up to five users; Professional plan with five users: $49/month, ten users: $99 per month, 15 users: $149 per month.

15. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is a part of the Zoho software bundle. Features include task lists with multiple tasks and milestones, document and file management, time tracking and timesheets, team intranet and shared calendar.

Pricing: Express plan (up to 20 projects) $25/month, Premium plan (up to 50 projects) $50/month, Enterprise plan (unlimited projects) $99/month. CRM and other additional features come with an extra price tag.

16. Trello

Trello is a multifunctional kanban-style dashboard for organizing teammates ideas and keeping track of project progress. It is a good project management tool for small teams with simple projects. Trello lets you create multiple task boards, organize task lists by dates or priority, comment and collaborate, attach pictures and files.

Pricing: Free with extra cost of $5 per month for Trello Gold.

17. Basecamp

Basecamp is used by thousands of teams all around the world. Basecamp makes it easy to manage the project clients for quick feedback on small changes and updates. It takes only 10 minutes to set up this easy-to-use tool. It provides the minimal amount of features needed for efficient project management.

Pricing: $29 per month for unlimited users.

18. Asana

One of the most well-known project management tools, Asana allows users to assign tasks to other members, add followers to projects, manage tasks and monitor deadlines. It can be very useful also as a to-do list or calendar for strategic planning.

Pricing: Free plan for up to 15 team members; Paid plan starts from $9.99 per user per month.

Time Tracking Tools

19. Toggl

Toggl is a hassle – free and best time tracking software that integrates with tens of different project management tools. It is perfect for companies with many different departments. Additional features: offline time tracking and mobile functionalities.

Pricing: $10 per user per month; Paid plans start at $20 per user per month.

20. TimeBoy

TimeBoy helps you manage as many workers, projects and workspaces as you need in order to run your business seamlessly. It enables you to have a complete overview of your team productivity, generate and export reports, and get insights on how the work hours are actually spent. The company also offers in-depth integrations with project management software.

Pricing: Free (the product is at beta stage).

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Summary

The 20 productivity tools listed above just scratch the surface when it comes to applications that you can use to boost effectiveness among your teammates and throughout your business. Are there any other products that deserve a place here? Leave a comment mentioning the productivity tool you can’t live without.

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Collaboration Chronicles: 5 Tips for Partnering with Other Businesses to Create Mutual Success

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Partnering with other businesses can be a powerful strategy for growth. By leveraging complementary strengths and resources, both parties can achieve more together than they could alone. It can increase your reach and lead to shared success.

However, successful partnerships require careful planning, clear communication, and a commitment to mutual benefit. Although you can buy corporate gifts to express appreciation, that’s not the only way to strengthen relationships. Also, consider the five following tips:

  1. Identify Complementary Businesses

The first step is to look for businesses that offer products or services that complement yours without directly competing. This creates opportunities for cross-promotion, referrals, and bundled offerings that appeal to a broader customer base.

For example, a wedding planner could partner with a florist, photographer, and catering company to offer comprehensive packages. A strategic partnership like this can also help in reaching new audiences and expand your reach in the market.

  1. Define Mutual Goals and Expectations

Before entering into a partnership, make sure both parties have a clear understanding of the objectives, expectations, and desired outcomes. Establish measurable goals, such as increased sales, expanded reach, or improved customer satisfaction. 

You’ll want to clearly define each partner’s responsibilities, timelines, and metrics for success so there’s no ambiguity about the end goal. And you should each know what to expect in terms of delivery to make that happen.

  1. Develop a Collaborative Marketing Plan

Create a joint marketing plan that leverages the strengths and audiences of both businesses. Collaborate closely to identify each company’s unique selling points, target demographics, and marketing channels.

Then, develop strategies that allow you to cross-promote and reach a wider audience by tapping into each other’s customer base. You can create co-branded content such as joint blog posts, videos, or social media campaigns that showcase how your offerings complement each other.

Consider package deals or discounted bundles where customers can purchase your combined products or services at a reduced rate. This incentivizes them to try out both offerings and experience the synergies firsthand.

  1. Foster Open Communication and Trust

Effective communication is essential for a successful partnership. Without open and consistent dialogue, misunderstandings and misaligned expectations can quickly derail even the most promising collaborations.

Schedule regular check-ins, whether weekly or monthly, to discuss progress toward shared goals. These meetings provide an opportunity to review metrics, address any concerns or roadblocks, and explore new opportunities that may have arisen.

During these check-ins, encourage transparency from both parties. Be open and honest about challenges, successes, and areas that may need adjustment. Maintaining transparency builds trust and allows you to address issues proactively before they escalate.

  1. Measure and Refine the Partnership

Establish a system for regularly tracking and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your shared objectives. This could include metrics such as sales figures, website traffic, customer acquisition rates, or customer satisfaction scores.

Gather data from various sources, including sales reports, website analytics, customer surveys, and financial statements. Analyze this data thoroughly to identify areas where the partnership is excelling or falling short.

This will help to keep you agile and open to change. As both businesses grow and evolve, the initial terms of the partnership may also need to be updated to maintain relevance and mutual benefit.

Establish Mutually Beneficial Partnerships

A strong partnership is built on clear communication, shared goals, and a commitment to creating a win-win situation for all parties involved. If you follow these tips, you’ll form a partnership that creates value for both businesses and their respective customers.

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Digital Fortresses: How Peniel Solutions Safeguards Valuable Data in the Cloud

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Earlier when technology was far from being intervened, the safety of one’s assets was a lingering threat. Now diverse fields across the world have advanced greatly in numerous domains. Resources are less likely to be in possible danger of any kind of burglary or fraud. Since then, mankind has attained a maximum level of civilization. This progression has resulted in tremendous security checks on one’s hard-earned valuables, not to forget the law and order sustained in order to get justice for those individuals suffering from wrongful acts of theft. 

However, the blessed progression in technology has also paved the way for unlawful acts of misconduct in terms of scams and embezzlement. The digital era being bountiful in modern times has also become the sole modem to one’s secret files and valuable data across the globe. This confidence in the virtual aspect paves a feasible path for notorious hackers to misuse treasured documents that can cause serious damage to one’s organization. The rise of serious concerns in the cybersecurity departments gave birth to noteworthy products like TransAccess GovCloud Records with its integrated user behavior utility (UBC) utility, developed by Peniel Solutions, LLC to help identify bad actors using our proven cybersecurity measures. TransAccess GovCloud Records which is the flagship software as a service (SaaS) solution developed by Peniel Solutions, LLC (PSL), was established in 2000 by early entrepreneurs James McGriff and Veronise J. Wright. The company was founded as a federal agency provider of outsourcing services with a focus on business process management. The goal of PSL is to make it easier for government agencies, its partners and businesses to share vital business information. The company’s top priority is innovation, with the goal of consistently creating new offerings within its current portfolio. Developing and acquiring new intellectual and technology assets is a key component of PSL’s growth strategy, which aims to increase client solutions and market penetration. 

PSL is an expert in transforming business processes for the federal government through technology. The company offers a 24×7 support model thanks to well-honed processes and procedures; it also regularly exceeds quality standards, accelerates service delivery by 10%, and improves client ROI by 20% on average.

The 4 major services that the company is known to provide are as follows;

Online Safety

Peniel Solutions offers continuous cybersecurity protection against growing cyber threats directed toward government entities in the United States. By correcting vulnerabilities in real-time, they provide comprehensive cybersecurity services that thwart known as well as emerging threats. Additionally, the program offers vulnerability and risk assessments and covers:

Risk Management Framework; Continuous Monitoring; Hacking Detection; Security Architecture Review; Systems Security Engineering; Security Operations Center

TransAccess Record Management GovCloud Records

They specialize in removing adversities associated with the conventional paper-based process by providing a scalable document management system with adaptable solutions and a streamlined user experience. This service makes sure that all organizational documents are easily accessible without requiring the installation of any software. 

Software Engineering Peniel Solutions

Utilizes scrum, agile, and DevOps approaches to provide ISO and CMMI Development-Certified software engineering solutions that prioritize quality in both traditional and mobile applications. Moreover, it covers end-to-end AI/ML DevSecOps strategies which are the ultimate solution for agencies and businesses that want to secure and streamline their software development process. PSL offers a comprehensive suite of features including static analysis of infrastructure-as-code, unsupervised anomaly detection on events, natural language query of documentation, automated red team attacks, predictive threat modeling, and self-healing and response. These cutting-edge features are designed to give agencies and businesses the confidence and peace of mind they need to reach their full potential. 

Cloud Solution

PSL helps clients with DevOps, cloud application migration, and application management by leveraging AWS’s GovCloud and its partner status.

PSL possessing more than 20 years of experience and a CMMI Level 3 accreditation, is an established Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). As a GSA-approved supplier with expertise in Electronic Records Management Solutions (ERMS), PSL guarantees adherence to OMB and NARA’s M-23-7 requirements. Additionally, PSL has strengthened data management and compliance by successfully implementing an ERMS for the FHA’s Department of Urban Development. Furthermore, with the Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS) certification from the GSA, PSL offers security solutions to protect federal data.

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5 Ways to Ensure Security of Financial Transactions in Your Business

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In the present computerized age, where financial transactions happen at lightning speed and across different stages, guaranteeing the security of these exchanges is vital for organizations. With the consistent danger of cyberattacks and deceitful exercises, protecting your financial transactions is not simply a question of consistence yet additionally critical for keeping up with the trust of your clients and partners. From executing vigorous encryption conventions to instructing your staff about likely dangers, there are a few proactive measures you can take to reinforce the security of your financial transactions.

Safeguarding Data Integrity and Confidentiality:

One of the fundamental mainstays of guaranteeing the security of financial transactions lies in implementing robust encryption protocols. Encryption includes encoding delicate information communicated between parties, delivering it incomprehensible to unauthorized entities. By encoding monetary data, for example, credit card details, personal identification numbers (PINs), and transactional data, organizations can forestall capture by malignant actors and keep up with the respectability and secrecy of their clients’ data. Businesses can also enhance their financial processes by integrating robust security measures, including the adoption of free invoice software, to ensure the secure and confidential transmission of sensitive billing information. By coordinating encryption conventions into your financial infrastructure, you make a vigorous boundary against unapproved access and information breaks.

Strengthening Access Controls and Identity Verification:

In a time portrayed by heightening digital dangers and modern hacking methods, depending entirely on passwords for validation presents critical security risks. Multifaceted confirmation (MFA) offers an extra layer of guard by expecting clients to check their personalities through numerous means, thereby mitigating the likelihood of unauthorized access to sensitive financial systems and accounts. MFA regularly consolidates at least two verification factors, for example, something the client knows (e.g., a secret word), something they have (e.g., a cell phone or token), or something they are (e.g., biometric identifiers like unique finger impression or facial acknowledgment).

Regular Security Audits and Vulnerability Assessments:

A proactive approach that conducts routine audits and vulnerability assessments to find possible flaws and vulnerabilities in your financial systems and procedures is necessary for successful security management. By overseeing thorough security evaluations, you may assess the efficacy of present security measures, ascertain if they adhere to industry norms and standards, and spot any variations or inconsistencies that can indicate potential security breaches. By employing advanced methods and automated tools, such vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, you may imitate real-world attack scenarios and identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors do so.

Secure Payment Gateways and Fraud Detection Mechanisms:

The proliferation of e-commerce and digital payment platforms has revolutionized the way businesses conduct financial transactions, offering unparalleled convenience and accessibility to consumers worldwide. Notwithstanding, with the rising commonness of online fraud and installment related tricks, securing payment gateways and implementing robust fraud detection mechanisms is imperative for safeguarding the integrity of financial transactions. Secure installment passages utilize industry-standard encryption conventions and tokenization procedures to scramble delicate installment data and work with secure transmission among shippers and installment processors. By partnering with reputable payment service providers (PSPs) and adhering to PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance requirements, businesses can minimize the risk of payment card data theft and unauthorized transactions.

Employee Training and Awareness Programs:

While mechanical arrangements assume an urgent part in strengthening the security of monetary exchanges, the human component remains similarly basic in moderating insider dangers and social designing assaults. Instructing your representatives about network safety best practices and encouraging a culture of safety mindfulness are fundamental parts of a far reaching security procedure. By enabling your labor force with the information and abilities to distinguish and answer potential security dangers, you make an aggregate protection instrument that reinforces the versatility of your association’s security act.

All in all, guaranteeing the security of monetary exchanges is a continuous cycle that requires a multi-layered approach encompassing technological solutions, proactive risk management strategies, and a culture of security awareness. By executing strong encryption conventions, multifaceted confirmation tools, and secure installment entryways, organizations can brace their monetary foundation against digital dangers and shield the trustworthiness of exchanges. By focusing on security and putting resources into thorough safety efforts, organizations can impart trust in their clients and partners, guaranteeing the drawn out reasonability and progress of their activities in an undeniably interconnected world.

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