Practical Tools to Support Smarter Business and Career Decisions
Table of Contents
- Goal-setting and planning tools
- Time management and productivity tools
- Hiring and human resources tools
- Data analytics tools
- Decision-making frameworks
- Financial planning and accounting software
- Leverage the necessary tools to support your scaling
- FAQ
- Do I need data analytics tools as a freelancer?
- Can time management tools help my employees?
- Are financial planning tools necessary for freelancers?
- As a solopreneur, is it beneficial to leverage mentorships?
- Can I find a tool that has everything mentioned in one?
With the rise of various technologies and trends, it’s kind of confusing what you should follow. Professionals who are interested in improving their careers or scaling their businesses can find dozens of different tools that can supposedly help them.
However, it’s important to separate wheat from chaff and find the tools that actually work. Of course, the majority of the tools that people talk about will be helpful and practical, but you should always aim to make an informed decision.
We’ll examine some of the tools that I find the most practical and that can help you or your business improve and grow. For many of the types of tools on the list, there are free versions, but there are always paid options with more features.
Goal-setting and planning tools
SMART goals are the foundation of smart decision-making, whether we’re talking about personal improvement, business, or sports. This concept helps you focus, prioritize, and track progress on the processes that matter.
To make the most out of goal-setting and planning, leverage tools like Perdoo, Weekdone, and ClickUp to create OKRs, or objectives and key results. This helps you align your short and long-term goals.
For solo professionals and freelancers, visual tools like Miro or Notion can help map out goals, create personal roadmaps, or even be used for note-taking. Each of the tools we’ve mentioned has some features that others don’t.
To pick the best option, take a deep breath and consider the strategies that work for you personally. Then, choose the app that suits you best. Of course, if you’re picking an app for your company, you should see which of the options has enterprise plans.
Time management and productivity tools
Time is a finite resource, making it crucial in our personal and professional lives. You should explore productivity platforms like Trello, Asana, and Notion. These apps often have different ways of showing your tasks.
For example, Trello is known for its Kanban board. Asana also offers this, but I personally use the list view more. Some of the time management tools can be too complex for organizing personal tasks, but they’re beneficial for companies.
Many project management platforms have built-in time-tracking features, but those that don’t allow integration with other software, like Everhour or Clockify. This can then further be integrated with payroll software if you have employees or are doing personal invoicing to your manager.
I struggle a bit with focus, so I leverage pomodoro timers to work in timed sprints. There are many apps like this, such as Forest, but a simple clock app on your phone will do the trick if you have the same problem.
Hiring and human resources tools
If you’re a solopreneur interested in delegating some of your work, finding the right hiring and HR tools is important so that you can manage those processes properly. If you already have a business, then you should explore the various options on the market.
Some of the notable features that are becoming crucial for hiring tools are AI-powered screening and automatic responses. For example, if your candidates are using ATS-friendly resume templates, the AI tool will automatically review the applications and immediately decline candidates who don’t fulfill the basic requirements.
This allows you to save some time on the tedious task of reading resumes and focus on the more meaningful work. For business owners or hiring managers, platforms like Lever, Greenhouse, and Workable are great options.
They make recruiting easy by centralizing applications, automating communication, and providing advanced candidate tracking. Many tools also provide more advanced features, such as performance tracking and feedback workflows.
With the right amount of data, you’ll be able to understand the efficiency of your employees and see whether you should intervene and help them improve their performance.
Data analytics tools
Analyzing data is one of the foundational aspects of making more intelligent decisions. Platforms like Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Mixpanel can be integrated with other software, like CRM and WordPress, to allow data gathering.
Once you have them set up, they can uncover how users interact with your site or product. On the career side, tools like Glassdoor or Levels.fyi provide salary data, company reviews, and compensation transparency.
If you’re interested in conducting your own research and contacting people with surveys in order to get first-hand experience, you can do that. This can be even more beneficial, as you’ll get an answer personalized for your career and/or business.
Of course, you should ensure that there are enough responses for the survey to be helpful. Tools like a minimum sample size calculator help you determine how many participants or data points you need to validate your results.
Surveys can be helpful for businesses that want to run A/B tests or tweak their products to better align with customer expectations
Decision-making frameworks
Although they aren’t tools, decision-making frameworks can be software. For example, there’s a feature in TickTick that allows you to see your tasks in the form of an Eisenhower Matrix, which is one type of decision-making framework.
SWOT analysis is helpful if you’re looking to start a new business venture, as it helps you analyze the negative and positive aspects of the market and your idea. If you’re choosing between multiple options, a decision matrix can help with that.
I’ve used the Eisenhower Matrix to manage clients with whom I’ve worked as a freelancer. It helped me prioritize them based on their importance and deadlines.
Financial planning and accounting software
Business and career decisions should be made after examining the financial side of them. Financial tools help you stay grounded in reality, and allow you to create better plans and long-term decisions.
For example, if you don’t have enough savings for three months, you should seriously consider whether you want that unpaid internship. Of course, the internship can pay off manifold, but it’s best to realistically observe your situation first.
In terms of personal finance, apps like Mint, YNAB (You Need A Budget), and PocketGuard help you track spending and save for goals, but businesses will find more value in options like QuickBooks or Xero.
Leverage the necessary tools to support your scaling
In both business and career paths, finding the right set of people and tools isn’t an easy job. It’s crucial to do your research and find the options that are effective for their price and complexity. Equipping the right tools can help with clarity in your life, automate time-consuming tasks, support better choices, and minimize burnout.
Businesses and individuals will have vastly different problems and tasks, but this list will be helpful for both. However, you should remember that in business, a silver bullet doesn’t exist. Instead, you should look for various strategies and tools that improve specific problems.
A goal-setting app can help you with personal development and work-related KPIs. On the other hand, data analytics tools can help companies make better business decisions and ensure long-term relevance in the industry.
The best way to improve your chances of making smarter business and career decisions is to use a combination of these tools that fit your industry and personal work style and don’t strain your budget.
FAQ
Do I need data analytics tools as a freelancer?
There are various data analytics tools, and it’s unlikely that you’ll need them to complete your tasks or organize your life. However, you can leverage studies and data gathered by large companies for your benefit.
Can time management tools help my employees?
Implementing tools that allow employees to create schedules for their personal activities and work can be helpful. If employees are working remotely or have flexible hours, try encouraging them to use Google Calendar or similar tools with those features.
Are financial planning tools necessary for freelancers?
Some freelancers collaborate with dozens of clients and invoice them individually. While this is possible to manage yourself, leveraging a tool that automates a part of the process can be helpful.
As a solopreneur, is it beneficial to leverage mentorships?
Not necessarily. Mentorships can sometimes be great for personal and professional development, but sometimes it’s more important to put in the work.
Can I find a tool that has everything mentioned in one?
You can likely find tools that combine some of the features mentioned in the article. For example, a goal-setting, time management, and analytics tool in one. But, there isn’t a tool that exactly implements everything mentioned here.