5 handy collaboration tools your startup team can use to be more efficient

Any startup using email as their primary mode of communication when it comes to managing projects should understand that it takes an unnecessary amount of time and energy. Web-based tools geared for project and team management offer a smooth way to kickstart your communications and keep you going without missing any important messages.

In this post, I’ve listed some of the top web-based collaboration software that can save you from the terror that is a cluttered inbox. Let’s have a look to understand the functionality of this collaborative software and its respective features:

ProofHub

This is probably one of the most efficient and secure pieces of collaboration and project management software with features like one-to-one chat and group chat for real-time and instant talks. Also, ProofHub’s discussion feature is an excellent way to share information with others. Files can be uploaded and shared through Google drive and Dropbox integration. Its proofing tool enables fast and accurate perusal of designs, so you need not to spend hours sending emails back and forth to finalize a design. Other features include to-do lists, tasks, subtasks, notes, timesheets, reports, etc.

Asana

Launched in 2011, Asana offers useful collaboration features for both individuals and teams. Users can create projects, assign tasks to others, set due dates for tasks and can tag, comment and monitor tasks, etc. There is also a calendar feature that graphs project tasks directly to the dashboard. This way, it offers a visual insight of project goals, time, priorities, etc. to its users.

Basecamp

Basecamp lets you create projects, tasks, add due dates, tags and more. As far as data security is concerned, Basecamp leaves no space for thefts as it implements SSL data encryption. Access to projects and related data can be controlled by setting permissions. It also supports third party integration for accounting and invoicing. As the site suggests, last year alone, Basecamp helped over 285 000 companies finish more than 2 million projects.

Trello

This is a very simple tool to help manage projects and tasks by creating tasks cards, checklists, assigning tasks to members of the team and uploading files from Google drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Box. With Trello you can assign deadlines and share projects across your team. One can set timestamps over tasks, so that responsible persons can be easily held accountable for their actions. For mobile usage, it is available for iOS and Android platforms. It also supports notifications to keep you updated with all the important stuff.

Zoho

Zoho allows users to plan events, track tasks and bugs which can be documented through logs. Moreover, users can conduct better communication by discussing projects through forums, its wiki interface and chat. There’s also a shared calendar to keep track of important events. With project meetings feature you can schedule meetings with your team, see open and elapsed meetings and can even prepare notes and documents.

With these efficient tools at hand, one need not to dissipate time and energy on filtering, sorting and deleting emails. Web-based collaboration tools keep your conversations and activities in one place, which ultimately adds on to your overall focus and productivity.

Which tool do you prefer? Do let us know in the comments.

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr.