Essential Online Tools For Business Leaders

It’s one thing to own a business, it’s a different stuff altogether to lead the people who make it work. One of the most challenging things a business owner needs to tackle every single day is the task of leading employees and to ensure that the business gets closer to its goal of achieving success. Add to that the desire to also contribute to the growth of each of the employees, and what you get is one stressed out leadaer/business owner.

Thanks to the Internet gods, you can now lead with ease. Here’s a list of some of the essential online tools you can use for a more convenient leading experience.

File sharing and calendar tools

• Google Docs. You can upload different types of files, edit or revise them online, and chat with your team while you view the documents. Great for collaborative outputs, Google Docs can be used for free just by creating a Google account. And these days, who doesn’t have one?
• Dropbox. Another platform where you can sync your files and share documents with each other. You can have private folders that only you can access, and you can also have some that can be shared with a group. This way, you can be updated with each other in a more organized and easily accessible way.

Communication tools

• Outlook. One of the great things about Outlook is that it remains to be one of the most secure email programs. Highly user-friendly, Outlook integrates with commonly used Microsoft programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• RingCentral. Throw all your fax and voicemail numbers and unify all your telecom tools into a single business number from RingCentral. Great for building a virtual office, RingCentral enables users to get their own virtual number and give out extension numbers to employees no matter where they are.

Information resources

• Lifehacker. Although this isn’t technically a tool, Lifehacker is practically one of the best resources that you can use to boost your efficiency and improve your leadership. From productivity tips to inspirational posts on leadership, you can surely learn something new every day. It’s worth your visit and your time.
• Your favorite website. Anything that can stimulate your mind and encourage you to do and achieve more is worth your time. To some, it’s Facebook; to others, it’s 9gag. The Internet is rich with resources that you can access for free (or for a minimal fee); it’s up to you how you’re going to maximize them.

It’s best if you have at least a desktop computer for you to be as productive as you need to be. However, since most leaders and business owners today are laptop-equipped and attached to a smartphone, we assume that the tools listed above are highly accessible from anywhere and at any time.