Best Project Management
For Small Business

Business team members need to stay aligned on their projects. Poor communication not only quietly undermines productivity but can also result in lost revenue and missed growth opportunities. To maintain clarity, enhance productivity, and protect company revenue, it’s essential to use a project management system. The best project management software serves as a valuable resource for staying organized, streamlining task delegation, and enabling clear communication on the status of tasks and goals.

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Best Project Management Software For Small Teams

Project management software for small businesses provides businesses with platforms and tools to plan and manage their workload, organize specific projects, and centralize files and data, all of which make work faster and more efficient. However, according to research by project management specialists Wellingtone, fewer than a quarter (23%) of businesses use dedicated project management software. Most companies continue to rely on Excel, paper, or other traditional tools.

According to a Wellingtone survey, one of the biggest challenges businesses face in project management is managing multiple projects simultaneously. Additionally, many companies report that their project managers lack sufficient training. To address these challenges, the best task management apps for small businesses can offer valuable solutions. A task management app for small business can streamline workflows and improve communication. Utilizing task management software for small business can enhance efficiency, enabling teams to tackle their projects more effectively.

Reporting capabilities within project management software present crucial data in a meaningful manner, allowing you to assess the success of your projects and identify areas for improvement. The best project management solutions provide dashboards that visually represent data through graphs, tables, and other formats, making it easy to extract insights at a glance.

Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you need to monitor, as well as the types of reports necessary for tracking them. When assessing potential software options, investigate their reporting and analytics features, including dashboards, to ensure they meet your requirements. Useful reports in project management software may include project status, health, team availability, risk, variance, and timeline reports. Commonly tracked KPIs encompass the percentage of tasks completed, return on investment (ROI), schedule variance, planned versus actual hours, and the planned project value.

Ease of Use

When selecting project management software, it’s important to consider tools and designs that enhance usability for your organization, especially in the face of challenges like limited knowledge of best practices or a high volume of daily tasks. The right ease-of-use features will vary based on factors such as your company’s tech-savviness and size. However, here are some commonly valued ease-of-use features that small to midsized companies often find beneficial:

• Automations: Automations streamline complex tasks, making them quick and effortless by handling repetitive and often tedious activities without requiring human intervention. This reduction in hands-on interaction simplifies project management, allowing teams to focus on higher-level tasks and strategic planning. Preset automation recipes further enhance this ease-of-use feature, providing intuitive templates that users can apply to common processes.
• Templates: Software templates for project management are designed to integrate project management best practices, providing a structured framework for various types of projects. These templates offer predefined formats for tasks, timelines, and workflows, enabling teams to standardize their processes and ensure consistency across projects.
• Mobile Apps: From a logistical perspective, mobile apps enhance the usability of project management software by streamlining the gathering and sharing of essential information, enabling team members to complete tasks promptly. For instance, project field practitioners can update relevant project status information in real-time, eliminating the need to return to the office to input data.
• Learning Materials: Knowledge bases within project management software serve as valuable resources for project managers and team members, offering comprehensive learning materials to help users master the software. These resources typically include clear, layman-friendly definitions, instructional videos, and tutorials that explain how to effectively implement the software’s features. Demos provide another excellent opportunity for learning. Often delivered as live sessions, these demos allow users to interact with software experts who can showcase features and answer questions in accessible language.

Customer reviews provide valuable, real-world insights into the experience of using the software you are considering and working with its provider. To gather this information, search for your chosen software on technology review sites and read the feedback from past and current users. This research can reveal common glitches, any hidden costs that may not be prominently disclosed on the provider’s website, and how the software stacks up against competing solutions.

Access to quality customer support is essential to ensure that any software glitches do not derail your entire project. To better understand your chosen provider’s customer support, check review sites like TrustRadius and examine the company’s support plans to see what resources will be available to you and when. It’s important to ensure that support is responsive during your normal business hours and accessible through the communication channels your team is accustomed to using. This preparation can help you mitigate potential issues effectively.

Consider the Company Size

When evaluating project management software, it’s important to consider that startups have different needs compared to large enterprises. For instance, enterprise companies often require the capability to manage projects with execution steps that extend across the globe, while startups typically focus on projects concentrated in one or two locations.

Demos can be invaluable in identifying which tools are best suited for your organization’s size and which might introduce an unnecessary learning curve. While one software plan or tool may be ideal for your current needs, these requirements are likely to evolve as your organization grows. For instance, you may eventually need software with enhanced automation capabilities to scale your operations or increase file storage capacity. Therefore, it’s crucial to select software that not only avoids unnecessary features but also has the potential to meet your growing needs over time.

Pricing for project management software geared toward small to midsized businesses (SMBs) typically ranges from free to approximately £15 per user per month, depending on the desired features. Most providers also offer 15% to 50% discounts for annual payments. Additionally, many companies, including startups, nonprofits, and educational institutions, can access these tools for free. Free trials are often available, allowing users to evaluate whether they want to transition from a free plan to a paid one.

Most providers offer a free plan that limits the number of users. For instance, monday.com permits two users per free account, while higher-tier plans accommodate more users. As you move to more expensive plans, they typically include enhanced features, such as increased storage, additional viewers, better customer support, improved security, advanced collaborative tools, automation options, customization capabilities, and detailed reporting charts. Enterprises usually need to request a custom quote for tailored pricing and features.

Key Advantages of Using Project Management Software

In addition to saving time and enhancing efficiency, project management software can foster greater collaboration within businesses, leading to innovation and improved workflows. In a survey conducted by Monday.com, a project management platform, 54% of workers spend five or more hours per week completing repetitive tasks and believe they could reclaim this time by utilizing tools that automate those processes.

Research by project management software provider Findstack revealed that approximately 11% of resources are frequently wasted due to ineffective project management. Additionally, a study by PWC found that 77% of high-performing companies regularly utilize project management software to boost efficiency. By implementing project management software, businesses can experience several key benefits, including saving time, Increased productivity, enhanced collaboration and communication within teams, and improved tracking of progress and goals.

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If you’re looking to get more organized or want the ability to track all your workplace functions in one central location, project management software could be the solution you need. However, since different programs offer a variety of unique features, it’s important to conduct research to determine which platform provides the benefits and functions that align with your business needs.

Consider starting with platforms that offer a free version or a free trial, or at least take the time to watch a free demonstration. This approach allows you to familiarize yourself with how a platform operates before investing time and effort into setting everything up.