Which Project Management Tool is Best For My Small Business?
There are so many different project management tools on the market - from Trello & Asana, to Clickup and Notion - so how do we choose what’s best for our small business?
When it comes to project and task management, I’m personally obsessed with being as organised and streamlined in my business as possible, so I’ve ‘been around the block’ a bit when it comes to the tools and software I use to do that.
So in this post I want to breakdown the what, the why, and the WHICH when it comes to deciding on a system that’s right for YOU!
Psst! If you’d like to listen to this as a podcast episode instead of reading, you can over on The Freelance Fix!
Listen to episode 71 now >
Table of Contents
What is a project management tool / software?
A project management tool is a piece of software that businesses can use to plan and manage tasks, teams and projects, and is usually hosted online so that you can access it from anywhere.
Examples of popular project management softwares on the market that you may have heard of include (but are not limited to):
You may be wondering where tools like Dubsado* or Honeybook come in to this list, but these are more considered ‘CRM’ (or ‘customer relationship management’) tools. While they do offer some elements of project and task management, they are mainly for capturing customer information and creating automated client processes, and most businesses will use a project management software (like the ones mentioned above) alongside one of these.
Why does a small business need a project management tool?
Heck, even if you don’t have a business, I reckon you might need a project management tool! I use Trello as my tool of choice, and not only use it to organise my business, but also my entire life as well. There are so many things you can use these tools for, such as:
Client or ‘lead’ tracking
Tracking the progress & stages of a project
Collaborating on projects or task lists with team members
Setting up ‘client portals’ to collect & share information with clients
Writing business plans and goal setting
And much more
Inside my course, The Organised Designer’s Hub, I show you how to set up a digital ‘Business Hub’ in Trello with 10+ plug n’ play templates, to streamline your business in under 2 hours!
Step 1) Consider your project management priorities
Before you start trying to wade through all the different software options, it’s important to get clear on your priorities for this tool. What does it NEED to do for you?
For example:
Perhaps you have a growing team and you NEED it to have lots of collaboration options as a priority.
Maybe it’s just you in your business and your priority is actually that the tool is just SIMPLE and easy to use, so that you can get set up quickly and are encouraged to keep it up to date.
Perhaps you have a small team, but they’re not tech savvy and you need it to be simple for them to ‘buy in’ to it.
Maybe you need to have detailed reporting and GANTT style charts to track progress and data.
For me, my priority is that my tool is visually appealing, and simple enough that I can easily train clients how to use it, as many of my website design clients hate tech stuff!
Step 2) Consider how your brain works best
A lot of these tools have different ways of visualising the information you’re adding to them. One of the most common ways of seeing this is in a ‘Kanban Board’ style, which means you drag tasks between different lists - almost like moving post-it notes around.
But you might prefer to view everything in a List view, or ‘table’, or something more customised. In which case you’ll want to choose a tool that provides that option.
Step 3) Consider the cost of these tools
Most project management softwares will offer some kind of free plan which has limited features but is great for those getting started or if you’re looking around for what works best for you.
Then they usually have a range of paid plans whose price will depend on the size of your team or what features you need.
It’s a good idea to check what features are included at the price point that’s affordable for you, rather than looking at ALL the features the software offers overall, as you might find yourself caught out after spending time setting up.
It’s also important to note that it’s likely you will need to pay more as you add more team members to the software, so check what the cost difference is for when you add extra people too.
Which project management tools do I recommend?
I haven’t tried all the tools out there, but I have tried quite a few so if you’re unsure where to start, below is a rough guide based on my personal experience and preferences.
Please do keep in mind all of the above though, and remember a lot of it does come down to personal preference of the way things look and work for your brain!
For solo business owners and micro teams: I’d recommend Trello or Asana because they’re so quick and easy to use (explained more if you scroll down). Trello has an excellent free plan and cheaper option than most others.
For technophobes: Go with Trello! It truly is the simplest and most intuitive, yet has powerful features too.
For those wanting more customisations and creativity: Notion is well-loved in the YouTube and creative community because of how much you can customise the way it looks. There are endless options! (although some may find this overwhelming too)
For small teams: Asana is simple to use but also has some really powerful collaboration features too.
For larger teams with more complex reporting needs: ClickUp, Monday.com or Airtable might be more what you’re looking for because of the huge range of features and things you can do in terms of collaboration and reporting.
Trello & Asana are similar, but which is best for you?
Both Trello and Asana are excellent project management tools for small businesses and those just starting out because they are so quick and easy to get set up with, and intuitive to understand.
I personally use Trello because I find it the most visually appealing, and I find that my technophobic website clients enjoy using it as it’s so simple. However Asana is great for if you are managing lots of team members, as it has more collaboration features.
Check out the video below for a full breakdown and side by side comparison!
Why I use Trello to organise my business (and life!)
With all these tools out there on the market, why do I personally use Trello in my business and for the systems in all my online courses? There are several key reasons:
My brain loves the intuitive, visual ‘kanban’ style editor
Other tools do offer this but Trello is built to primarily be used in this view so - in my opinion - it looks and works the best!It’s quick & simple to get set up even for the biggest ‘technophobes’
I love Notion for how customisable it is, but all the options can be very overwhelming for a beginner. Trello’s simple interface and features mean it’s quick for people to get set up straight away. It’s also very easy to train my clients how to use it!Trello’s free plan has the best features!
In my opinion, the free plan on Trello beats the other tools because of the power-ups and automations you can add to your boards easily, without having to pay!Streamline your workflows even more with simple automations
Trello’s automations are so easy to set up, and are available on their free plans. I’ve tried setting up automations using Asana and Notion before and it’s just not as simple.The mobile app is GREAT for on-the-go access
One of the best things about Trello is how easy it is to access everything you need wherever you are, thanks to their mobile app which is really user friendly. Again I love Notion but its mobile app does not have the best experience!
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