10 Must-Have Digital Tools for Teams

In the years since I’ve started my business, I’ve played the part of Goldilocks, trying many different technology options to craft my perfect “stack.” My search for the best digital tools has stemmed in part from the growth of my small-but-mighty team. We work from several different locations, so finding the most efficient, reliable, and easy-to-use tools has been key to helping us collaborate well. 

While we’re always open to trying something new, our current suite of digital tools feels juuuust right. If you’re in the market for a new tool or you’re still learning how to finesse a hybrid or remote team, these 10 products should be at the top of your list to try. We mostly use the paid versions of these tools; however, I would also recommend their free counterparts as a way to test out key features.

Best For Communication & Collaboration:

Slack 

• How We Use It: My team and I use Slack primarily as an internal communication tool instead of email. From birthday wishes to scheduling and planning conversations, 90 percent of our communication happens on Slack. 
• Why We Love It: We love that Slack keeps our conversations searchable, organized, and fun. The #channels feature helps us coordinate internally around different topics, like social media or content.

 Asana 

• How We Use It: We use Asana for the internal coordination of our client projects like The Profile Transformer?? so we can easily keep track of timelines, due dates, and project materials. 
• Why We Love It: We’ve tried out other project management tools but have found Asana to be far and away the most intuitive and adaptable tool for our process. We love that Asana sends reminders to help us manage due dates and lets us split up tasks and responsibilities seamlessly.

 Google Drive 

• How We Use It: We use Google Drive both for internal documents and for client training and resources. It’s also our de facto archive for content, ideas, and client content. 
• Why We Love It: Google Drive documents are dynamic and allow us to collaborate in real-time. Google Sheets has made The CRROWN Method?? training with clients incredibly straightforward and accessible.

 Kajabi

• How We Use It: We use Kajabi to create custom email campaigns, send our weekly LinkedInsider tips, and provide access to our LinkedIn training and resources, like The Complete LinkedIn Profile Course??.
• Why We Love It: Kajabi creates clarity around managing multiple subscriber lists and messaging funnels at once. The user interface is clean and straightforward, and we love how the platform automatically captures important performance metrics.
• My Gift to You: The free trial is normally only 14 days, but I have access to a 30-day free trial that you are welcome to swipe!

Best For Design: 

 Canva

• How We Use It: We use Canva to create custom graphics for our speaking presentations, LinkedIn checklists, guides, downloadable resources, and clients’ LinkedIn profiles. 
• Why We Love It: Compared to other bulky (and more expensive) design software options, Canva is such a breeze. It’s truly been a game-changer for the business. We love how easy it is to create a custom, beautiful client experience with Canva. 

Pro Tip: Canva’s free version has plenty of great features, but we think the paid version is worth it.

 Wisestamp

• How We Use It: We use WiseStamp to create custom, branded email signatures. 
• Why We Love It: Creating beautiful email signatures that are clickable can be such a headache. After trying the DIY route, we fell in love with Wise Stamp as a way to make emails look professional while still being functional.

 Adobe Acrobat 

• How We Use It: We use Adobe Acrobat to edit, sign and combine PDF documents. 
• Why We Love It: You can probably get by without Adobe Acrobat, but we’ve found that the hassle of trying to do what Adobe Acrobat does using other tools just isn’t worth it. Acrobat makes PDF document management super simple for our team.

Best For Time Management & Productivity: 

QuickBooks Online 

• How We Use It: We use QuickBooks Online to manage our P&L, balance sheet, make business payments to vendors, and issue invoices. 
• Why We Love It: There are tons of accounting software options out there, but we’ve found QuickBooks to be the most user-friendly since it allows for easier scaling as your business grows. It’s ideal for busy business owners who wear a lot of hats.

Calendly 

• How We Use It: We use Calendly to make scheduling easier and offer time slots that correspond to specific service offerings. 
• Why We Love It: To save time from endless email exchanges to find a mutually convenient time to meet, Calendly lets our clients and potential clients self-select a time on the calendar that is convenient with their schedule. 

Pro Tip: Make sure your calendar matches the true amount of time you have to dedicate to the type of inquiries that come through your Calendly link. Large, recurring open time blocks might make you look more available than you really can be.

TextExpander 

• How We Use It: TextExpander allows our team to create custom text templates for messages that we use a lot, like certain client emails. Instead of copying and pasting templated text, TextExpander allows us to drop a blurb of text anywhere with a simple keyboard shortcut. 
• Why We Love It: We love that TextExpander is platform-agnostic, meaning it follows us around the internet and works wherever we want it to, whether we’re writing an email or a note to a teammate.

Finding the right digital tools for your team takes a bit of trial and error, but it’s time well spent if it helps you build a smooth, clear, and productive workflow. If you’re facing a challenge on your team—whether it’s poor communication, missed deadlines, or just general inefficiency—chances are, there’s a tool out there to help. Don’t waste time reinventing the wheel with a custom solution. Instead, see what’s out there and give it a whirl. 

Speaking of digital tools we love, now is the perfect time to try our Put a Ring on It Challenge. This actionable training takes the guesswork out of LinkedIn engagement. In just 15 minutes a day for 5 days, you’ll have what you need to step out from the wings and reap the benefits of participating on LinkedIn.

This article was originally published on McMillion Consulting where you can access even more helpful content!