Technology is now a necessary part of modern-day work life, especially if you work at a coworking space. While you could keep it simple with the bare essentials, read on as Circle Hub shares the best tech tools to turn to if you want to get as much out of your coworking experience as possible.
Cloud Storage
Let’s begin with cloud storage, since this is a must if you use multiple devices to access your files. Many cloud storage services are also great for seamlessly sharing files with others. Here are some of the most popular:
Google Drive
When it comes to convenience, Google Drive is considered to be the best for cloud storage and file management. With this service, sharing large files becomes a breeze. All you’ll need to do is upload them to your Google Drive and create a shareable link for the file. You’ll have full control over who has access to those files, along with how much access (viewing vs editing) they have. With the free version of Google Drive offering 15GB of storage (you can purchase up to 30TB if you pay), you won’t have to worry about exceeding storage limits.
For many, the best part about Google Drive is how well it integrates with Docs, Sheets, and Slides – Google’s versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The Google versions offer the same tools but with automated saving/backup, which is great for efficiency.
Dropbox
In many ways, Dropbox is similar to Google Drive. It’s used for file storage and sharing, enabling you to access your files from any device. Dropbox allows users to transfer/share files that are up to 100MB in size, with the recipient not needing a Dropbox account to access them. With Dropbox also known for its super-fast syncing speeds when dealing with large files, uploading and sharing take no time at all, especially if your coworking space has high-speed WiFi, like Circle Hub does.
Although Dropbox wins out when it comes to handling large files, the downside is that the service doesn’t offer the same amount of storage as Google Drive. The paid plans for Dropbox are more expensive too, although it’s still a very popular cloud storage service among creatives who regularly deal with large files.
Collaboration/Project Management
If you work with a team of people, technology that allows for collaboration and project management can make everything run much more smoothly. Here are some of the best tech tools that do just that:
Slack
Slack is a collaborative/messaging tool that most professionals who work in a team will already be familiar with. With Slack, you can send messages, files, videos, screenshots, and more. If there’s a particular message/file you want to discuss further, Slack allows you to create a dedicated thread to keep your chats focused.
Like most of the tech tools on this list, Slack has both free and paid versions available. The free version can be slightly limiting in terms of how much of your message history it stores, as well as only allowing 1-on-1 video calls. Pay for a membership, however, and you’ll enjoy unlimited message storage, group video calls, and more.
Trello
Trello is a very visual project management tool. With Trello, you can create one board for each project you’re working on. Within that board, you can then create various lists to keep track of how each project is progressing. The free version of Trello allows you to create as many boards/lists as you want. Many professionals find this to be more than sufficient, saving them from having to fork out for yet another tech tool.
With Trello having an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface, it’s appreciated by many. It can also easily be integrated with other apps, like Google Drive and Slack, enabling you to bring everything together.
Video Communication
While video calls have long since been a useful way to communicate, they really came into their own during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, they’re relied on by many professionals. While a shared workspace isn’t ideal for taking part in video calls, many coworking spaces have private offices or conference rooms that are ideal for when you need some privacy. Here are some of the best tech tools for video communication:
Zoom
Zoom is another service that most professionals will be aware of. It quickly overtook its competition due to how reliable its video/audio quality is. The fact that it’s so user-friendly helped with this too. Simply download the app, and you can immediately start making free video calls that last up to 40 minutes.
The extra features available with Zoom have also contributed to its must-have status. Breakout rooms, screen sharing, whiteboards, and live streaming, some of which are available with Zoom’s free model, make it incredibly useful. Zoom also easily integrates with other apps, including Google Drive and various Microsoft services, making collaboration even more seamless.
Loom
While most video communication apps offer two-way services, Loom is a little different. It’s a video messaging tool that only offers one-way messaging, but this is actually pretty useful. With Loom, you can record a video message either through your webcam or via screen sharing. Once you’re done, you’ll receive a shareable link that can be sent to anyone or embedded into other programs.
The appealing thing about Loom is, like many of the best tech tools around, it’s so easy to use. You can record your video message with a single click, although you will also have the option afterward to polish up your video with the app’s AI feature that removes any “ums” and “ahs”, while editing out unnecessary silences.
Productivity
Coworking spaces are already known for helping professionals to be their most productive selves. However, with the right tech tools, you can push this even further:
RescueTime
If your workday often seems to be over before you know it, this is a sign that you could do with some time management help, which is exactly what RescueTime provides. This time-tracking software runs quietly in the background, documenting how much time you spend on different apps, websites, documents, and more. It can track offline activities too, such as phone conversations and in-person meetings.
What does it do with that information? It will send you a detailed report that explains your browsing and productivity habits. It will help you to see the areas in which you’re wasting time, allowing you to turn things around and become a much more productive professional.
Toggl
Like RescueTime, Toggl is a time-tracking tool. However, unlike RescueTime, which is automated, Toggl is more manual. You’ll need to activate the one-click timer yourself, but this can be extremely useful when you’re trying to track your time spent on various projects for different clients.
Toggl then takes things further with the extra features available. From detailed reports to invoicing tools, Toggl makes it so easy to manage project hours, as well as bill clients for them.
Focus/Deep Work
While most people find it pretty easy to knuckle down and focus on their work when they’re at a coworking space, others need extra help. Here are the best tech tools for that:
Workflowy
Workflowy is all about organizing your thoughts and tasks into small, manageable steps. It makes use of a bullet point structure, enabling users to brainstorm and organize the projects that they’re working on. It gives you the chance to deeply explore various ideas that you have, while keeping all of your thoughts well-organized.
Workflowy is loved for its flexibility. You can create infinite levels of lists and sub-lists, structuring and re-structuring them however you like. The fact that Workflowy is available as both a desktop and mobile app makes it accessible to many.
Mindful Browsing
Do you ever find yourself wasting time by mindlessly scrolling through social media or various websites? With Mindful Browsing, you’ll finally be able to put a stop to that and put your valuable time to good use.
To start with, you’ll need to create a list of ‘blocked’ sites. If, during the day, you happen to navigate over to one of those sites, the app will display a photo of a tranquil scene instead, before checking whether or not you actually want to spend time on that site. The way in which it makes users much more aware of their online behavior can give both focus and productivity a huge boost, while allowing you to build healthier online habits.
Security
Security is a big concern for many. Fortunately, there’s plenty of tech to help with this:
1Password
One of the biggest security issues out there is using the same password on multiple websites. If there’s a password breach, which commonly occurs, this could leave the security of your whole team exposed.
With 1Password, you can create a unique and impossible-to-crack password for each website that you use. You won’t need to worry about struggling to remember those passwords, however. The app allows you to use one master password, keeping everything convenient yet much safer for you.
Mullvad
VPN stands for virtual private network. It’s a more secure way to browse the net, protect your data, and keep your online activities private. While there are plenty of free VPNs out there, they can sometimes end up tracking you instead! A high-quality service, like Mullvad, is a much safer bet.
Based in Sweden, Mullvad offers complete anonymity. You don’t even need to use your personal details to create an account. With a strict no-logging policy, a custom browser, and several security features, it’s definitely the way to go if you want to keep things as private as possible.
Summary
There is so much technology out there now that can help with just about everything work-related. The best tech tools are the ones that go above and beyond, just like those that we’ve detailed above. Give some of them a try, and you’ll soon find that your time spent at your coworking space becomes all the more productive.
Looking for a new coworking space? Click here to book a tour of Circle Hub’s coworking spaces today!