I've always enjoyed project management. I did it professionally for a software company many years ago, and now I do it every day for my freelance business. Over the years, I've learned how essential project management is for just about every project.
And my definition of “project” is broad. Not only do I use project management techniques and tools for my client engagements and running my business, but I use it for the projects I'm involved with such as Web Standards Sherpa, EE Podcast and Webuquerque. I also rely on project management for the projects in my life, such as moving to a new house or mentoring an aspiring graphic designer.
For my August contribution to The Pastry Box Project, I list my absolutely–must–have–can't–live–without project management tools and resources.
What's Right for Me
My favorite project management resources these days are:
- Basecamp for project and task management
- Freshbooks for time-tracking, billing and expense management
- Shoeboxed for digital expense archival and organization
- Gmail Labels for communication organization
- Gmail Priority Inbox for task and event management, as well as general communication
These services and how I use them have been tried and tested. But, that's tried and tested according to how I work and what I need. That's the key: you have to find what works for you. And this is a process, albeit a very worthwhile process.
In my Pastry Box contribution, I detail how I use these tools and the workflows I have in place to help me save time and energy, but still get everything done.
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