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coronavirus home quarantine

10 online services you must choose during work from home

It is inevitable for us not just in India but all over the world to work from home due the COVID-19 pandemic. While that may sound like a compromise as a lot of us are used to going to our offices, spreading our things across the desks and slurping on some hot coffee from the dispenser working from home online is in real not actually one. It is still possible to communicate, collaborate, schedule and achieve the same number of tasks or duties in a rather peaceful manner from home and yes one is more peaceful when not stuck in traffic for hours daily. To facilitate this transition, we have picked some of the top work from home online tools, services, apps for our most required or periodic tasks. They are for everyone keeping in mind of those working in big MNCs to small startups. Here they are:

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Management

Our top picks: Trello, Basecamp, Teamviewer

First thing that we will miss working from home is working as a team for any function. Since each of us play an important role in a project or funcion it is important for everyone to be aware of what each one is doing. Based on the function this can be achieved by using simple tools like Trello where each one can specify the tasks at hand. But for those functions for whom working from home was extremely difficult to begin with, a more detailed, structured and customised tool like Basecam or Bitrix will do the trick. At any time if any team member needs support that is difficult to explain over the phone a remote desktop software like Teamviewer or Anydesk will get the job done. 

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Communication

Our top picks: Hangout, Slack, Microsoft Teams

Apart from calling over the phone, we constantly may need to inform or ask each other something. FOr those thinking that’s why we have Whatsapp, we need to keep in mind those working on confidential or high data security projects to whom personal communication is a strict no no. A secure instant messaging platform like Google Hangouts or the more professionally widely used Slack is perfect. As something that is available in most Windows Professional devices, Microsoft Teams can satisfy the need without any data compromise. 

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Telepresence

Our top picks: Skype, Zoom

Some of us are used to interacting with the team members, leaders, clients faces as much as possible and that disconnection now can be difficult to adapt to. While it is not safe to meet anyone but rather stay at home now, the challenge can certainly be overcome by increased use of Telepresence services. The App started it all is Skype which is now owned by Microsoft so again data and encryption is safe unlike concerns that you may have with the currently popular Zoom video conferencing app. There are other options as well as most Instant messaging apps themselves offer video calling option like Hangouts Meet, Cisco WEBEX etc. 

Collaboration

Our top picks: GSuite, Zoho One, Office 365

Going through important docs, spreadsheets, presentations or others and unable to specify changes or corrections then and there. What you need is a cloud based office suite to share, collaborate, comment, update and utilise instantly. Anyone with a Gmail Acc must have used Google Docs at least for some personal reasons that has it all – docs, spreadsheets, presentation etc. You can get a more professional version with G Suite that is so easy for anyone to use. Some alternatives include the Zoho One suite having similar functionality. But for those used to Microsoft Office, there is Office 365 that will do it all.

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Notes & Files

Our top picks: Keep, Evernote, Drive, Dropbox

Used to stickies and files taking over your desk in office, work from home then will mostly be a stark difference to tables or desks at our home. So it is important to have it all digital and we know just the Apps for that. For notes you can stick to Keep that is again in sync with your Gmail Acc which can be easily shared to collaborate as well. But for others Evernote is your best bet for having made taking notes in our phones a lifestyle change. Coming to files, Google most of the time has you covered and similarly there is Google to Drive to depend on with 30 GB for G Suite users. Have more data to access or not using G Suite then Dropbox can take care of all your cloud storage needs. 

Scheduling

Our top picks: Google Calendar, Calendly

Time Management is a very important aspect that is a task to implement while working from home. A simple way to keep track of what all to do and by when to finish them is to use a Calendar App. Break down your work hours daily and specify each task. You can cross them off when completed or add time when you need to extend on a task. Using a Calendar can also help in scheduling meetings, get reminders and share or assign your work plan to others. Google Calendar is upto the rescue but another popular one that even syns to your email client is Calendly. Whichever you pick, remember that not maintaining a schedule can usually be disastrous in meeting your daily goals. 

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Development

Our top picks: Pivotal Tracker, JIRA, GitHub

All technical functions can be a challenge wherever you work from and especially from home. Now that at home away from your team SME or leader some may not use the most effective code for a query, small API or even an operation. Or big Programs have a lot of segments and functions that are hard to keep a track of when you’re working from home. Anything from a tracking, testing or even a code repository can be of huge help. Check out Pivotal tracker for you and your team to be on the same page while developing stuff. Other useful tools for testing and finding common lines of code are JIRA and GitHub.

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Online Social Presence

Our top picks: Hootsuite, Buffer

From a small business to big brands, you need to keep your users reached,  informed and engaged all the time. But on a work from home setting it is not easy to work with the members of the creative team effectively across different formats, platforms and promotions. But that is not a reason to skimp on reducing your marketing on social media or the content you want to display. Be it knowing about the current trends across different platforms, hashtags search, scheduling posts reach to managing campaigns use the best work from home or office social media management App – Hootsuite. If it’s just about scheduling then buffer is an easy to use option. 

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Break bites

Our top picks: Zomato, Swiggy

Often while working at home you may remember your trips to the office cafeteria or food court along with chatting or catching up with colleagues as a way to relax. While the same event cannot be recreated while working at home, you can get some snacks or even a meal of your choice to munch on by just ordering it home from your favorite restaurant. The first app to use to satisfy your hunger craving is Zomato with it’s wide range of eatery options to choose from and as a subscriber of Gold you can get 1+1 on food which is unmatchable. The other go to option is Swiggy that you cannot go wrong with especially with Swiggy Super that takes away most of the delivery charges. 

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Rewards & Fun

Our top picks: Loco, Taskbucks, Vishumoney

Find yourself scrolling through a lot of social feeds or the news while awaiting a reply or a confirmation from someone that you could just walk over and have a word with in office? It is a common occurrence when working from home but doesn’t mean that time has to be unproductive. You can make it fun and rewarding by exploring apps where you can actually earn money from like Loco where you can take part in quizzes or Taskbucks that reward you for trying new app and services. Feel like you would one App that gives you many rewarding options while you work from home? Then just checkout the Vishumoney App that not offers Tasks, Surveys, Quiz etc to Earn money from, you can also save big and earn huge cashback while shopping, making any online transactions or availing any services online.

 

While we may not be able to cover the best Work from Home apps for all the functions and tasks that you may do, we really believe that the work from home apps listed above can surely be of help to you. 

 

If you know of some better options, please do comment the same and we will be thankful for informing the readers of the same. 

 

Whatever the reason, please stay at home to save yourself & others during a pandemic!  



10 Tips to work from home during the Coronavirus Quarantine

The coronavirus outbreak has had an unprecedented impact on our personal as well as professional lives. The virus originating in Wuhan has spread across the world in a matter of weeks. This has led to a global shutdown of offices and other public and professional avenues so as to contain the spread. Thousands of employees in India are now working from home or working remotely, where they virtually interact with their colleagues. Some of us are well adjusted to this shift but some people may struggle to have an impact on their work and maybe thrown off as a result.

There are several steps that can be taken to ensure that you can have productive work from home during the coronavirus quarantine. Some of the easy steps include keeping a calendar, creating a daily to-do list and setting boundaries between work and home. But, for the people who want a more specific dive into the solution, here are the top 10 Tips to work from home during the Coronavirus Quarantine.

   1. Getting dressed in the mornings:

Getting yourself ready for the day has a psychological impact on your attitude and personality. When you dress the part, you will get to a state of mind that can help you complete your tasks in hand. Getting dressed will also help you communicate and have video conferences with your colleagues and clients without any delay. So just like how superheroes dress the part, dress the part and bring out the superhero in you.

   2. Get a Workspace:

Getting an area in your home or at your residence solely for your work is critical. Having a home office is ideal, but if you lack one find an area with minimum distractions and good comfort. This will help you separate your work from your personal life. Put some ingenuity and you can turn any place into a workstation such as a kitchen table, your gaming desktop or even just a chair and a table. Set your work hours and get to it.

   3. Make a to-do list:

Making a to-do list is one of the most important activities of the day. As you start your day you have to make a list that has all your appointments, tasks and activities that are to be achieved for the day. This is an important tool in staying productive and helps you get back on track every time you are distracted.

 4. Prioritize and schedule work:

Sometimes work can be overwhelming with the number of activities and targets to be achieved. The best way to tackle this problem is to set priority on which tasks to go for first. And once the priorities are set in place, create a routine around it so that you can feel well adjusted in a few days. This routine is essential and will help you become more productive with ease.

   5. Read:

Working from home has brought a new opportunity as you will have so much more time in your hands. You will not have to sit in traffic or wait for the bus. No more getting ready for office in the morning or going out for a run. So, this leaves a lot of time for you to catch up on reading great books. Reading some nonfiction and fiction creates a habit in itself that you can carry over when the lockdown is complete. Reading is essential to self-development and intellectual growth.

   6. Learn new skills: 

We all love our jobs and some of us are very good at it. But, it doesn’t mean that we can’t improve. Take the time to invest in yourself and make the most of this opportunity upgrading your skills.  You can take online lessons and classes from sites such as Skillshare and Udemy, and learn or level up your skills to get your work done more efficiently. Moreover, you can also learn new musical instruments or learn a new language at this time.

   7. Workout or stretch

Working out and stretching will give your body a break from being idle all day. Far from the workouts from a gym or going out for a run, but working out indoors can have both positive physical and mental effects. Start slow and pick up the pace of your workouts as you progress. Get some amazing instructional and how-to videos for everyone on Youtube and other websites.

   8. Lead with trust:

If you are a leader, a person in charge of a team or simply want to inspire others it may be difficult right now. Find different means of getting your messages through and find the best way to communicate with your peers. Help whenever possible and find out time to understand what is happening in your colleague’s life. Building better relationships ensure you can pick up where you left off after the curfew.

   9. Understanding responsibility:

Most of us have had a person guiding us. It can be a boss, a mentor or a teacher. But the true test comes up when you are left alone with your responsibilities with nobody else to guide you. Try to use the above methods to distance yourself from the distractions and get your work done in the best way possible. It may not be easy to do your work sitting at home, but understand that there are many people working out of a laptop all around the globe.

   10. Sleep and meditation:

There is no better time to catch up on those well-deserved sleep and meditation that you have been pushed out in your normal life. Sleep is essential to all your activities as it replenishes your energy and puts you in a  positive mood. Meditation everyday for 10 minutes can give you immense mental clarity to work towards your goals.

We hope all these steps help you get the best productivity out of your work from home experience. Remember to stay at your home and wear protective gear when stepping out. Sanitize and stay at home and before you know it we will be well beyond the coronavirus situation. 

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