“All things should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Getting organized and staying organized are constant priorities of … well, just about everyone, right? Especially in the business world, whether you’re selling subscription boxes or digital marketing services, and whether you’re serving a dozen clients at a time or hundreds, project management software can help you and your team get and stay organized … and make your life a lot easier.

What Is Project Management Software? 

It sounds technical, but “project management software” is just an online or app-based tool that helps you collaborate with your team, see deadlines and responsibilities at a glance, assign tasks, and communicate internally with ease.

Tool complexity ranges from bare bones to super customizable, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Your small business may thrive with Trello, but Asana or Clickup may work better for a larger organization with more projects running at the same time. Suffice it to say that a solid project management tool should make doing business more streamlined and organized, and you’ll want to choose a platform that meets the unique goals and needs of your business.

Making Life Easier

Speaking from personal experience, even if your business is a team of just one, you can benefit from using a project management tool. Old-school as I am, as a copywriter and editor, I began by writing out all my deadlines and projects in an old-fashioned planner. But as the number of clients I served increased and the projects piled up, I ended up making list after list on post-it notes on top of using my planner, and the whole system became disorganized and unwieldy.

That’s where Trello came in. Using Trello has not only enabled me to see all of my projects and deadlines at once, which improves my workflow and prioritization, but it also gives me a great place to put business development reminders and make notes on phone calls.

I recently polled the Catholic Women in Business Facebook group to get an idea of which project management tools are favorites in our community. Below are some of the most frequently mentioned tools, as well as a few other popular options. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good overview of tools that may be helpful depending on your needs and the nature of your business. If you’re looking to start using project management software or switch from your current one, consider the pros and cons of these options:

ClickUp

ClickUp is one of the most highly rated project management tools on the market. It allows you to use a board or list view and switch back and forth with ease. Unlike many others, it includes Gantt charts to help you see your current projects and team member responsibilities at a glance. You can also bring in Excel or Google Sheets, as well as integrate with Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, Hubspot, Outlook, and other programs.

ClickUp also includes a time tracking tool, which is unique to project management software and which allows you to keep track of how long certain tasks take.

Complaints: The main complaint is that there is no internal chat feature, making communicating on complex projects a bit difficult.

Pricing:

• Free

• Unlimited ($5/month per user)

• Business ($19/month per user)

Trello

Trello is a great option if you’re looking for simplicity. It’s a simple Kanban-style project management tool that works best with small teams or solo entrepreneurs and freelancers. It’s organized into boards with cards, where you can easily tag users, create due dates, and write notes. You can integrate Trello with Google Drive and Dropbox, but power-ups are limited in the free version. In my experience, the mobile app is seamless and responsive as well.

Complaints: Users and reviewers say it’s not a great tool for large teams with large, complex projects. It has limited functionality and doesn’t include tools like Gantt charts.

Pricing:

• Free

• Business ($9.99/month per user)

• Enterprise ($20.30/month per user)

Hive

Hive is a lesser known tool, but it’s still appreciated by many small companies with two to 200 employees. Thanks to its internal chat and email integration features, communication is easy; you can also tag team members on projects to keep everyone on the same page. Hive also provides a variety of layouts and views, including Gantt charts, Kanban boards and calendar views. It is reportedly better for complex, in-depth projects with lots of team members and moving parts.

Complaints: Hive is less intuitive than other tools; users report there’s a learning curve, and it’s not something you can jump into and use with ease right away. There is also no storage in the software. When you delete a comment or file, it’s gone forever. Reviews also indicate the app is more difficult to use than the desktop version. There is also no free version.

Pricing: $12/month per user. You can choose add-ons for additional monthly charges for tools like timesheets, third party collaboration, and more.

Asana

Asana was one of the most popular tools among Catholic Women in Business (CWIB) members. This software can mesh well with the tools you’re probably already using, like Slack, Google calendar, and Dropbox. Users love the project timeline feature that helps you keep track of due dates and team member responsibilities — functioning essentially as a Gantt chart. CWIB members also appreciated the fact that you can use list and board views easily.

Complaints: The main complaint is that it’s difficult to collaborate with larger teams on big projects with Asana. It’s probably better suited for smaller teams with lighter workloads. Users also complained that the free version doesn’t offer as many tools as they’d like it to.

Pricing:

• Free

• Premium ($9.99/month per user)

• Business ($19.99/month per user)

• Enterprise (pricing on request)

Monday

Monday is another online project management tool that’s good for for larger teams, especially if they include freelancers or contractors. The project manager can easily add third parties to the account to collaborate with as many team members as they need to. Tagging and comment sections also make communicating on a project easier, and Monday works well with Google Drive, Dropbox, and other integrations.

Complaints: Lots of users aren’t thrilled with the app, and there is no free option. Users say it isn’t as responsive for complex projects but has a straightforward feel with third-party collaboration abilities.

Pricing

Depends on the number of team members but starts at $17/month.

Get Organized in 2020

Choosing the right project management tool depends on what your needs are and what type of business you’re running. Hopefully, this guide will help you narrow down your options and figure out what might work well for you and your team. All in all, perhaps it’s time to put getting organized with a project management tool on your list of New Year's resolutions!

Sarah Coffey is a freelance writer, copywriter, and editor. In college, she converted to Catholicism, met her now-husband Jesse, and received a B.A. in History. In 2018 she took the entrepreneurial plunge and started a copywriting and copyediting business – Coffey Copy & Content, LLC – and hasn't looked back. She loves using her talents for writing and editing to help business owners, students, and writers convey their messages powerfully and cleanly. She is also currently working on a Master's in Sacred Theology through St. Joseph's College of Maine and writes on matters of faith, theology, business, and travel. You can read more of her writing here.