Let's face it. Working remotely as an entrepreneur has its benefits, but it often means less communication and less information.
That's where apps that allow you to continue you work outside the office become useful.
These 14 picks help members of YEC sync documents from anywhere, instantly chat with employees, track daily projects, minimize online distractions and more. You'll still feel in control over your company next time you travel.
1. Basecamp
I absolutely love Basecamp. It gives me a high-level view of everything my team is doing project-by-project and person-by-person on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. I couldn't manage as many projects at the level I do without it. – Lindsay Mullen, Prosper Strategies
Related Article: 9 Most Effective Apps for Internal Communication
Image via Evernote
2. Evernote
I don’t know how I would stay on top of everything without Evernote. It helps me stay organized and keep track of my goals all on the same platform, which is ideal for me. – Samira Far, Bellacures Franchising LLC
3. Yammer
Conventional social media tends to stifle employee productivity. By putting a ban on SM, productivity and professionalism goes up, but unfortunately communication amongst colleagues comes down. Yammer is intuitive and has a low learning curve. It allows employees to communicate across all company departments. – Cody McLain, SupportNinja
4. Project Bubble
We use Project Bubble to manage all of our projects and clients. Their mobile app has all of the features as the desktop version, so I can keep track of everything regardless of my location. Employee comments, client feedback and real-time project statuses are literally in my pocket 24/7, even when traveling or away from the office. – Jonathan Long, Market Domination Media
Image via Clover
5. Clover
We have a Clover POS system at the brewery's taproom, which I am able to access online. I can get reports on each item we sell as well as our employees' hours, so it really helps me stay up-to-date on our retail performance. – Bailey Spaulding, Jackalope Brewing Company
6. Asana
Asana has a great app that allows me to organize tasks based on projects and assign them to my team members with due dates. I can quickly and easily check on my phone or laptop in order to see how the team is progressing on their individual and group projects. I use the mobile app to stay up-to-date on tasks, and I can comment briefly to become more involved when needed, even while on vacation. – Diana Goodwin, AquaMobile Swim School
7. Slack
We have been hardcore Slack-users since we started using the app for our 25-person team. Unlike other software, Slack doesn’t require a tutorial. Everybody started chatting, collaborating and passing files back and forth immediately. It’s helped our team stay productive, especially because we do so much work from home and on the road. – Dusty Wunderlich, Bristlecone Holdings
Related Article: 13 Best Apps for Solving Everyday Business Challenges
Image via TeamWork
8. TeamWork
My favorite app for keeping up on my local SEO startup while traveling is called TeamWork. It provides a suite of project management and communication tools that I quite honestly can't live without. In fact, I sleep better because the tool allows me to ensure that my team is able to easily track well-defined client deliverables and keep everyone accountable for results. – Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com
9. Teamviewer
I love Teamviewer’s smartphone app. The fact that I essentially have a remote to control my office computer from anywhere is a great perk. It has saved me more than once when I needed a document or file from my desktop that I do not have at home or when I am traveling. – Stanley Meytin, True Film Production
10. Domo
Domo lets me sync every single app, software and spreadsheet I use on a daily basis in one place, and it visualizes all of our key data metrics for each. – Kenneth Cucchia, Deals4Meals.com
Image via Workboard
11. Workboard
We use Workboard frequently. After trying dozens of tools for tracking priority tasks, all of them failed us until now. Workboard has just enough process without having too much and allows us to accurately track priority tasks. We've reduced meeting time, emails and follow-ups (and the anxiety that comes with it). – Adam Roozen, Echidna, Inc.
12. Hipchat
I find that Hipchat is one of the best apps for keeping in touch with my team, no matter where everyone is at the moment. It’s compatible with everything -- Windows, Mac, Android, Linux -- so we can use it to connect no matter device someone is on. The basic features are free, but you can also add extra features like video calling. – Shawn Porat, Fortune Cookie Advertising
13. Github
As a company heavily focused on development, we use Github as our code repository. I can log in and see the progress and milestones, as well as a birds-eye view of the next software version release. – Syed Balkhi, OptinMonster
14. Trello
We use Trello to manage our workflow and company projects. If I wanted to keep on top of the company while on vacation (which would ruin the entire goal of a vacation), I'd jump on the Trello mobile app to see what progress everyone is making on the various projects they are working on. It is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used by any team within an organization. – Joshua Dorkin, BiggerPockets
Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program.