When I started my business a little under 10 years ago, I was a one-woman show. Then, my assistant came along not much later and we used Outlook for our task management system. As our projects grew in scope and number, our need for a more robust system did, too. We seamlessly transitioned into using Trello for our projects and delegated tasks, while I continued using Outlook for my personal self-management. That dual system worked great while it was just the two of us but eventually my team grew, as did our needs, and inevitably the system broke. My Outlook/Trello combination no longer provided the features my life and growing business needed to be efficient and effective. So, I went on a mission to find a task management system that wouldn’t merely work for us, but help us stay organized, be productive, and grow the business.
Minimum Features Of A Good Project & Task Management Program:
A good task management program should also provide a way to apply filters to our list so we only see what we need to see when we need to see it. Our team needed more than just basic and good though. We needed a mind-blowing task management system that could keep up with me as I continued catapulting myself and my team toward our myriad of business goals. I started looking at what programs had come on the market, paying close attention to their features and capability to grow alongside my growing team. My research led me to an all-in-one app that sounded too good to be true.
My Journey With ClickUp For Small Businesses
ClickUp appeared to offer every feature I needed, plus the price was right. I was super hesitant to jump ship from Trello, though, as I am always cautious about chasing after shiny objects dressed as opportunities. I’m a firm believer that you should learn all of the features offered on your current apps before investing in new ones. That’s because I’ve coached far too many clients who wind up just jumping from promising app to promising app, chasing after their expertly marketed features, not realizing that their current apps had made some updates and already offer those same desirable features. I dug deep looking into ClickUp and came away from my research super impressed by everything the app had to offer. I jumped ship from both Outlook and Trello, signed up for the beta version 2.0 of ClickUp, and have never looked back. I spoke all about my journey with Clickup on my podcast.
Extremely satisfied with the program and eager to learn more about new features they were rolling out, I intentionally sought out and interviewed the founder, Zeb Evans, on my podcast. He then invited me to tour their headquarters in San Diego where he laid out for me his vision for the company, where ClickUp is positioning itself in the marketplace, what makes their project management software unique, and what new features they’re doubling down on, all of which reaffirmed for me that my project and task management was now in the right hands.
As they claim, ClickUp really is One app to replace them all. Tasks, docs, chat, goals, timelines, reminders for both solopreneurs and huge corporations. No more Frankensteining a bunch of apps and programs together to get the results you want. No more paying costly subscriptions for multiple apps. Since signing up, ClickUp has put out a new update every single week based on what features clients (including me) have requested. There were some glitches early on that the company worked through but I’ve been using version 2.0 for a while now and I can tell you, this project and task management system is as awesome and perfect as it gets (because let's be honest - there is no perfect task management app out there).
Features
Perhaps ClickUp for small businesses can’t replace Netflix (I love my Netflix!) but as far as project and task management needs go, it’s a one stop shop that allows you customize the perfect view and hierarchical infrastructure to fit your business’ needs. ClickUp can be used in its simplest form but it offers an insane number of process management, task management, time management, team collaboration, and reporting features, and 1000+ apps and device integrations that make the program incredibly robust. I’m an avid user and I probably only use 35% of its features. If you decide to give ClickUp a go, only use the features that make sense for your business and workflow. There’s no need to attempt to learn them all just as there’s no reason to grab every entree you see at the buffet if you’re a vegetarian. Also, use a simplified hierarchy when you get started and take advantage of ClickUp’s more complex hierarchy and features as your business grows. If you’re very technologically challenged, ClickUp is probably not a good choice for you because navigating the program does take a certain degree of technical skills.
My absolute favorite ClickUp feature is that the program enables every single bit of info and detail pertaining to a task to be communicated right there within the task. This erases the need for emails, phone calls, texts, slacks, etc. It’s all right there in the task for enhanced organization and increased efficiency. I also love that you can access ClickUp from anywhere, so you can use it via your mobile phone while in line at the grocery store or via voice assistant from your couch. The program even offers a video recording feature so you can easily create tutorials for your team by recording your screen right there inside tasks. Some of my other favorite features offered by ClickUp include:Drawbacks
As great as I find ClickUp for small businesses to be, the program still has a couple of drawbacks. Changes made in ClickUp will be reflected in Apple Calendar, Outlook, and any external calendar that allows you to subscribe with a URL feed but changes in your calendar app won’t sync back. That is with the exception of Google Calendars which allows a true two-way sync with ClickUp.
Clickup’s notifications feature can also make getting started feel a bit overwhelming and cumbersome because right out of the gate, you get way too many notifications. Thankfully, you can choose which notifications you receive, how you receive them, and when you receive them. It just takes a bit of time figuring out what you need to be notified about and customizing the notification settings to your liking. You can learn how to easily do this and use every one of their other intricate features with their helpful tutorials created for three different levels of experience.
Conclusion
Is ClickUp for small businesses? Absolutely! Our switch to ClickUp has significantly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of myself and my team by streamlining our project and task management and improving our overall communication. With the right dedication to learning how to use some of its features, I am confident it can do the same for you! If you want to compare your current task management system to ClickUp, click here. And don’t fret about having to start from scratch. ClickUp allows you to conveniently import all of your tasks and due dates from any other project management app. While I am an affiliate of ClickUp, please know that I stand behind my recommendation.
