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I'm Sachkia, a former PR politico, a wife and first-time mommy.

On this blog you will find me writing about slow and sustainable living for entrepreneurial women juggling the desire to slow down and build a responsible and successful business and life.  

I am also the founder of WKND Mood, a sustainable loungewear brand, encouraging you to enjoy leisurely living, every day. 

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Project Management: Asana for Start-ups

Entrepreneurship

Project Management

I’m exploring a word of the month, and this March, it’s spruce. On the blog this month, I’m going to be chatting about sprucing up various aspects of life. Today I want to talk with you about Asana and why it’s an excellent tool for project management and start-ups.

Let’s face it, keeping track of all of the projects and tasks going on inside your business is challenging. And, as your business grows, it becomes even more difficult. The catch-22 is that for your business to grow, you have to take on more projects. 

But, as you take on more projects, it can be hard to find the time to grow your business. If you’re not careful, you can get caught in a no-man’s land kind of world, where you might do okay for yourself but never really break through to the success and lifestyle you want.

That’s why project management tools are so crucial, no matter what stage of entrepreneurship you’re in or how big your business is. 

Suppose you are just getting started with a business idea, or you are a solopreneur. In that case, you might also be thinking that you don’t need a project management application. That’s a lie. You do. Trust me on this. Consider Asana your work hub. It’s a place for you to organize your ideas, put yourself on a schedule and visually see what you are getting done and what ways you might need to adjust expectations or even your concepts.  

When I started Barnes PR, my creative agency, in 2009, it was just me. I literally wanted to simply organize the way I freelanced. I’m not sure what I was thinking. My thoughts probably went like this – I would get a few projects here and there, set in a coffee shop and get my work done and would have loads of time to chill, explore my island, and you know, live the good life. I’m silently chuckling right now at the utter naivete of my youth. 

Within six months of getting a proper business licence, I had to rent modest office space for my start-up and the treadmill of producing client work began. Day by day, month by month, the reality of being a business owner and all of its moving parts started to really sink in. I knew I needed a better way to manage my projects and my business. I turned to project management apps. 

Project Management App Asana

According to one survey, almost half of all small business keep track of all of their tasks and projects entirely by hand. That kind of manual process not only lends itself to huge margins of error, but it will drive you completely crazy. 

As someone who very much loves paper and loves to write things down, I’ve been one of those persons with 5 notebooks and still confused as to where I put my last thought or what list I’m supposed to be working on. 

Finding the right project management tool will set you and your team up for success. By organizing everything you have going on and in a streamlined and straightforward manner, you’ll be able to seamlessly add more projects and tasks without overloading yourself or the people you work with. 

Over the years, I’ve discovered that Asana is one of the best tools for start-ups. Since I started my agency, I’ve relied on various project management applications to manage multiple aspects of my business. And I have tried a lot of tools, but Asana has been one of my favorites. 

Even some of the world’s largest companies rely on Asana to keep their workflows in order, which means that it’s adaptable and scaleable, something that all entrepreneurs hope they’ll need as business takes off. Asana is a great project management tool that will grow with you and your business. 

Launched in 2011, Asana has quickly become one of the most popular management tools and for lots of good reasons. Here are some of the reasons why I get my ass on Asana every day.

Cloud-based

Because it’s cloud-based, it’s easy to collaborate with teams and clients anywhere and everywhere. As such, you can delegate tasks and assign projects to the people who are helping you get things done. By doing so, everyone is held accountable for their work, and your business operations become much more transparent. Asana makes it easy for new people to be added to a specific task as necessary if you need help.

Communication

Communicating about a project is easy on Asana because notes, ideas, documents, etc., can all be shared within a project or on a specific task. By adding comments right there, you avoid having to email individuals or sift through scattered threads. Everyone on the project can see the notes being shared, which eliminates long explanations or costly miscommunications. 

To-do lists

Once a project is complete, Asana allows you to check it off, which helps you stay focused on what’s next. Asana has even launched a feature where you can build contingencies for larger projects, meaning that Task 2 doesn’t get assigned until Task 1 is complete. For start-ups that have a lot of moving pieces or complex projects, this is a tremendous innovation. 

The app 

Unlike some project management software, Asana also has a great app, making it simple to stay connected and on top of projects even when you’re away from your desk. As a manager, it’s nice to answer your team’s questions on the fly and as quickly as possible to keep momentum moving forward. 

Customization 

If you’re a very visual person, as I am, Asana lends itself to some customization, something that other project management software tools don’t offer. From the background to branding, you can make Asana really feel like your business’s home base.

I’ve found Asana to be incredibly helpful when it comes to staying on top of tasks and organizing large projects. If you have a team helping you on projects, Asana, in my opinion, is essential. This isn’t even an affiliate or sponsored post; I just love Asana that much and think it will help you!

I’ve always worked with subcontractors based around the world. Asana has been great, handing down, allowing all of us to work during whatever our working hours maybe while keeping projects moving.

The ability to make and assign tasks and sub-tasks while communicating on one streamlined platform will help you get projects done more effectively. It will also allow you to sleep at night without worrying about if something got overlooked or forgotten entirely.

If you’re on the fence about using Asana, ask yourself this question: Do I have many tasks that are hard to keep track of? If you answered yes, I can’t recommend Asana enough, even if you’re a one-man show. 

FYI, Asana is free for the most part. I’ve run a whole PR and creative agency, two national political campaign and launched brands, including my very own – WKND Mood – all on Asana’s free option. However, suppose you do want more powerful and complex tools. In that case, the paid subscription to Asana will help you get even more organized. 

In the spirit of full transparency, my needs have evolved. I am exploring options such as Notion and https://clickup.com/ClickUp at the moment and will report back to you. But Asana really holds a special place in my heart. I would unreservedly recommend them for anyone that’s now starting out in business or simply wants to get their thoughts and personal projects organized. 

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