© 2014 Evernote Corporation                                   © 2014 Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft OneNote and Evernote are among the top programs when it comes to virtual notebooks, yet arguments continue over which wins out over the other. After reading Lifehacker Faceoff: OneNote vs. Evernote, we here at Innovatively Organized started wondering what we thought of each program. We realized that we recommend OneNote to certain clients and Evernote to others. Why? Because they each offer something unique that fits particular personalities and certain needs.  Here are some of the pros and cons of each program:

Evernote Pros:

•  You can set reminders. This feature is great not only for your to-do list in your Evernote account, but also for any actionable items that are in your meeting notes. Learn more about this feature from our previous blog post, How to Set Reminders in Evernote.
• More features with web clipping. When you want to clip certain webpages into your Evernote account, you can clip the full-text article into whichever notebook you want it to be placed into. You can also add reminders to the webpage you clipped and highlight certain parts of it.
• Easy to use interface. Evernote has a simple interface that makes it easy to organize all of your individual notebooks and lists.

Evernote Cons:

• Some features are only available with Premium. Some of the features that users like, such as uploading large files, can only be used if you pay for the Premium version.
• Outdated interface. Although there are pros to the interface being easy to use, some complain that its also outdated and laid out almost too simply.

Microsoft OneNote Pros:

• Works well with Microsoft applications. Since it was created by Microsoft, it syncs well with your Outlook, Word, Excel, etc. For example, you can easily embed a Word document into your OneNote account. Additionally, you can hit the Windows button and N at the same time and your OneNote will appear- just another way that Microsoft integrated this great program into their software.
• Great tags feature. OneNote allows you to effortlessly add small tags to notes that remind the user of tasks and important information that is in the note.
• Perfect for researching. If your job requires heavy amounts of research, OneNote may be right for you. It has features such as the ability to look up references to sources, language translation, and even a thesaurus. You can also drag and drop images and text from webpages.

Microsoft OneNote Cons:

• Less features with web clipping. Yes, you can clip web pages into OneNote, but they are automatically sent to a folder called Quick Notes, so you have to move them into the proper folder after you have already clipped them.
• Syncing issues. Some users have troubles syncing across multiple devices, which could be a problem if you are a mobile professional.

Overall, both Evernote and Microsoft OneNote are solid options. On one hand, Evernote is simple, easy to use, and has some great features such as setting reminders.  This application is probably better for the individual who is looking for a great way to organize all their electronic documents and other random things such as to-do lists and meeting notes. On the other hand, OneNote offers a more robust interface with greater researching capabilities. This makes OneNote the better option for someone who is looking for a program where they will do some heavy note taking and plenty of research projects.

Which program do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!

When projects start piling up on you and your coworkers in the new year, you may begin to panic and wonder how you’ll ever remember all the tasks associated with each one and how you’ll get them all done on time. Instead of stressing out more than necessary by depending on yourself, consider using apps and online tools that are designed to outline and manage your projects for you. Here are the 5 apps that we, at Innovatively Organized, recommend most to our clients:

1. Liquid Planner- This online project management software allows you to easily distribute tasks among coworkers, schedule tasks based on priority and on best-case/worst-case estimates of time, and view your project analytics and reporting. Also included in this software is document sharing abilities and a timesheet so that team members can track their time.
2. Smartsheet- This is a project management tool that allows you to view your entire project all in one sheet. The sheet includes the status and budget of your project. It also allows you to compare your estimated and actual cost and time of each project. What’s great is that there are many templates to choose from that can suite different needs for each project.
3. Basecamp- This project management app’s simple interface allows you to view your to-do list, files, and discussions with team members all in one place. It also includes a shared calendar between team members and allows you to track daily progress. 
   
4. Pro Workflow- This app features a comprehensive dashboard that displays the summary data of your project and the tasks at hand. It also includes a timeline so you can visualize your tasks and provides messaging for you and your team members, clients, etc.
5. Azendoo- This project manager is partnered with Evernote, Box, Dropbox and Google Drive so your project can be handled seamlessly with all your favorite tools. It is great for handling to-do lists and allows you to share task lists and files with team members.

What’s important is finding the right project management tool for you and your team. Share and test out these apps with your coworkers and then decide which ones you’ll use as team to make your project as efficient as possible.

Having trouble finding a to-do list app that works for your busy schedule? There are so many to-do list apps on the market that it’s difficult to know which app is right for you and your particular set of needs. We’ve tested many of them and have come up with a list of pros and cons for six different to-do list apps:

ToodleDo

Pros: It is a very robust to-do list app and has a variety of customization options. It also allows you to assign time estimates for tasks, set alarms, collaborate with others and filter tasks by importance.

Cons: If you’re a visual person, it may not be the best fit and some of the features can cause confusion if you’re not familiar with them. It tends to be better for linear people.

Action Method

Pros: This app is very visual with simple fields and color-coding features. This app is the easiest transition for someone who uses sticky notes and wants to transfer to an electronic to-do list.

Cons: Does not have some of the advanced features that other apps possess, including reporting capabilities.

TeuxDeux

Pros: It is extremely basic and the easiest transition from a steno pad. It’s a good option for lighter, personal to-do lists such as grocery shopping, errands, etc. One important feature to note is that it automatically moves tasks that you don’t complete to the following day.

Cons: This app may be too basic for many professional environments and people.

Clear

Pros: Clear keeps you moving to the next task and is good for the fast-paced person that makes quick decisions. The interface allows you to pull, swipe, and drag your finger to create, arrange, and complete your tasks.

Cons: With such a simple interface that lets you swipe tasks out of the way for later, it is easy to move a task “out of sight” and “out of mind.”  Also, if you swipe the wrong direction, you could accidentally create, complete, or delete a task.

Wunderlist

Pros: This app is user friendly, a quick set up, and has a clean interface. It is also easy to toggle between categorized lists and has a consistent look and feel on each device you use it on. When you upgrade to “Pro” you can also share tasks with other team members.

Cons: There is no place to enter time estimates for your tasks and it may be too basic for some users.

Remember the Milk

Pros: Syncs with familiar tools such as Outlook and Evernote. It also works on most devices so it’s easy to use on-the-go.

Cons: The online interface is slightly outdated.

Which to-do list app do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!

We are thrilled about a great new feature in Evernote: the ability to add reminders to notes!  If you already use Evernote virtual notebooks for your to-do list and project management, adding reminders to notes will help you stay more productive and timely.

Ways to use reminders

Besides adding them to your tasks on your to-do list, you can add reminders to action items from meeting notes or even create reminders for annual checkups (for your car, insurance, etc).  You might also want to add reminders for follow-ups with contacts if you store business card images in Evernote.

How to add reminders

First, if you haven’t already, you need to update Evernote to Version 5.1.3 in order to add reminders.

Then, on the top right of each note, you will notice a new alarm clock image.

Once you click the reminder icon, you can specify the due date and write your reminder on the left side.  You also have the option to receive reminder emails when your due date is approaching.

Let us know how you like the new reminders feature in the comments below!

With the rise of telecommuting in business, web meetings and virtual conferences are becoming more common tools for team communication.  At Innovatively Organized, we use web meetings on a regular basis to stay in communication with one another from different locations.

While virtual meetings have the advantage of allowing teams to communicate from various locations, it’s important to remember that they are still meetings. And like any meeting, they can quickly turn unproductive if you’re not careful.  Here are some of the tips we recommend to help yours run smoothly:

Make sure you have a good microphone

Few things are worse than repeating yourself over and over (or listening to it).  A good microphone will help you reduce background noise and improve the clarity of your voice. We recommend the Snowball microphone for it’s intuitiveness and it’s ability to pick-up sounds in a variety of environments (individuals speaking vs. a group of people sitting at a conference table).

Arrive early

Think of logging into your web meeting similar to parking your car to go to an in-person meeting.  You never know what bumps you’ll come across when you’re logging in, so better to leave buffer time to ensure promptness.

Be prepared

The same rules apply to web meetings as they do with in-person meetings.  In order to stay productive, you still need an agenda, a timekeeper, and all the right people in attendance. Don’t forget to add time to your calendar to complete follow-up tasks from the meeting.

Don’t forget the “little things”

Make sure your laptop is charged, have a strong internet connection, and look presentable if you will be using a web cam!

For more help conducting business in the cloud, we offer business productivity solutions, including process improvement and project management.

Administrative professionals can be an enormous help around the office, but it’s important to identify how and what to delegate to your assistant so you can both be more productive and efficient. Too often bosses don’t delegate tasks because they think explaining the task will take longer than doing it themselves. However, when you invest the time to implement efficient delegation techniques with your assistant, you’ll ultimately save time in the long run (for both of you!).

Here are a few quick tips to help you delegate more efficiently to your assistant:

1. Daily Checkpoint Meeting

Start your day with a brief 5 to 10 minute checkpoint meeting so you can quickly review the top priorities for the day. This will also help your assistant batch questions together so they don’t have to interrupt you as many times throughout the day.

2. Implement Task Management Software

It’s easy to forget what you have and have not delegated, so shared task management software can help keep you both on the same page. The key to implementing task management software is ensuring that the solution you choose allows you to share tasks. If you’re having problems selecting one (there are many to choose from), just give us a call.

3. Share Email Access

Enlist your assistant’s help with responding to certain types of emails (scheduling, follow-up, etc.) by adding them as a “delegate” to specific email folders. This will help cut down on the number of times you have to forward emails to your assistant; instead, they can respond for you! Remember to clearly define how and what types of emails you would like their help with. It will take some getting used to, but it’s worth it in the long run.

4. Establish Inbox Trays

When you’re constantly on-the-go and returning from appointments with business cards, meeting notes, and marketing collateral, it’s important to create inbox trays that are clearly labeled to reflect the follow-up tasks associated with the items in that tray. For example, you may want to create inbox trays for To File, To Scan, To Enter in CRM, or Receipts to Process depending on your specific set of needs.

Do you have any tips for delegating tasks more efficiently to your assistant? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Finding time for yourself is hard enough, but coordinating time with co-workers or your team to collaborate is a completely different beast to tackle.  Sometimes if feels like the time spent coordinating a meeting takes more time than the meeting itself (talk about unproductive).

In order to stop wasting time and unnecessary emails to fit meetings into your team’s schedule, here are 3 ways to schedule more efficiently:

1.    Microsoft Exchange Server

If your team is already using a Microsoft Exchange Server for email, you can share your individual calendars.  With a few clicks of a button, you can see when coworkers are available, send them calendar invites and share meeting agendas. Here is a quick overview of how you can share calendars. If your team is not currently using a Microsoft Exchange Server, contact us for details about setting one up.

2.    Google Calendar

More and more small businesses are using Google to collaborate with their team and Google Calendar is no exception. Instead of having to individually invite people to share your calendar, you can set up a Google Group and invite everyone at once. Here is a quick overview of how to share calendars using Google.

3.    Doodle

Doodle is a simple tool to help you schedule more efficiently, especially when people outside your team are involved in a meeting.  The person coordinating the meeting can input a list of potential meeting dates and times into a form on Doodle. Doodle will automatically generate a poll to send to participants. Once all participants have submitted their availability, you can determine what works best for everyone and confirm the appointment time.

How does your team or small business schedule to collaborate or meet?  Do you use a shared team calendar?