Working remotely is a challenge even for the most skilled and disciplined employees. While remote work is undoubtedly attractive the home does have quite a lot of distractions. And these can impact your productivity.

Fortunately, the internet is awash with tools that can help make remote work easier. Here are some tools that can help make remote work not only easier but fun.

Video Conferencing Tools

As a remote worker video conferencing tools are one of the most important to have in your arsenal. It’s one of the key ways you are going to communicate with your colleagues, so you will want to ensure that you get the right one.

It has to work well with little to no lags while also providing much-needed privacy with good audio and video quality.

Here are a few worthy mentions in this space.

Zoom

Zoom’s number one listing comes as no surprise. It is after all the most popular video conferencing tool out there. There are good reasons for that.

Zoom has one of the best video and audio quality while also providing you with a record option for all the times you might need to revisit an important meeting. It also has a high threshold for the number of people one can include in a meeting with screen sharing for all the participants, albeit one at a time.

Most importantly, however, Zoom can operate on very low bandwidth. This is perhaps one of the main reasons it is so popular. No matter where you are on the globe, you can video call on Zoom.

Skype

Skype is one of the pioneers in the industry. Having been in the market since 2003 it is easy to forget this age-old conferencing tool as newer tools come out every year.

However, Skype with all its age still holds up pretty well to its competitors. It has all the basics: quality video and audio, one is able to share screens, multiple numbers of participants, has a go-to messaging tool and is cross-device compatible.

The best part of Skype however is that it is free!

Google Meet

We cannot fail to mention Google Meet, another one of the mainstream video conferencing tools.

Having used all of the tools mentioned above I can personally attest to Google Meet’s video and audio quality. It is the best I have experienced so far. It has virtually no lags and can operate very well on very low bandwidths.

YouMeet

Special mention here to YouMeet as I use it so many times due to my relationship with its creators. With quality audio and video, a record option and the ability to host multiple participants, YouMeet is just as good as the big three mentioned above.

With privacy being an issue currently plaguing big tech, it might help to have an option that is a little non-mainstream, YouMeet could be the answer.

Project Management Tools

Working from home is awesome, you don’t need to travel anywhere, have little to zero supervision and stay close to family and friends. However, it does come with a lot of distraction. Any remote worker knows only too well the amount of effort they have to put in just to create an environment where they can focus.

Here’s where project management and productivity tools come in. Not only will they help you focus but also help you and your team collaborate on projects a lot faster hence getting more work done.

Now there is no shortage of project management tools but here are some that I think will work best for you.

Trello

Trello is undeniably one of the best management tools out there. Chances are you have already used it. With its Kanban boards and lists, Trello helps you visualize your projects in a fun and easy to use way.

With Trello you can also collaborate with teammates and track each other’s progress as you complete each task.

ProofHub

ProofHub is a project management software that tries to bring everything in one place. While also utilizing Kanban boards and lists to track project progression, Proofhub has other tools such as online proofing and a live chat for discussion.

Instagantt

Not everyone uses Kanban boards, some use Gantt charts. This is where Instagantt comes in. It allows one to create Grantt charts that are super intuitive and beautiful to create the most accurate illustration of your projects.

In addition to Grantt charts, Instagantt also comes with plenty of useful features such as templates for different kinds of projects, notifications, critical paths, baselines, milestones and guidelines. All of which contribute to ensuring you get more control of your projects.

Yousuite

Yousuite is designed to be a one-stop shop for remote workers. In addition to Kanban boards and task listing, the platform comes with all sorts of tools to help you manage all of your work. These are such as cloud space to store your data, automatic scheduling, live chat with your colleagues, a contact list, a sales management system and many more.

With Yousuite remote workers have all they need in one place.

File Storage Tools

As a remote worker, you need a place to store all your critical information. Somewhere safe, private and reliable. Hard drive crashes are inevitable and you need a backup system that you can rely on. Fortunately, there are numerous options. Here are my best picks.

Google Drive

This is the obvious choice whenever someone needs a cloud storage service. So popular is Google Drive that for some it is synonymous with cloud storage; there is simply no other choice for them.

And no one can blame them, with a free 15GB space capacity that can be expanded up to 100 GB, Google Drive provides one of the largest and safest spaces to store your data. Moreover, it also comes with real-time editing making it one of the more desirable products in the market.

Dropbox

A close second, Dropbox is almost effortless to use. One only has to save a file on the Dropbox folder in your PC and you are good to go. This set-up makes Dropbox one of the most reliable and easiest to sync in the market.

Microsoft One Drive

While not a household name when it comes to cloud storage, Microsoft One Drive is a viable alternative to the aforementioned two. The best part is with just one Microsoft Drive subscription you also get the entire Office 365 suite and also 60 mins of international Skype calls.

While these are by far not the only products on the market, they are some of the best. Special mentions however include Google Docs, Slack, Basecamp and many more.

Ultimately however it is up to you to gather the best tools so that can create an environment that truly works for you.