Tag: remote

  • Top Free Shared Calendar Apps for Business | Best Shareable & Group Calendar Solutions

    Business owners should consistently seek out technology that can enhance the productivity of their business and employees. While computers and smartphones offer built-in calendar functions, they may not always be the optimal choice for you or your business. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternative options available. Shared calendar apps, for instance, facilitate seamless collaboration with colleagues and simplify the process of scheduling meetings.

    A calendar serves as a vital tool for small business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. An efficiently organized calendar is essential for staying on top of your commitments and knowing where you need to be and what you need to accomplish. Unless you operate in an extremely fast-paced industry, chances are you’ll have to schedule important calls days or even weeks in advance. To ensure that you remain available during critical times, you require a reliable system—relying on your memory alone won’t suffice, which is where your calendar becomes invaluable.

    Effectively managing the time and tasks of your remote team is equally crucial, just as it is for any other team. You want to make your remote team feel like integral parts of your organization and demonstrate their significance in the grand scheme of things. Keeping things simple is key to motivating them, avoiding scheduling conflicts, and optimizing productivity. While we’ll touch on only a few pointers here, let’s delve into some of the top shared calendar tools that can help you organize, lead, and maintain the productivity, morale, and inspiration of your remote team.

    Top Shared Calendar Apps in 2025

    With all this in mind, we’re going to have a look at some of the best shared online calendar and scheduling apps available.


    S.No Calendar App Pricing Key Features
    1 Google Calendar Free Cross-platform sync, event sharing, reminders, integration with Google apps
    2 Calendly Free plan available; Paid plans from $10/month Automated meeting scheduling, timezone detection, calendar integration
    3 Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar Free with Outlook; Paid via Microsoft 365 from $6.99/month Email and calendar integration, shared calendars, task management
    4 Asana Free plan available; Paid plans from $10.99/month Project management, task scheduling, team collaboration tools
    5 Apple’s iCloud Calendar Free with Apple ID; Paid iCloud+ from $0.99/month iOS/macOS integration, event sharing, family calendar sharing
    6 Calendar Free plan available; Paid plans from $8/month AI scheduling, analytics, multiple calendar integration
    7 Teamup Free plan available; Paid plans from $8/month Color-coded sub-calendars, no-login access for participants, centralized scheduling
    8 TimeTree Free Shared calendars, event chat, multiple calendar views for families/groups
    9 Toggl Plan Free plan available; Paid plans from $9/month Visual project planning, drag-and-drop scheduling, task assignments
    10 Fantastical Calendar Free plan available; Premium from $4.99/month Natural language event creation, weather integration, multiple account sync


    Google Calendar
    Calendly
    Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar
    Asana
    Apple’s iCloud Calendar
    Calendar
    Teamup
    TimeTree
    Toggl Plan
    Fantastical Calendar

    Google Calendar

    Name Google Calendar
    Rating 4.8 out of 5
    Free Trial Completely Free
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Personal use, work, and business
    Google Calendar - Best Calendar App
    Google Calendar – Best Shareable Calendar App

    By default, Google Calendar stands out as the premier shared calendar app online. It’s the go-to choice for many users, particularly if you simply need an online calendar. There are almost no reasons not to opt for it. With Google Calendar, you have the flexibility to maintain a public work calendar visible to everyone in the office, as well as a private one exclusively shared between you and your co-founder. You can personalize it to suit your preferences and needs. Additionally, Google Calendar can serve as the backend for any other calendar you wish to utilize. With services like IFTTT, you can easily sync your reminders, memos, and various other items to your Google Calendar.

    One of the standout features of Google Calendar is its platform agnosticism. You can access it from any web browser, making it accessible to teams using different devices. Rest assured that everyone will be able to use it seamlessly. It is one of the best and free calendar sharing app. Moreover, Google Calendar is available for free as part of everyone’s Google Account. If you’re already subscribed to Google Apps for running your email on your domain, Google Calendar is included in the package, so you’re already paying for its benefits.

    How to Use Google Calendar?

    Google Calendar Pricing

    Google Calendar is Free to use.


    Top 10 Best Calendar Apps to Stay Organized in 2023
    Find the best calendar app to stay organized in 2023. From Google Calendar to Apple Calendar, explore the best options for streamlining your day.


    Calendly

    Name Calendly
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Meeting and Appointment Scheduling
    Calendly - Shareable Calendar App
    Calendly – Shareable Calendar App

    Calendly is a sophisticated scheduling software designed to streamline the process of arranging meetings. By seamlessly integrating with your calendar, it automates the task of checking your availability, reducing the need for extensive email exchanges. Its notable features include the ability to incorporate buffer time between meetings, automatic time zone detection, compatibility with popular apps like 0, GoToMeeting, and Zapier, as well as its scalability to accommodate growing teams.

    Calendly offers both a free and a paid version. With the free version, you can utilize one category for scheduling, while the paid version enables you to set up multiple categories. Additionally, the paid version allows you to personalize the URL for a more customized experience. One particularly favored feature of Calendly is its seamless synchronization with Google Calendar. You can schedule personal appointments directly in Google Calendar without the need to update your schedule on Calendly separately. Moreover, the program integrates smoothly with Outlook, Office 365, and iCloud calendars, further enhancing its versatility and compatibility.

    Calendly Pricing

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Basic Free Free
    Essential $8/seat/month $10/seat/month
    Professional $12/seat/month $15/seat/month
    Teams $16/seat/month $20/seat/month

    10 Best Video Conferencing Software in 2023
    Video conferencing is the future of business communication. The best video conferencing software for businesses in 2023 includes Zoom, Zoho Meeting, Google Meet, etc.


    Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar

    Name Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Official Work and Business
    Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar - Best Shared Calendar App
    Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar – Best Shared Calendar App

    Outlook emerges as a significant rival to Google Calendar, particularly in the business realm, owing to its widespread usage and familiarity. With Outlook, users who have an Exchange, Office 365, or Outlook account can effortlessly share their calendars with others. Additionally, it allows the creation of separate calendars for specific projects, which can be shared with colleagues. Outlook’s calendar functionality closely resembles that of Google Calendar, but it goes the extra mile in certain aspects.

    One notable advantage of Outlook is its seamless integration with the email app, enabling users to conveniently view both their calendar and emails in one unified interface. Furthermore, the integration with the broader Office suite enhances productivity by enabling the sharing of attachments directly from OneDrive, accessing contacts, and viewing LinkedIn profiles.

    However, the primary drawback of Outlook lies in its pricing. It is bundled as part of Microsoft’s Office 365 subscriptions, which start at $5/month/user. This can be considered a significant investment for a new calendar app, especially when there are competent free alternatives available in the market.

    Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar Pricing

    Microsoft Outlook Calendar is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity tools. Here are the available subscription options:

    Plan Yearly Price
    Microsoft 365 Business Basic $5 per user per month
    Microsoft 365 Business Standard $12.50 per user per month
    Microsoft 365 Business Premium $20 per user per month

    6 Must Have Online Collaboration Tools For Teams in 2023
    Team collaboration is an essential part of team building. Check out the list of most recommended online team collaboration tools in 2023.


    Asana

    Name Asana
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Organizing work across teams
    Asana - Best Shared Calendar App
    Asana – Best Shared Calendar App

    Asana surpasses the functionality of a typical shared calendar app by offering comprehensive project and task management capabilities. While it includes calendar features, it goes beyond that to facilitate seamless team collaboration and project organization. The Timeline feature in Asana provides a holistic view of every aspect of a project, allowing you to understand how all the pieces fit together and enabling effective change tracking. Moreover, Asana boasts a mobile app and offers integration with over 100 other tools and platforms, enhancing its versatility and adaptability.

    It’s important to note that 0is not solely focused on providing a calendar function. It serves as a comprehensive enterprise resource planner, encompassing various collaboration tools alongside its shared calendar functionality, making it a robust solution for managing projects and fostering team collaboration.

    Asana Pricing

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Basic US$0 US$0
    Premium US$10.99 US$13.49
    Business US$24.99 US$30.49

    6 Best Project Management Software for 2023
    > The Article is contributed By Fred Wilson, Growth Specialist @ nTaskmanager.
    We are all familiar with project management applications at this stage. They are
    the applications that help project managers, teams and stakeholders plan,
    organize, track, and manage their projects more efficiently. Als…


    Apple’s iCloud Calendar

    Name Apple’s iCloud Calendar
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Personal use and work
    Apple’s iCloud Calendar - Best Shared Calendar App
    Apple’s iCloud Calendar – Best Shared Calendar App

    iCloud goes beyond being a mere storage service, as it offers a user-friendly calendar that seamlessly integrates with all Apple devices. The iCloud calendar app facilitates efficient scheduling, information sharing, and communication among team members. Additionally, you can quickly switch to the “Today” view to get a comprehensive overview of your daily tasks and projects with a single glance. The functionality of iCloud’s calendar is intuitive and closely resembles that of Google Calendar, making it a favored choice among users.

    However, there is one drawback to consider with this app: Similar to other Apple products, it may experience a loss of functionality when used on non-Apple devices. Therefore, while this calendar app remains a solid choice, it is particularly well-suited for teams that exclusively utilize Apple products.

    Apple’s iCloud Calendar Pricing

    Apple’s iCloud Calendar is part of the iCloud service offered by Apple. The pricing for iCloud Calendar depends on the storage plan you choose. Here are the available storage options and corresponding prices:

    Plan Price
    5 GB of storage Free
    50 GB of storage $0.99 per month
    200 GB of storage $2.99 per month
    2 TB of storage $9.99 per month

    Key Acquisitions by Apple: Driving Innovation and Success
    Apple has made 12 investments and 107 acquisitions. The acquisitions have allowed Apple to broaden its offers, develop its products, and remain ahead of the competition.


    Calendar

    Name Calendar
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Personal use, business and work
    Calendar - free shared calendar
    Calendar – Best Shared Calendar App

    Calendar is a highly adaptable calendar solution designed to meet the needs of today’s fast-paced and globally dispersed teams. Leveraging the power of machine learning, Calendar offers intelligent suggestions for optimal meeting times, locations, and formats. It simplifies collaboration and connectivity for global teams by seamlessly handling availability across different time zones. Moreover, Calendar’s advanced algorithms intelligently categorize project meetings, enabling a deeper understanding of the relationships between your plans and the individuals involved. Through gentle follow-ups, Calendar ensures prompt RSVPs from all participants, streamlining the confirmation process.

    Whether your organization has 50 or 50,000 employees, getting everyone on board is effortless. By connecting your company domain to Calendar, your entire organization will be automatically included in your Enterprise plan, making implementation a breeze. Calendar goes beyond basic scheduling functionality by automatically attaching meeting transcriptions to your meeting details, fostering information sharing and collaboration across the entire team. Additionally, with Calendar Analytics, you gain insights into the time invested in specific meetings or locations, allowing you to track and analyze how you allocate your time and who receives your attention and focus.

    Calendar Pricing

    Plan Yearly Price
    Basic Free
    Standard $20/user/month
    Pro $24/user/month

    Top 10 Best Calendar Apps to Stay Organized in 2023
    Find the best calendar app to stay organized in 2023. From Google Calendar to Apple Calendar, explore the best options for streamlining your day.


    Teamup

    Name Teamup
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web
    Best For Team collaboration and efficient scheduling
    Teamup - best shared calendar app
    Teamup – Best Shared Calendar App

    Teamup simplifies organizing, scheduling, and communication for groups through its shared calendar feature, offering both free and paid plans. It provides a live demo and a three-day trial, allowing teams to evaluate its suitability firsthand. Calendars are color-coded and can be securely shared with team members using a unique URL.

    Teamup stands out as a dedicated solution for group coordination, making it an excellent choice for managing meeting rooms, coordinating deliveries and outcalls, scheduling diverse teams, and handling various team-related tasks. Notably, Teamup is trusted and utilized even by NASA.

    Teamup Pricing

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Basic $0 $0
    Plus $10/month/calendar $12/month/calendar
    pro $25/month/calendar $29/month/calendar
    Business $60/month/calendar $69/month/calendar
    Enterprise $105/month/calendar $129/month/calendar

    TimeTree

    Name TimeTree
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Personal use and work
    TimeTree - free shared calendar app
    TimeTree – Best Shared Calendar App

    TimeTree stands out as a highly inclusive shared calendar app, catering not only to couples but also to friends, families, and small teams. It offers a convenient way to organize various aspects of your life and effortlessly stay connected with your closest circles. With TimeTree, you can conveniently manage your living room calendar, work calendar, and social calendar, all in one place. Its interactive features enable seamless sharing, note-taking, and commenting, facilitating easy communication about upcoming events. Experience the convenience of having your entire schedule at your fingertips with TimeTree.

    TimeTree also offers a task management system that allows users to create and manage to-do lists, set deadlines and reminders, and track progress towards completing tasks. It is the best calendar app for a group of people for sharing tasks and other notes.

    TimeTree Pricing

    TimeTree is Free to use. Its premium version cost just 4.49 USD/month or (44.99 USD/annual).

    Toggl Plan

    Name Toggl Plan
    Rating 4.6 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Visual project planning and team collaboration
    Toggl Plan – Joint Calendar App

    Toggl Plan (earlier called Teamweek) is a shared calendar app made to help teams work better together. It has many useful tools like team timelines, different zoom levels, project roadmaps, and a shared timeline for everyone. It’s great for both small and big teams to plan and manage their work easily.

    The free plan works well if your team has up to five people and you can use it on your phone too. Paid plans allow up to 10 people and add extra features like project roadmaps and a yearly calendar view.

    Toggl Plan is more than just a calendar — it helps you plan projects, manage tasks, and schedule work visually. It makes communication and teamwork easier, so everyone knows what’s going on in the project.

    Toggl Plan Pricing

    Plan Yearly Price (per user/month) Monthly Price (per user/month)
    Free $0 $0
    Team $8.33 (billed annually at $100) $10
    Business $14.99 (billed annually at $179.88) $19.99

    Fantastical Calendar

    Name Fantastical Calendar
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported macOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Web
    Best For Users in Apple ecosystem wanting powerful calendar with natural language input
    Fantastical - Best App for Shared Calendar
    Fantastical – Best App for Shared Calendar

    Fantastical is a smart and easy-to-use shared calendar app. It looks nice and works well on both computers and phones. It has a built-in agenda view that helps you keep track of daily tasks. When someone finishes a task, everyone on the team can see it right away.

    Fantastical fits easily with other apps and works smoothly on different devices. It has helpful features like a today widget, handoff support (so you can switch devices easily), and an event tool that lets you create events using other apps.

    You can use the basic version for free, and there’s also an enterprise version with extra features for a monthly fee.

    Fantastical Pricing

    Plan Yearly Price (per user/month) Monthly Price (per user/month)
    Free $0 $0
    Premium $4.99 $4.99
    Family $7.99 $9.99
    Business $9.99 $9.99

    Conclusion

    Finding the right shared calendar app is crucial for businesses and teams looking to enhance productivity, streamline communication, and effectively manage schedules. Throughout this blog, we have explored some of the best shared calendar apps available, each offering unique features and benefits.

    Ultimately, the best shared calendar app will depend on the unique requirements and preferences of your team or organization. Consider factors such as integration capabilities, customization options, collaboration features, and pricing when making your decision. Whichever shared calendar app you choose, leveraging its functionalities will undoubtedly help you streamline operations, enhance productivity, and foster effective teamwork.

    FAQs

    What are some free shared calendar app for business?

    Some of the best shared calendar app includes:

    • Google Calendar
    • Calendly
    • Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar
    • Asana
    • Apple’s iCloud Calendar
    • Calendar
    • Teamup

    Can 2 people share the same calendar?

    Yes, two people can share the same calendar, allowing them to collaborate, schedule events, and stay synchronized in real-time.

    What features should I look for in a calendar app?

    When choosing a calendar app, consider features such as task management, reminders, schedule view options, integration with other apps and services, and customization options.

    Can I customize the appearance of my calendar?

    Yes, many calendar apps offer customization options, including color coding, schedule view options, and background themes.

    Are shared calendar apps compatible with different devices?

    Yes, most shared calendar apps are designed to be compatible with various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers.

    Can shared calendar apps handle time zone differences?

    Yes, several shared calendar apps are designed to handle time zone differences effectively. They can automatically adjust event times based on the time zone of each participant, making it easier to schedule meetings and collaborate with colleagues in different regions.

    Can shared calendar apps be used for personal as well as professional purposes?

    Yes, shared calendar apps can be used for both personal and professional purposes.

    Which are the free shared calendar app for iPhone and android?

    Here’s a list of free shared calendar apps for iPhone and Android:

    • Google Calendar
    • TimeTree
    • Microsoft Outlook Calendar
    • Teamup Calendar
  • Best Webinar Software Platforms for Marketers in 2023

    It is nearly impossible to communicate ideas and have important discussions face-to-face always, owing to one’s busy schedule. Advanced communication technology can help this situation smartly. Webinar means conducting an online seminar, meetings, and conferences online, using the internet facility. Webinar software can be defined as video conferencing software that helps host or broadcast training, workshop, meeting, lectures, etc. on the web.

    The best webinar software makes recording, sharing, and engaging your prospects. Plus, it should have super high-quality video and audio quality, allow multiple presenters, and even have email marketing capabilities to ensure everyone shows up for your webinar. Most webinar software also comes with features like built-in surveys, polls, live chat, automated webinar sequences, live streaming, and more. These automated webinar sequences are excellent for hosting evergreen content like online courses, podcast interviews, or employee onboarding videos.

    Best Webinar Software Tools in 2023

    This list of the 12 best webinar software tools will help you figure out which tool is best for your business marketing needs.

    Zoom
    Webex
    GoToWebinar
    EverWebinar
    MyOwnConference
    ClickMeeting
    WebinarJam
    Livestorm
    Demio
    GetResponse
    DaCast

    Zoom

    Launched in 2011
    Rating 4.5/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    Zoom - video conferencing platform
    Zoom – video conferencing platform

    Zoom comes with a range of cloud video conferencing capabilities, including HD voice and video functionality, dual streams for dual screens, the ability to join as a view-only attendee, as well as by Zoom Rooms and telephone dial-in. It also has accessibility features, which allow employees with physical disabilities to schedule, attend, and participate in Zoom meetings and webinars.

    The group collaboration feature of Zoom allows simultaneous screen sharing, group messaging, whiteboarding, annotation, and co-annotation, iOS mirroring on iPhone or iPad, and the ability to share documents, photos, and videos. Zoom includes unlimited VOIP with toll-free options in more than 60 countries available. You can also integrate any third-party teleconferencing service. Zoom lets you create a personal meeting ID and URL name to share with participants when you schedule your meetings. The security features enable you to give role-based control and include SSL encryption plus HTTPS access.

    Zoom works across all platforms and will record the entire event, including questions asked by viewers. It also offers screen sharing and annotations and allows you to broadcast to Facebook Live or YouTube. It is also one of the only major webinar platforms that offer a free plan. If your webinar is under forty minutes and your attendees are under 100, you can use its basic features for free.

    Pros and Cons of Zoom webinar software are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Interactive features like screen sharing, hand-raising, virtual background options, and live chat.
    • Easy to use.
    • Marketing tools to nurture contacts.
    • Ability to back up meetings in the cloud.
    • Allows meetings with a large number of participants.

    Cons:

    • The free version of Zoom has a relatively low limit of 40 minutes.
    • Zoom has faced security and privacy concerns in the past.

    Pricing Plans of Zoom:

    Free 100 participants (40-minute limit)
    Pro $14.99/month
    Business $19.99/month
    Webinar $79/month
    Event $99/month

    A free personal meeting plan is available with some restrictions. Paid plans start at $14.99/month, with Business and Enterprise plans starting from $19.99/month available as well. Also, Zoom charges per host. If you go with the basic paid plan at $14.99 per month but use two hosts, you’ll pay $14.99 x 2 or $29.98 per month.

    Zoom pricing
    Zoom pricing

    Top 10 Best Video Conferencing Apps for Businesses
    Are you looking for best video conferencing tools? The listed apps are the best video conferencing apps suited for every kind of business.

    Top 10 Best Video Conferencing Tools for Businesses

    Webex

    Launched in 2000
    Rating 4.2/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    Webex - webinar platform
    Webex – webinar platform

    Webex is more than a webinar platform, combining a wider range of features for holding online meetings, events, training sessions, interactive presentations and team collaboration. This sets it apart from the tools we’ve looked at so far, although the pricing is very similar. So you get a lot of features for your money compared to GoToWebinar and a completely different set of features to EverWebinar.

    It provides some impressive features, such as a host room along with HD video and audio services that can be accessed on multiple devices. It allows its users a high degree of customization so that the host environment can be tailor-made to suit business requirements. Through Webex webinars, you can hold meetings throughout your organization, offer online and offline training sessions, and provide remote support. The key USPs of Webex include mobility, user-friendliness, and compatibility with all devices and browsers.

    Setting Up a Webinar via Cisco Webex Events

    Pros and Cons of Webex webinar tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Offers a free plan for up to 100 attendees.
    • Built-in Q&A sessions, surveys, and polls for audience engagement.
    • Translates live webinar to more than 100 languages.
    • Live polling.

    Cons:

    • Must contact sales to get started.
    • Real-time translation costs extra.
    • Third party devices can be a problem.

    Pricing Plans of Webex:

    Basic Free
    Business $25/month
    Enterprise Custom Plan

    Webex webinars pricing plan includes Free Basic plan for up to 1oo participants. Its Business plan cost for $25 per month up to 2oo participants, and Enterprise is a custom plan for up to 1oo0 participants.

    Webex Pricing Plan
    Webex Pricing Plan

    Best Email and Workflow Automation Tools.
    The software space is noisy. Workflow automation makes complicated business[https://startuptalky.com/tag/business/]processes easier to manage. When a form fill, useraction, or internal signal is triggered, automated workflows can move ortransform data according to your instructions. This hands-of…

    GoToWebinar

    Launched in 2006
    Rating 4.2/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    GoToWebinar - Best Webinar Software
    GoToWebinar – Best Webinar Software

    GoToWebinar is by the folks at GoToMeeting, the popular meeting and screen-sharing application/service. GoToWebinar software is designed to cater to your webinar and web conferencing needs. The tool comes featured with functionalities that facilitate retain customers and also generate leads. Reminder emails and notifications help to stay well-prepared and not miss important deadlines.

    You can easily measure participants’ level of engagement with this tool by using engagement metrics. Pre-recorded webinars are available with this webinar platform. The software also allows customization, so your webinar materials can be designed with your company’s logo easily. You can share at ease videos and demos while holding web conferences or during broadcasting events. It is compatible with mobile.

    Some of the biggest benefits of GoToWebinar include a handy video-sharing feature, breakout rooms to split up your audience, and a few mobile apps that can be used for webinar management. As such, it offers some of the best webinar tools on the market. It also features advanced lead management and reporting tools which allow you to integrate with your existing CRM. By doing so, you can handle lead generation and event creation all in one place.

    Pros and Cons of GoToWebinar software are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Audience engagement by conducting online seminars, polls and surveys.
    • Options available for custom branding and registration pages
    • Lead management and reporting tools.
    • Allows for large numbers of participants.

    Cons:

    • Software feels a bit outdated.
    • Relatively expensive compared to other web conferencing and online seminar platforms.
    • Technical issues were reported by some users.

    Pricing Plans of GoToWebinar:

    Free 7 days
    Starter $89/month
    Pro $199/month
    Plus $429/month

    After a free 7 days trial, prices start at $89/month billed annually. GoToWebinar also offers a Pro Plan for $199/month and an Enterprise plan at $429/month.

    GoToWebinar pricing
    GoToWebinar pricing

    How to Remotely Manage your Workforce?
    The rise of remote work [https://startuptalky.com/tag/remote-working/] might beunavoidable, and you should want to take advantage. Allowing remote work canbenefit not only your employees, but you as a manager and the organization as awhole. Not only do remote workers tend to enjoy what they do mo…

    EverWebinar

    Launched in 2015
    Rating 3.9/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price $199

    EverWebinar - Webinar automation tool
    EverWebinar – Webinar automation tool

    EverWebinar is a powerful webinar automation tool that aims to help you build email marketing lists. With EverWebinar, you can schedule and automate your webinar footage to play at set intervals and the software aims to recreate the live experience for users. The goal is to increase engagement and attendance by telling users the next webinar is about to begin, even if they choose to replay it a dozen times per day.

    Like evergreen content, evergreen webinars are existing webinars that are re-broadcasted over time. The idea is that some webinars contain topics and content that stays relevant and can be replayed to new attendees (and new potential customers). With EverWebinar, you have three options:

    • Show the webinar live.
    • Show a hybrid – a pre-recorded video with live chat enabled.
    • Show a fully automated video – no work or interaction from you required.

    EverWebinar is the best webinar platform for you if you want to automate screenings of your pre recorded webinars and turn them into a highly effective lead generation strategy. This is a truly unique platform.

    Pros and Cons of EverWebinar webinar automation tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • EverWebinar has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to schedule and host webinars.
    • EverWebinar allows users to create automated webinars, which means that the webinar can be run without the need for the host to be present.
    • It allows users to customize the look and feel of their webinars, including the ability to add logos, branding, and custom graphics.
    • It can be integrated with other tools, such as email marketing software and CRM systems, which can help users to manage and track their webinars more effectively.

    Cons:

    • EverWebinar is a paid webinar software.
    • EverWebinar does not offer some of the advanced features that are available in other webinar software, such as the ability to conduct polls or surveys during the webinar.
    • As with any webinar software, there is a risk of technical issues occurring during the webinar, such as connectivity problems or audio/video issues.

    Pricing Plans of EverWebinar:

    Free Not Available
    Installment Plan $199×3 yearly
    Annual Plan $499/yearly
    Biennial Plan $799/2 years

    There are a few options in EverWebinar pricing plans. You can pay in 3 installments of $199 or pay $499 annually but most importantly, you can try it out and get a feel for it first with a 14 day trial. There is also a Biennial Plan (799$/ 2 years).

    EverWebinar pricing
    EverWebinar pricing

    MyOwnConference

    Launched in 2014
    Rating 4.3/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price Free

    MyOwnConference - web-based webinar software
    MyOwnConference – web-based webinar software

    MyOwnConference is a robust, web-based webinar software. It provides easy access to the webinar room from any popular browser without the installation of additional software. It offers a wide range of features, including Q&A, chat, screen sharing, recording, quizzes, whiteboard, and much more. This makes MyOwnConference useful for different types of events: webinars, video conferencing, business meetings, training sessions, remote work, e.t.c.

    Pros and Cons of MyOwnConference web based webinar software are listed below:

    Pros:

    • MyOwnConference allows users to host online meetings and webinars with up to 1000 participants.
    • MyOwnConference offers a range of features, including screen sharing, audio and video conferencing, and chat, which can be useful for various types of online meetings and webinars.
    • Records webinars in HD.
    • The interface supports sixteen different languages. This enables you to engage with a multilingual audience.

    Cons:

    • UI isn’t that user-friendly.
    • The platform only supports a maximum of 10 different speakers. This may cause problems if you have a lot of expert presenters lined up.

    Pricing Plans of MyOwnConference:

    Free 20 attendees for lifetime
    One Time Plan $12/day
    Monthly Plan $36/month for 60 attendees
    Annual Plan $348

    MyOwnConference offers a free plan for 20 attendees for lifelong use. As for paid plans, it provides 3 types of tariffs: one-time, annual, and monthly. A one-time plan starts at $12/day and includes all available features. The monthly price starts at $36/month for 60 attendees. The annual plan will cost you $348 with 20% discounts.

    MyOwnConference pricing
    MyOwnConference pricing

    Project Management Tools for Virtual Teams
    Project management [https://startuptalky.com/tag/project-management/] software assistsemployees, administrators, and teams with managing team goals and long-termprojects, as well as coordinating individual tasks. Project management softwareaccomplishes this through a range of tools to manage work…

    ClickMeeting

    Launched in 2011
    Rating 4/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    ClickMeeting - webinar management tool
    ClickMeeting – webinar management tool

    ClickMeeting is a webinar management tool for businesses who want to increase their digital reach by hosting branded webinars. All features are intuitive and straightforward to use and come in handy while dealing with international speakers and audiences. It is easy to personalize the webinar room and every associated element with just a few clicks while managing all sorts of webinars such as paid webinars, automated webinars, etc.

    Webinar hosting is free from the hassle of device and operating system incompatibility. Types of content that can be hosted include Facebook and YouTube Live, Presentations, Whiteboard, Polls, Surveys, and more. With analytical capabilities, users can derive useful predictions and trends and strengthen their relationships with webinar attendees with regular engagement. With a dedicated webinar tool, it is easier to move prospects through the sales funnel, attract a larger and targeted user base, deliver knowledge-oriented sessions, and measure the progress.

    How to Create and Deliver an Exciting and Impactful Webinar on ClickMeeting

    Pros and Cons of ClickMeeting webinar management tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • You can stream webinar live on YouTube or Facebook.
    • A user-friendly interface makes it easier to use and manage.
    • ClickMeeting offers a range of features, including screen sharing, audio and video conferencing, and chat, which can be useful for various types of online meetings and webinars.
    • Engage your audience with live chat and Q&A sessions
    • Unlimited webinar landing pages.

    Cons:

    • Can’t schedule recurring meetings.
    • It does not have a phone support hotline.
    • The storage capacity is limited to 10-hour maximum.

    Pricing Plans of ClickMeeting:

    Free 30 Days Trial
    Live $25/month
    Automated $40/month

    The price is reasonable, but the number of attendees allowed is a little low. The rates start at $25 per month (billed annually) for 25 attendees, $40 (billed annually) per month for up to 50 viewers. There is also an option for custom-pricing that’s best suited for enterprise customers.

    ClickMeeting Pricing
    ClickMeeting Pricing

    Chatbot – Perfect SaaS Business Tool
    Software as a Service (SaaS [https://startuptalky.com/tag/saas/]) is a high engagementaffair with its users. Modern businesses face crucial challenges related to customer retention [https://startuptalky.com/tag/customer-retention/] and businessdevelopment. Due to a shift in focus from primarily s…


    WebinarJam

    Launched in 2013
    Rating 3.7/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price $39 per month

    WebinarJam - Webinar Software
    WebinarJam

    WebinarJam is developed by the same team as EverWebinar but the focus is on screening live webinars this time. WebinarJam is more like a traditional online seminar platforms, designed for live events so there’s no automation or scheduling with this tool. However, it syncs perfectly with EverWebinar to provide a platform combination that caters to all of your webinar needs – more capable and cheaper than most of the competition.

    It has all the table stakes features like HD video, multiple presenters, slick customer-facing interface and an easy presenter dashboard. It also has features like- live broadcast to YouTube, live chat in webinar, ability to moderate and highlight comments, private messages between moderators, popups for selling your product during your webinar, the ability to poll your audience, or share a video or whiteboard annotation mid-webinar and a super robust analytics dashboard.

    Pros and Cons of WebinarJam webinar platform are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Enterprise plan allows for up to six presenters and 5,000 live attendees
    • One-click webinar registration.
    • User-friendly and quick to set up.
    • Support multiple languages.
    • Interactive and engaging features

    Cons:

    • .Customer support isn’t always friendly.
    • Can’t stream directly from your website.

    Pricing Plans of WebinarJam:

    Starter $39/month
    Basic $79/month
    Professional $229/month
    Enterprise $379/month

    Webinarjam pricing plans starts at $39/month (when paid annually). There are also other options like Basic ($79/month), Professional ($229/month) and Enterprise ($379/month).

    Webinarjam Pricing
    Webinarjam Pricing

    Livestorm

    Launched in 2016
    Rating 4.4/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price Free

    Livestorm - webinar software
    Livestorm

    Livestorm is a webinar software that facilitates hosting eye-catching presentation and demonstration of products/services. With this tool you can improve your customer training process, by creating live sessions to answer queries and give tips.

    This webinar software helps creating and sharing online live courses for your targeted masses. You can craft attractive landing pages without a landing page builder software, and emails without any need to opt for email automation software. Livestorm facilitates hosting webinars quickly,without any requirement to download anything. It can easily be accessed from any device, including PCs, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Their webinar software also works on any browser without any restrictions for attendees.

    An area where it stands out is the email logistics where you can send promotional emails, automate those emails, check email status, and add a touch of personalization. This webinar tool also takes your data security very seriously and is 100% GDPR-compliant. Livestorm is also focused on customer engagement with activities like polling, Q&A sessions, and the use of up-votes.

    Pros and Cons of Livestorm webinar software tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Run live, on-demand, or fully automated webinars.
    • Livestorm is easy to use and set up.
    • Intuitive landing pages.
    • Engage attendees with features like polling, Q&A sessions, and upvoting.
    • Perfect tool when handling interviews and testing candidates.

    Cons:

    • As browser software, video quality can be affected by the host’s internet connection.
    • It does not have a slideshows upload feature in the webinar.
    • Webinar duration must be 20 minutes or less for its free plan.

    Pricing Plans of Livestorm:

    Free Up to 30 active contacts/month
    Pro $88/month
    Business Custom Plan
    Enterprise Custom Plan

    Livestorm offers four pricing plans Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise. Free plan allow Up to 30 active contacts/month, Pro plan cost $88/month, billed annually, Business and Enterprise are custom plans with unlimited active contacts and other attractive features.  Get a personalized quote as per your requirements.

    Livestorm pricing plans
    Livestorm pricing plans


    Try Livestorm for FREE

    Best Shared Calendar Apps
    Business [https://startuptalky.com/tag/business/]owners should constantly be looking fortechnology to make their business and employees more productive. While computersand smart phones come with a calendar, it might not be the best option for youor your business. Thankfully, there isn’t a shortag…

    Demio

    Launched in 2014
    Rating 4.7/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price $34/month

    Demio - Webinar Software Platform
    Demio

    Demio is one of the best webinar software platforms available out there. It’s super easy to record your webinar automatically in the cloud. When it comes to visual aesthetics, it delivers real-time, HD streaming, and great looking platform design. The software has powerful tracking options. Retargeting, tracking, or conversion pixels may be freely added on the registration page, thank you page, or in the webinar room.

    Also, demio offers automation rules, such as sending the webinar recording to those who joined only after the 30-minute mark. With these rules, it is easy to segment the audience in real-time based on the actions that people take. Finally, demio is a very simple tool. It usually takes just several minutes to schedule the first event and even less time to setup the recurring webinars.

    Pros and Cons of Demio webinar software platform are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Webinar pages are highly customizable.
    • Includes engagement features like live chat, document handouts, and CTA pop-ups
    • You don’t have to download any additional software to run webinars.
    • 14-day free trial available.

    Cons:

    • There is no general link available instead, there’s a separate link for each attendee.
    • Webinar replays don’t display annotations, chats, and polls.
    • You only got to share the entire screen. Thats so painful in a webinar.

    Pricing Plans of Demio:

    Free 14 Days Trial
    Starter $34/month
    Growth $69/month
    Premium $250/month

    Demio provides a 14-day free trial, which allows you to test out all its features. The Starter plan starts at $34 per month for a 50-person webinar room, Growth plan of $69 for a 150-person room, and Premium Plan of $250 per month for a 500-3000 person room. These monthly rates are valid on annual subscriptions.

    Demio Pricing
    Demio Pricing

    Top Payment Processing Software (SaaS)
    Software as a Service (SaaS [https://startuptalky.com/tag/saas/]) applications’ paymenttypically need a shopping cart / payment checkout or the ability to managerecurring or subscription payments. Both present challenges and opportunitiesfor the SaaS platform. Choosing the right payment processor…


    GetResponse

    Launched in Not Available
    Rating 4.2/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price $15/month

    GetResponse - webinar platform
    GetResponse

    GetResponse is all-in-the-box solution incorporates not only a webinar platform, but also different marketing tools, including autoresponders, custom emails, list segmentation feature etc. With this, it is possible to have the email database and webinar tool under the same roof. As a result, the account holder may schedule webinar campaigns for the subscribers, send the reminders to them; share the event on social media.

    Like the others on this list, it includes features like polling, desktop sharing, integrated whiteboard, and access to detailed reports. It is also possible to use the registration feature to collect new emails and to send automatic thank-you messages to the registrants.

    Pros and Cons of GetResponse webinar platform are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Lots of templates to choose from, making building almost anything on the platform possible
    • Nothing is left to the imagination – you can view your marketing automation workflows and funnels in a visual manner.
    • Retarget visitors to your webinar page.
    • Comparatively good at split test.
    • Third-party tool integration.

    Cons:

    • No free plan for webinars.
    • Complex email automation structure.
    • Complete automation is not available at the basic plan.

    Pricing Plans of GetResponse:

    Basic $15/month
    Plus $49/month
    Professional $99/month
    Max Custom Plan

    GetResponse Basic plans starts from $15 per month. Plus plan cost for $49 per month, Professional plan cost for $99 per month and Max is a custom plan.

    GetResponse Pricing Plans
    GetResponse Pricing Plans


    Start Using GetResponse Now

    DaCast

    Launched in 2010
    Rating 4.5/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price 14 Days Free Trial

    DaCast - webinar platform
    DaCast

    DaCast may be a great choice for companies and individuals who are just trying their hand in webinar conducting. While the majority of webinar platforms are subscription based, this pricing format may not be ideal for those who only hold live events from time to time.

    Dacast is the live streaming platform with a unique approach to pricing. The customers may pay on an event by event basis. Prepaid bandwidth may be used when the client needs it during the following 12 months. However, there are also subscription-based plans for those who hold webinars regularly. With Dacast, it is possible to stream from your website over social networks including Facebook, or any other way.

    While it lacks a few of the more advanced features of other webinar platforms, it offers a good variety of functionality across all plans, including: Quality Streaming, No Viewer Limits, Unlimited Channels, Watermarking, Play on Facebook, Playlist, Third-Party Integration, Multi-Bitrate, Secure Delivery, Analytics, Mobile Device Support, and Video Paywall.

    Pros and Cons of Dacast webinar management tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Monetization features like price groups, promo codes, and subscriptions available.
    • Customize your paywall.
    • Free trial for 14 days available.
    • Interactive video on demand.
    • Private streaming.

    Cons:

    • Plans have a bandwidth limit. If you go over, you have to pay $0.25 per GB.
    • Not many customization options.

    Pricing Plans of Dacast:

    Starter $39/month
    Event $63/month
    Scale $188/month
    Custom Available

    Free trial for 14 days available. Starter plan is available for small audiences for $39/month billed annually, Event plan (One time or occasional events) for $63/month billed annually, Scale plan is available for Business & organizational video for $188/month billed annually. There is one quote-based custom plan as well that allows you to cherry-pick the features you require.

    DaCast pricing
    DaCast pricing

    Conclusion

    Due to the popularity of webinars, there’s no shortage of platforms to choose from. There are some great webinar platforms on this list and a few outside bets that cater to more specialist needs. The above is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does highlight some of the biggest platforms with the best features, pros and cons and pricing details . The right webinar platform for you, depends on your specific needs, of course. However, I can fully recommend taking a closer look at the options we’ve covered today by trying out a few free trials. Do you know of some other webinar tool? Feel free to drop it in the comments section below.

    FAQs

    What is Webinar Software?  

    Webinar software can be defined as video conferencing software that helps to host or broadcast training, workshop, meeting, lectures, and other virtual events on the web.

    Which are the best webinar software platforms?

    Best webinar software platforms are:

    • Zoom
    • GoToWebinar
    • EverWebinar
    • MyOwnConference
    • ClickMeeting
    • WebinarJam
    • Livestorm
    • Demio
    • GetResponse
    • Webex
    • DaCast

    What is the main purpose of webinar?

    The main objective of conducting a webinar is to instruct, demonstrate, or educate your targeted audience.

    Are webinars live or recorded?

    It can be both, either live or recorded.

    Is Zoom, a good webinar software?

    Zoom Video Webinar is the best virtual platform for hosting meetings, webinars, conferences, etc.

    Are webinars still effective?

    Yes, webinars are still effective, and they should be a part of your marketing strategy.

  • 7 Tips To Be Followed For Better Optimised Communication Between Remote Teams

    Communication is said to be the key to success. But when we talk about remote working, communication management is one of the major issues faced by remote teams. With undetermined ongoing situations, working remotely is one of the best options available. The pandemic was a life-changing point for almost everyone. Pandemic proved as the biggest challenge for working people. The normal office work was no longer accepted by the undergoing situations. Hence, Remote work earned its part during this period.

    The acceptance of remote working required many changes in the working pattern of each employee. With the office work directly converted into remote working. There were many issues faced by employees as well as leaders. One of the major issues faced was having proper communication between team members.

    If you are also looking for a way to handle better communication between team members, check it below for a few useful tips. But before actually going to the tips, let us discuss the types of communication.

    Types of Communication
    Issues in Communication Between Remote Teams
    Tips for Better Optimized Communication Between Remote Teams
    FAQs

    Types of Communication

    Communication can be of two types, Synchronous and asynchronous.

    Synchronous

    In this type, direct communication takes place. This is mainly done when quick action is needed. Synchronous communication includes quick and real-time communication between two or more two people. The way for synchronous communication in remote working teams can be achieved through the use of instant messaging, call, instant email replies, etc.

    Asynchronous

    In this type, the conversation is not immediate. It is more like having a conversation with timed replies. A most famous example of this is email. When we message someone without the expectation of having a spontaneous reply, it can be counted as asynchronous communication.

    Issues in Communication Between Remote Teams

    • The major issue is due to different time zones.
    • Having different priorities set up.
    • Technical issues take up most of the educated time.
    • The language barrier between different team members, etc.

    Tips for Better Optimized Communication Between Remote Teams

    1. Proposing Set Guidelines

    The issue faced by remote teams can be eliminated to an extended limit by setting clear guidelines for every member. The proper guidelines and clear settee rules can help workers to know their work and the system workflows.

    2. Arranging Video Conferences at a Predetermined Schedule

    Providing a proper schedule at the start of the week or month can enable the workers to set up their time in a particular format. If someone has a technical issue, they can look before some time to get it resolved and have good communication over the conference.

    3. Giving Frequent Feedbacks

    When the working system is confined to a single building, it is much easier to understand the basics of the work. However when it comes to the remote working team. It is very essential to give out feedbacks at an interval of time. It can enable the team members to know what they should do and what all is accepted by others.

    4. Selecting Proper Tools

    It is very important to have a set of tools arranged for communication purposes. Sometimes, one particular tool can run into a technical error or can not be accessible by everyone. Hence it is advisable to have a set of tools arranged for communication.

    5. Essential Information should be shared on a Single Platform Only

    When we say it is advisable to have more than one communication platform approved for the remote working teams. People tend to get confused with the sharing of information also through multiple sources. It is best to share essential information through a single platform only. Sharing essential information by the means of multiple platforms can make workers confused.

    6. Keep the Format Simple

    Irrespective of the message you want to convey. Try keeping its format and language simple. Online communication is known to create misunderstandings a lot. Hence proper message and in a good format should be applied. Another thing to remember is not all can understand simple words. Sometimes there might be a need for good innovative diagrams attached to it. Proper format is more essential in conveying rules.

    7. Have a Personal Check Over Team Members

    Doing office work is hectic and tiresome sometimes. But we are surrounded by our colleagues and friends to watch over. But when the same thing is compared with remote working, it can get truly tiresome and confusing with no good support. Hence it is suggested to have a personal check on each team member after some interval to check out their issues. This step can also allow a good communication bond between different team members.


    Important Checklist to consider while hiring Remote Employees
    Finding an ideal remote employee is quite a tedious task, Here’s a checklist you should consider while hiring remote employees for your organization.


    Conclusion

    The few recent years have proved to be a revolutionary period. Many changes were adapted to make the normal routine work. Hence, The remote working pattern learned much popularity during the pandemic. But changes are not soo easy to be adapted. And one of the most common issues found is the hindrance in communication between different team members of the Remote team. Some of the effective ways to communicate with the remote working team have been discussed above.

    FAQs

    Why is communication important in remote work?

    Employers who engage in providing open channels of communication will quickly gain employee trust, resulting in increased productivity, output, and overall morale.

    How to have better communication between remote teams?

    We can have better communication between remote teams by Proposing set guidelines, arranging video conferences at predetermined times, giving frequent feedback, selecting proper tools, keeping the format simple, etc.

    What are the advantages of the remote working system?

    Remote working has many advantages over a normal office routine. Some of the people found remote working more productive. Remote working can also allow more flexibility in working.

  • Simply5 CloudLAN: Build Your Own Secure Virtual Private Network.

    One of the biggest changes 2020 has brought in a company’s work culture is that most businesses have now switched to remote work.

    Whether you are a two member team, or a large group of collaborators, work is mostly done remotely and might stay that way for a while. Even though there are a lot of advantages having small teams working from their homes, the biggest disadvantage to this type of collaboration is network barriers.

    In a company, every team member shares the same network which made collaboration easy. Sending or receiving files instantaneously without having to rely on 3rd party solutions were the norm in offices. Needless to say, using different methods for sharing and collaboration via screen sharing is a tedious process, and its costs a lot in time and effort.

    Presenting Simply5 CloudLAN

    Simply5 CloudLAN Dashboard
    Simply5 CloudLAN Dashboard

    What is Simply5?
    Simply5 – Features
    Simply5 – Pricing
    Simply5 – FAQ’s

    What is Simply5?

    Remove all your network restraints and barriers using Simply5. This application allows your remote working teams to connect to a single virtual network and cast local web services, applications and file with just a click of a button.

    Simply5 is a great addition to fasten your workflow and fulfill all your networking needs.

    Simply5 CloudLAN will turn your remote working teams into local teams by allowing developers to access each other’s computers without any restrictions. You an also access code running on your colleague’s system, without any need to use server hosting.

    You can access to CloudLAN room, a virtual private network which allows your users to connect and communicate with each other’s private IP’s as if you were sharing a local area network in your office.

    Free Cloud Storage Services to Store Data Online and Access Remotely
    Everyone who uses internet is aware of Cloud Storage and Computing today, andits benefits. It is nothing more than a cloud computing model that allows usersto store data over the internet, through a cloud service provider. Cloud storagehas drastically altered the traditional ’data storage on loca…

    Simply5 – Features

    Get access in real-time – Access and consume the latest version of Web Apps/ API as your team works on it.

    Share your localhost – With Public and Team URL’s, share the latest version of code running on your localhost. Get an updated list of services hosted by your teammates.

    Debug API’s faster –  Using a Public URL, make under-progress API and websites accessible by anyone from anywhere without setting up servers.

    Share files without uploading – Share files with complete privacy with P2P sharing. You need not compromise your security by uploading files on third-party apps and software.

    Collaborating made easy with Private IP – Create quick demos and by sharing the project with anyone without relying on hosting servers.

    Collaborate and share your project with your team
    Collaborate and share your project with your team

    Secure access – Set up a collaborative and safe remote networking environment without any compromise in security. Simply5 lets you observe APIs and web apps in real-time as your team codes, making debugging lightning fast.

    Project Management Tools for Virtual Teams
    Project management [https://startuptalky.com/tag/project-management/] software assists employees, administrators, and teams with managing team goals andlong-term projects, as well as coordinating individual tasks. Project managementsoftware accomplishes this through a range of tools to manage wor…

    Simply5 – Pricing

    Simply5 – Plan A

    $59 / lifetime

    • 1 CloudLAN Room
    • 5 Users
    • Unlimited CloudLAN data
    • 10 GB Team VPN data / month
    • 1 Server
    • Choose server region
    • Non-Stackable
    • 60 Days Refund Policy

    Simply5 – Pro Plan B

    $99 / lifetime

    • 1 CloudLAN Room
    • 10 Users
    • Unlimited CloudLAN data
    • 10 GB Team VPN data / month
    • 3 Server
    • Choose server region
    • Non-Stackable
    • 60 Days Refund Policy

    Simply5 – Ultimate Plan C

    $245 / lifetime

    • 1 CloudLAN Room
    • 20 Users
    • Unlimited CloudLAN data
    • 10 GB Team VPN data / month
    • 5 Server
    • Choose server region
    • Non-Stackable
    • 60 Days Refund Policy

    Simply5 – FAQ’s

    What is a CloudLAN room?
    It’s a virtual VPN network to which all your users can connect to & communicate with each other over private IP’s like you are connected on the same LAN network.

    How many devices can be connected by a user?
    Each user can connect using 2 devices simultaneously to a CloudLAN room

    What is a Server License?
    Servers feature is built for cases where you have an always-on machine to which you would like to have secure & private connectivity it. The adoption process is as simple as running a single command on the server terminal.

    How is CloudLAN safe and secured?
    Each CloudLAN room is linked to a Virtual Network instance, to which the members are connected to using an encrypted tunnel. All the communication happens securely over this encrypted connection. Make sure you use Team VPN when connecting over unsecured public Wi-Fi networks for secure browsing.

    How many rooms can a user create?
    There are no limits on the number of rooms a user can create, if you are part of multiple project teams please create multiple rooms & invite them to respective project rooms

    Can a user create multiple rooms using the same lifetime deal?
    No, the One-lifetime deal coupon code is valid only for creating a single Room subscription.

  • How To Become Virtual Assistant

    A Virtual Assistant provides support services from a remote location. This means you will offer clients services on a day to day basis, as a contractor or as a self-employed. The job scope of a virtual assistant varies from one business to another. Small business owners, solopreneurs, busy professionals, and bloggers all use virtual assistants. A virtual assistant is anyone who offers services to other business owners in exchange for upon fee. After become a virtual assistant you have a happy life, a business that gives you money but also… time for yourself to do what you want.

    Some traits that a virtual assistant must include:

    • Patience
    • Honesty
    • Discretion
    • Personable
    • Professional
    • Organized
    Virtual Assistant
    Virtual Assistant

    Virtual assistants consist of individuals as well as companies who work remotely as an independent professional, providing a wide range of products and services both to businesses as well as customers. Clients pay for 100% productive work and can work with virtual assistants.

    Services provided by a Virtual Assistant:

    • Customer support
    • Community management and moderation
    • Project management
    • Processing online orders and refunds
    • Website design
    • WordPress maintenance
    • Graphic design and layout
    • Calendar management and travel arrangements
    • Social media management
    • Editing videos
    • Lead generation
    • Content creation for blogs and ghostwriting
    • Editing proofreading
    • Transcription
    • Content research
    • Keyword research
    • Performing outreach
    • Managing product launches
    • Creating sales pages
    • Data entry
    • Email management
    • Bookkeeping

    Steps to Become a Virtual Assistant

    Choose Your Business Structure

    According to Small Business Law, there are different ways of starting a business. Which one of the small business structures are right for your Virtual Assistant business is an important part. You will consider the following points before starting a business:

    • Your physical location of the business
    • The types of clients you will be working with
    • The type of Virtual Assistant work you will be doing
    • Your risk tolerance
    • The different business structures available in your area

    After considering these points you must decide on one of the small business structures. The small business structures you choose will depend on the nature and size of your business and should suit your needs.

    The types of small business structure are as follows:

    • Sole trader or sole proprietor – A sole trader or sole proprietorship means one person owns the business. A sole trader does not have to register the business.
    • Partnership – A partnership is a business that has between 2 and 20 partners. The partners own the business together. If two or more people want to start a partnership, they should sign a written agreement. The agreement will contain three things: (i) what happens to the assets of the business if the partnership ends,(ii) how the partners will share the profits, (iii) what happens if one of the partners wants to leave the partnership
    • Company – Companies have to obey all the rules of the Companies Act, which is a long and complicated law. A company has shareholders and directors. Shareholders can be people or other companies. Shareholders put the money into the business and are the owners of the business. Directors are the managers of the business.

    Virtual Assistant Companies To Help You With Everything
    The technology in this generation is helping businesses achieve all their goals.It is done in very effective as well as innovative ways. Out of all, one of thebest ways the companies getting their work done more efficiently is by hiringvirtual assistants. A virtual assistant helps to take care of…

    Decide Virtual Assistant Services

    You should consider those services where your skill and area of interest matches. Then you gather your knowledge and find those services on the web. After you become expertise in those services if possible try to learn your services. By doing this you will get more clients and become an expert. The more specialized your services and the more experience you have, the more you can charge.

    Decide on Your Pricing Structure

    After focus on services you will give attention to the pricing strategy of your services. Also keep in mind that from the point of view of business owners, there are perks to hiring a freelance virtual assistant instead of a part or full-time employee.

    Types of pricing types:

    • Hourly rate pricing – Hourly rate pricing is where you set a particular hourly price for your services, keep track of your time, and bill your client after the work has been completed.
    • Project-based packages – A Project-Based Package can be used when a client has a one-time project to complete, and you will charge them a flat rate fee for the project.
    • Retainer packages – A retainer is a monthly package for those who need reoccurring help in their business.
    • Usable hours packages – With this type of pricing method, your client will pay for a certain amount of hours, to be used at their discretion.

    Business owners have realized that social media are a great way of starting advertisement. Virtual assisting and social media management are growing bigger every day as a legitimate way to make money online. To find clients, social media marketing alone is not enough. The first step is doing some keyword research. This helps you develop a list of the words, phrases, questions, and topics your clients are thinking and asking about so that you can use them in your marketing.

    The various ways of advertisement:

    • Have a well-designed website
    • Offer educational media opportunities like YouTube videos, Google chats Facebook live sessions, live webinars, and podcasts.
    • Blog about online business and your own experiences as a business owner
    • Advertise — online and offline
    • Create your freelance service site
    • Make connections on LinkedIn
    • Let others know about your services on social media

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    Being a teenager in the Covid times is the most frustrating thing ever. We getit, all your plans of earning and being financially free were masked due to thepandemic. However, let’s get real, things have been going a bit easier than thebeginning of the year and nows the time to get back on track.…

    Where to find Virtual Assistant Jobs for Beginners

    • Fancyhands
    • VANetworking.com
    • Upwork
    • oDesk
    • Indeed
    • 99 Dollar Social
    • Time Etc
    • LinkedIn
    • Vicky Virtual
    • Belay
    • Zirtual.com
    • Virtual Assistant Forums
    • ZipRecruiter

    Services do a Virtual Assistant Provide

    There are plenty of services you can offer:

    Social Media

    • Understand how to create headlines
    • Familiar with copywriting and marketing

    Blogging

    • Write, edit, and proofread blog posts
    • Moderate blog comments
    • Create graphics for blog posts or social media like Pinterest
    • Improve SEO
    • Remove broken links, add affiliate links
    • Manage readers’ emails
    • Schedule social media

    E-commerce

    • Manage customer service
    • Track orders, including order entry, shipment, and invoicing.
    • Deal with returns/exchanges
    • Manage inventory
    • Help with marketing
    • Website maintenance

    How To Become Digital Nomad-New Normal in 2020
    The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an impact on people belonging to all thespheres of life. This has surely changed the working styles and environment inwhich we were comfortable for ages. According to a global survey conducted byLenovo, the report states that around 74% of people want to continue …

    General Admin

    • Managing calendars and schedule
    • Managing emails
    • Booking appointments
    • Making travel arrangements
    • File management
    • Data entry
    • Setting up spreadsheet

    Content Production

    • Writing blog posts
    • Research content ideas
    • Create graphics
    • Source photos
    • Take product pictures
    • Edit pictures
    • Create videos

    Finance

    • Bookkeeping
    • Invoice creation
    • Payments processing
    • Payroll
  • How to Remotely Manage your Workforce?

    The rise of remote work might be unavoidable, and you should want to take advantage. Allowing remote work can benefit not only your employees, but you as a manager and the organization as a whole. Not only do remote workers tend to enjoy what they do more and find remote work less stressful in general, but they’re more willing to put in extra hours as a result. However, that’s just one of the potential benefits of remote work for employees, managers, and companies alike. Remote work is about more than just the advancement of technology, it’s something that has the potential to help the way we work, manage, and lead.

    Remote work
    Remote work

    With 50% of the workforce working in some sort of telecommuting role and 80 to 90% of all employees saying they would like to work remotely at least part of the time, according to Global Workplace Analytics, offering remote opportunities is an attractive way to gain productive workers. That’s just the beginning, though. According to Owl Labs State of Remote Work 2019, 42% of remote workers have plans to work remotely more often over the next five years than they do now.


    Also read:


    The Challenges of Managing Remote Employees

    While there are great potential benefits of allowing remote work on your team, there’s a problem: most founders and managers still aren’t familiar with the challenges of managing remote employees. Remote work is different from the typical work structure in a few big ways. And while there are big benefits, there are also new and unique challenges with both hiring and managing remote employees that managers never see coming.

    According to Buffer’s State of Remote Work report, these are the major challenges with remote work in general: Without any prior experience working remote it can be hard anticipating the challenges your remote employees will face.

    Challenges of working remotely
    Challenges of working remotely
    • Loneliness and isolation – Regular human interaction can be easy to take for granted, until you don’t have an office full of people to be around every day. Do what you can to engage them socially with the rest of the team whenever possible.
    • Communication issues due to a lack of non-verbal cues – When you don’t have enough face-to-face communication, it can become difficult to sense intent in messages between you and your employee. It’s harder to understand a message when it’s only text, or you don’t know them as well as other, in-office employees.
    • Feeling left out – The feeling of being left out– of company celebrations, consideration for a promotion, and your opinion in general– is more common among remote employees than those on-site. When you work remotely, you miss out on so many opportunities to connect with your colleagues and managers.
    • Monitoring – You can’t physically monitor them.
    • Feedback system – Reviewing work and providing feedback is difficult.
    • If you have multiple remote employees, it’s hard to keep them moving in the same direction.

    Relevant read:


    Top 7 Tips for Managing Remote Employees

    Remote management can feel like a totally different challenge than managing people you work side by side with. Things that work in an office don’t always translate exactly to remote employees. Use these tips to be more conscious of the unique approaches you should take for managing remote employees.

    Hire the Right People

    Let’s face it- not everyone can be a remote worker. Everyone loves the flexibility of working remotely. But only some have the attitude and discipline to be productive as remote employees. When hiring a remote employee, look for people who can work independently.

    Good remote workers have a positive attitude and motivation to do their job well. You don’t want people who always need a push to complete the task. It will be a nightmare if you have to micro manage your remote employees. A good remote employee will not wait for you to ask for updates or assign tasks. Rather, he or she will proactively update you on the status and schedule.

    Hire the right people
    Hire the right people

    Always hire employees who communicate well as it’s the key to a successful remote team. The better your remote employees understand your instructions and communicate with you, the easier it will be to manage them.

    Set Clear Expectations

    Everyone has a different idea of what doing something “quickly” or “well” means. Whether showing examples of what you expect to be done, calendar sharing, etc., make sure you have clear expectations from those you work online. The more prepared they are, the better they can serve.

    Set clear expectations
    Set clear expectations

    Explain what you want from your remote employees and when you want it. There is no better way for managing remote employees than using well-defined and measurable goals.


    How to:


    Engage Regularly

    It’s hard to keep all employees on the same page if you have multiple remote employees. Engage with your remote workers on a daily basis through some kind of communication. Use multiple channels to communicate. Then, plan a regularly scheduled face-to-face meeting.

    Engage regularly
    Engage regularly

    This can be weekly, monthly, or annually, and could be combined with a training or coaching program. This constant interaction and engagement will help remote workers feel included in an important aspect of the organization. You can identify issues early and manage them better with frequent communication.

    Have Reliable Tools First

    If remote employees can’t download files, struggle hearing on a conference call, and consistently receive meeting invitations for times when they are still asleep, you have failed to address the basics. First, invest in reliable tools to make collaboration possible. Then develop clear processes to use such tools.
    These are some of the Tools to Help You Boost Team Collaboration.

    Track Progress of Your Remote Employees

    Be sure to track the progress of your remote employees daily. You stay on top of project status and eliminate nasty surprises later by reviewing work every day. Give your remote workers periodic feedback to ensure they are heading in the right direction.

    Here are some tools you can use to track time, project status, and tasks:

    1. HiveDesk is a time tracking software for managing remote employees. You can create automatic timesheets, capture screenshots, track project & tasks, and measure productivity with HiveDesk. Start your 14-day free trial.
    2. Hubstaff is a staff monitoring software which screenshots the activity levels.
    3. Asana is a project management software that allows you to organize to-do lists, projects & meeting information, conversations, and emails in an easy-to-read dashboard.
    4. Trello is a project management tool that allows you to manage tasks and projects.

    Must read:


    Stay Focused on Goals, Not Activity

    It is important to manage expectations and stay focused on goals when embracing a remote workforce. Don’t worry as much about what is being done. Instead, concentrate on what is being accomplished. If we are meeting our goals, then great. If not, we need to look into the situation further. It is all about accomplishment, not activity.

    Conclusion

    There’s a lot about managing remote teams that’s exactly the same as managing those on-location. However, it’s a mistake to assume that a remote employee is the same as one working in the same office as you. Remote employees are faced with unique challenges and you have to understand those challenges to effectively manage your entire team. What do you think of this list of tips to for managing remote employees? Please share it with your team and followers on social media.

  • How to Manage Remote Teams?

    Virtual teams are becoming more and more common across the globe — from virtual assistants at small businesses to teams within big companies such as IBM to digital start-ups with fully remote teams. The benefits are clear. According to Global Workplace Analytics, remote teams increase employee productivity, satisfaction levels, and can save a company more than $10,000 annually. That’s not including the benefit of tapping into a global talent pool.

    Team
    Team

    As it becomes more common for companies to utilize remote workers, these businesses are discovering an influx of unique and new challenges related to managing virtual teams. As with any business, there are definitely hurdles to overcome.

    Benefits of Hiring a Remote Team

    Access to the best employees

    Top talent doesn’t always just come knocking on your door. Significant effort is always required to build a world-class team. Of course, you have to carefully consider candidates during the hiring process. This often involves creating a team member persona, or in the case of a remote hire, a “remote persona” (just like you create buyer personas for your customers).

    You should look for people who meet your criteria in the following areas:

    • Company values
    • Discipline
    • Focus
    • Work/life balance
    • Decision-making skills, etc.
    Criteria for Hiring
    Criteria for Hiring

    One of the benefits of hiring remotely is that it gives you more options than limiting yourself to local employees. If you choose to broaden your horizons and decide to hire remote workers, you will be able to find excellent team members anywhere in the world. The A-players that you hire around the globe will surely help your company grow.


    Also read:


    Employees with flexible hours are happier

    The fact is, employees who are allowed to set flexible schedules are happier than those who have to live under the rule of the clock. They tend to have fewer family conflicts than their colleagues who work at the office.

    Flexible work hours
    Flexible work hours

    Moreover, employees who work from home say managing balance between work and family is much easier for them. Not surprisingly, the happier your employees are, the more productive you can expect them to be, which leads to faster company growth and good company moral.

    Low employee turnover

    According to 2017 research, 32% of people would quit their job as they are not allowed to work remotely. Many companies take this fact into account as losing an employee and hiring a new one involves significant expenses. As a result, smart companies embrace the remote work policy to keep their employees’ turnover rate low.

    Low overhead

    Having a team of remote workers allows you to lower your overhead by cutting office expenses. Recent calculations show that companies would save more than $500 billion a year on office rent, utilities and turnover if they chose remote work schedule. Instead of spending money on maintaining your office, you will be able to invest it in your business.


    Relevant read:


    Challenges of managing a remote team and how to overcome them

    Communication problems

    If you want to foresee and fix one issue from this list, choose communication. It’s the cause of almost every other management issue. Managers provide direction at every step of a project or business initiative, so they need to be extremely good at communicating the strategy and understanding what’s happening within a team. Communication is the key to success for most teams. It’s critical to gather input from all members and to know what each person is working on.

    Communication in remote teams
    Communication in remote teams

    When teams work remotely, it isn’t always easy to foster open communication. Traditional email marketing often seems like a formal tool that doesn’t enable quick conversations. Efficient, effective communication is the cornerstone of any functioning group, and it is especially crucial for remote teams. Coordinating virtual team members can be challenging, and communication can be a big stumbling block for many companies trying to successfully navigate remote hires.

    Potential solutions

    1. Make use of communication-based technological tools. Instant messaging, chat, and other two-way communication channels make sharing problems and potential solutions easier than ever.
    2. Keep these channels open, and consistently monitor them throughout the day. If an employee has a problem, idea, or thought that needs to be shared, you should be as responsive and available to a remote employee as you would to any on-site worker.
    3. Use project management software such as Hubstaff Tasks. Having one central tool for organizing projects and tasks ensures that everyone who needs to be in the loop stays that way. You can assign tasks to team members, add comments, outline the project steps in a checklist, and more.
    4. Generally, it’s a good idea to try and clarify as much as possible about the role: what’s expected, which KPIs to measure, resources that are available and so on. It’s very important to clarify these things with your virtual employees, as they have no other medium to find out such details.
    5. Finally, a more practical yet potentially time-consuming suggestion is to check for understanding after each meeting. Before you end, make sure everyone knows what their next steps are, then check if these matches and if the interpretations are aligned. This is very important in remote teams where you’re relying on emails, chat, and calls. Usually, you’re managing all of them combined. Important details can easily get overseen, skipped or misinterpreted.

    Scheduling difficulties

    Working with a remote team offers the potential for increased productivity, but managers must also overcome some virtual-related inefficiencies. For example, one of the most difficult challenges is managing workers across several time zones.

    Scheduling difficulties
    Scheduling difficulties

    First, there are tools you can use online to help make scheduling a call, video conference, or meeting with remote teams easier. From a simple online poll that lists selected dates and times that team members can choose to calendaring apps and a variety of websites and free hosts that assess participant availability, there are ways that make the process of scheduling a meeting less stressful. It also helps if team members’ schedules are flexible, since some time zones don’t line up well with traditional working hours.

    Potential Solutions

    1. Whenever all employees are meeting (via phone, teleconference, or video conference), find a time that falls within everyone’s workday. This might mean first thing for some and end of the day for others.
    2. If the time difference really makes coordinating schedules impossible, get creative. For example, record meetings for employees who can’t attend live. This way, they can view and/or hear what happened.
    3. Collect feedback regarding meetings via e-mail. This gives everyone the opportunity to chime in; even those who couldn’t attend while it was actually happening.
    4. Use email to document big and important announcements such as process changes, company directives, and other important announcements that don’t require a meeting, but are nonetheless important.
    5. Use scheduling software that allows you to schedule shifts for each team member and get alerts if they haven’t started tracking time during that window. You’ll also get email alerts if a shift is abandoned or there are missed shifts altogether, ensuring that teams are working when they say they will and avoiding downtime for your business.

    Must read:


    Tracking work and productivity

    Do you know how much work your remote team accomplishes and at what rate? For many managers, the answer to these questions is unclear. It’s hard to know if someone is being underutilized or is not pulling their own weight without an understanding of their productivity. For this reason, remote managers need to establish ways to track productivity for all employees. This can include setting up metrics for how much work is expected to be completed each day. This might look like:

    • Creating and maintaining a company blog.
    • Scheduling 20 social media posts per hour.
    • Making 150 cold calls per shift.
    Tracking work and productivity
    Tracking work and productivity

    The KPI metrics you choose to evaluate the productivity of remote employees should also be the same criteria used for in-office employees. This ensures that there are clear expectations in place, regardless of how and where your team works.

    Potential solutions

    1. For customer-facing team members in remote agencies, have a system in place to ensure open channels of communication between you, the customer, and the employee. If a customer doesn’t feel a remote employee is meeting expectations or hitting necessary benchmarks, you, as the manager, need to know this as soon as possible.
    2. When you manage remote workers, you have a lot less insight into how work is getting done. Employees must know what’s expected of them at all times, including if you’re concerned about hours logged or if you’re simply interested in the end product (regardless of time spent).
    3. Even remote teams can implement some rules about how work is done. Some virtual companies insist on employees working from an office or offer to pay for a coworking space if the employee chooses to work from one. This works well to provide a distraction-free work environment.
    4. To avoid problems, it’s helpful to have a quantitative way to evaluate a remote worker’s contributions. This way, if you’re in any way unhappy with the work, you can explain exactly why. This will make it clearer for the worker, and it helps get that employee up to speed about expectations as quickly as possible.
    5. Utilize employee productivity software to get the best sense of what your remote team is up to during the workday. Depending on the system you use, this platform could even provide intermittent screenshots to show you exactly which projects are being worked on, and what the status is. This tool provides invaluable data to you, and it encourages remote employees to stay active and engaged in company priorities.

    Building trust

    Building trust is difficult for remote managers and team members. Managers worry that workers aren’t completing work, while workers have a range of concerns, including whether they’ll be paid on time. Being transparent can help to build trust for all parties. You can help build trust by being transparent about: Working hours, Project expectations, Pay rate, Payment timelines, and Status updates on projects

    In terms of expectations, be honest about the workload you expect to have for your contractors. Many B2B marketing companies tell freelancers they can expect the amount of work to increase substantially over the coming months, even when this isn’t the case. These kinds of statements might be well intentioned, but it may lead some freelancers to believe they’ve been strung along. They may even have negotiated for a lower rate because of the volume and then feel duped when it doesn’t pan out.

    Potential solutions

    1. Employees need feedback often in order to correct problems early on and become satisfied, top performers in their role. Be sure that all managers are giving frequent feedback to address any issues, blockers or challenges people are facing. This will help the managers to develop trust with the team members and give them the flexibility needed to make virtual teams work.
    2. Put a premium on video conferences. Seeing each other’s faces is the next best thing to meeting in person.
    3. Trust your employees, but also utilize time-tracking software. It keeps everyone accountable and can help team members feel confident in the hours they put in.

    Must read:


    The Solution?

    So how can SaaS leaders and companies effectively support and manage employees who aren’t in an office? There is the REMOTE formula to help. Resources, Engagement, Motivation, Objectives, Trust and Expectations are what you need to remember when working with, or developing a team remotely.

    REMOTE formula
    REMOTE formula
    • Resources: Get the right tools. There’s an abundance of online collaboration resources which, in some cases, are specifically designed to ease the struggles of remote working.
    • Engagement: Engage with your remote workers on a daily basis as you would do if they were based in an office. You must eradicate all feelings of isolation. Communication is key and setting out clear goals and outcomes is important to achieving success.
    • Motivation: This is exactly the same as in an office environment. You don’t want your team soft pedalling and giving just a small percentage of their full potential. Motivating your team to achieve tasks they may have never done before will better utilize their just discovered skillset, improve productivity and maximize effort.
    • Objectives: SaaS team leaders should focus on setting direction via goals, not activity. Try not to be overly concerned with details, and when goal achievement confidence is low, know when and how to jump in and find a way to support the area that’s a challenge.
    • Trust: This is a biggie. You must trust your remote workforce. It starts with whether you’re a high trust company or a low trust company. A high trust organization would have their fair share of multipliers. The company shows empathy, collaboration and recognizes their employees as people who are achieving great things. A low trust organization tends to express toxic cultures and would have diminishers amongst the teams. Most of the time formality takes over friendliness.
    • Expectations: By introducing a remote working culture you’re leaving your employee more control of their working structure. Expectations of them and the work they produce for the company needs to be made extremely clear.

    Conclusion

    The debate of remote working is one that will continue to develop. The purpose of this long post is to aid SaaS companies when making a decision to grow and scale, but a work from home culture is not for every organization. Despite the fact that creating and managing a remote team is not easy, it’s definitely worth trying if you have the tools to be successful. So, let’s create your remote team now. Please tell us your views in the comments section below.