The world of freelancing and hiring remote workers has transformed the way people work. With people constantly plugged in, self-managing time and projects, and traveling and connecting to unsecured networks, the resources and tools remote workers need are far-reaching. That’s why we’ve outlined just a few ways you can help a remote worker you know increase productivity with these top 10 gifts for people with remote jobs.
Time Doctor – Time Tracking and Management Remote workers rely heavily on time tracking, productivity management tools, and other self-managing apps and services that help boost productivity. Time Doctor is a must-try time tracking tool that allows remote workers to account for every hard working minute and easily send invoices to clients. While this boosts tracking efforts by employees, this also allows employers and clients to monitor the money they are investing in projects as well. “By letting them start the habit of knowing how and where they spent their time (which Time Doctor’s analytics would show), productivity will increase by at least 20%.” – Carlo Borja, Head of Online Marketing at Time Doctor Trello – Project Management Software Trello is a popular project management and collaboration tool that allows users to organize tasks visually according to different boards and projects. “I’ve been a big fan of Trello for a long time because I can organize all my projects into one place. The color design is beautiful and being able to check in on several boards at once somehow makes my stress plummet. Furthermore, the recent Slack integration is excellent for remaining connected to the office and updating my boss on project milestones. For anyone working with multiple to-do lists, timelines, and goals, I highly recommend Trello. Plus, it’s only $10 a month!” Taylor Covington, Content Marketing Associate at The Zebra Airtable – Task Management and Content Curating While there are many task management tools out there, Airtable’s social media marketing and content tools make managing work and increasing productivity easy. “It helps me set content schedules, is great for content planning, and the social media calendar tool makes my clients feel confident in my social media management services.” – Mikaela Delia, Freelance Online Marketer at Miracle Marketing
Portable Laptop Battery Working remotely means you’re in constant need of a power supply. Unfortunately, knowing where you can plug in while traveling can become quite the hassle. With a new, high-speed laptop charger, remote workers can quickly recharge, making working on-the-go even easier. “Equipped with both USB-C Power Delivery and a hi-voltage laptop port, the V88 quickly & efficiently charges laptops (including MacBook, Surface, & USB Type C) on-the-go. FAA compliant and compact, it’s the perfect gift for travelers of all kinds.” – Julia Yavin, Director of Sales & Marketing at Voltaic Systems
Bluetooth Headphones While Bluetooth headphones are convenient for many people, remote workers benefit drastically by going hands-free. Many remote workers often spend hours on their computers, dialed into conference calls, sharing screens and more. Each of these activities requires headphones and other audio hardware, making hands-free Bluetooth headphones an excellent idea for any remote worker. “My top resources for working remote: A good laptop and a good set of Bluetooth earphones – I love my MacBook and AirPods” – Debbie Winkelbauer, CEO of Surf Search Wireless Chargers and Scanners Wireless chargers and scanners have become increasingly convenient both in offices and for those with remote jobs. “Many [wireless chargers] are compatible with Apple products and can even charge an iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. Some wireless chargers even work in the car, so you can easily charge your devices on the go,” says James Rice, Head of Digital Marketing at WikiJob. “When you are a remote worker, sometimes things that are easy within an office environment become tricky. A wireless scanning device can sign and scan contracts or digitize paperwork ready for uploading or emailing. This makes it easy to share signed or printed paperwork with colleagues all over the globe. Its compact size is also great for travel or for small home offices.” Noise-Canceling Headphones Often times, remote workers carry out their work in public spaces. This may be coffee shops, airports, or other public places. Noise-canceling headphones allow remote workers to tune out the distractions and get to work uninterrupted. “They allow you to work in co-working spaces and other noisy environments without interruptions. They are also very helpful if you work from home and have children around the house.” Rob Palmer, CEO of GoFreelance
Toggl – Time Tracking Software One of the toughest challenges of being a remote worker is collaborating with distributed teams. “Most of our engineers (we’re a Software Development Staffing company) are remote workers. We use Toggl for time tracking and notifying clients of how the time they are paying for is being spent.” – Julia Duran, CEO and Co-Founder of South Geeks LLC
Loom – Video Collaboration “This is a free screen and video recording tool. It allows me to quickly send a video to my team and share my thoughts. It’s extremely easy to use and makes communication far more clear than email. Sometimes, when I want to show specific things to my team or give feedback, I quickly create a video using it. It saves a lot of time and has helped me become a lot more efficient.” – Sumit Bansal, Founder of Craft of Blogging
A Business VPN Virtual Private Networks, VPNs, are not only useful for expats looking to bypass geo-restrictions, but they also offer powerful advantages for both consumers and businesses. Since remote workers often travel and connect to unsecured Wi-FI, it’s important that they utilize a Business VPN to quickly set up a private, secure connection to another remote network. That means they can safely access any of their clients’ private data without compromising the data or sensitive systems or triggering security alerts. For the businesses, it’s an OpenVPN alternative that allows Multi-tenant management, fast connection speeds with an easy set-up.
