- July 21, 2023
- Kaitlyn
10+ Free Time Management Tools To Keep You Organized
Managing your time is essential for every side hustle. Time is money, as the saying goes. So optimizing your time and calendar is the best way to make the most bang for your buck! I have worked as a virtual assistant for under five years, so I’ve learned a thing or two about time management. Here are the 11 best time management tools to keep you organized and your time optimized.
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Time Tracking Tools
Time tracking tools are perfect for measuring how much time you’re spending on assignments. These tools will allow you to make better time management decisions. These tools are great to use if you’re a work-from-home parent, college student, or simply just want better information about what you’re spending your time on.
Toggl
Toggl is my favorite time-tracking software. This tool is handy if you’re working as a freelancer who needs to track your time, like a virtual assistant. Organize your clients or tasks into projects, add team or family members, and you can see the projects that take up most of your time!
I love using Toggl for my virtual assisting clients. Toggl has a free and paid option for their software, but I’ve only ever used their free plan. My clients trust that I’m tracking my time correctly, and I can easily send reports if they request them. It’s very user-friendly, and I highly recommend it if you need a time management tool.
Clockify
Clockify is very similar to Toggl. It has a similar layout, a free version for anyone to use, and allows you to organize your projects. Clockify is also more popular than Toggl, so if you work in an agency or small company, you may be asked to join Clockify. If you want to get ahead and sign up for a popular tool, Clockify may be a better option than Toggl.
Calendar Tools
I love using calendar tools to make sure I’m blocking my time correctly. These tools also help me optimize my time and use it wisely throughout the day. If you want to maximize your day, use these time management tools.
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is my go-to tool for managing my personal and work life. I add my personal appointments and work appointments to my calendar and make sure my day is planned from week to week.
There are also so many tools that can integrate with Google Calendar, so I use it as my baseline calendar, then use other means to get the best out of the app. I can utilize my time by using Google Calendar for appointments!
Calendly
Whether you’re a social media manager, graphic designer, or work any job where scheduling appointments are routine, using a scheduling app is imperative to manage your time wisely. My favorite scheduling app is Calendly. I cut down the “does that time work for you?” conversation by adding my available times, then having my meeting attendee choose the best time for them.
I integrate this tool with my Google Calendar account, so my meetings and appointments are automatically blocked from my Calendly availability. There is a free version of the app as well. Create different sessions, ask additional questions for your attendee so you can prep the best you can, and choose where you want your meeting to be held! Your sessions can be over Zoom, Phone, Google Meet, or in person.
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is similar to Calendly, as it is a scheduling tool, but it’s a bit less popular than Calendly. If you need to schedule group meetings, Acuity Scheduling may be a better option than Calendly. If you’re not tech-savvy, Calendly may also be a better option.
If you learn fast with technology and want a bit more customization with your booking page, then consider Acuity Scheduling. Integrate Acuity Scheduling with your other tools like Google Calendar and Zapier to get the most out of your time management tools.
Project Management Tools
Project management tools are crucial if you’re a freelancer. You must stay on top of your projects and clients to ensure you give them the best experience while working together. While Google Calendar is a great calendar tool, you’ll need something more robust if you have several clients or just many day-to-day activities you need to keep up with.
Trello
As a virtual assistant and having worked with many clients, Trello is my top project management tool. There are so many integrations and different ways to use the app that best fits you. I can organize my different clients, their goals and business information, login information, and my daily tasks. It’s even how I manage this blog!
I integrate it with my Google account, have tons of different labels and due dates, and share it with team members to optimize my time. Trello is one of the best time management tools to help you keep track of all your random tasks.
Asana
Asana is a great project management tool if you have a small business with a team. You can easily assign tasks to team members, create repetitive tasks, and include any notes and subtasks within the main task. It’s very user-friendly and has a free plan.
Create workspaces with specific team members, keep track of work that has and hasn’t been completed, and integrate the platform with other business tools.
ClickUp
ClickUp is similar to Asana but offers a bit more within the app, like time tracking. It isn’t as user-friendly, so if you’re not tech-savvy, Asana may be your better option. ClickUp and Asana are popular apps, so if you’re worried about getting ahead, either option would be great.
Airtable
I personally love Airtable for managing my content calendars. Airtable is like an extreme and user-friendly Excel sheet! Organize projects by month, department, client, or team member. Add clients and team members to edit the
My content calendars on Airtable are organized by month, content type, then include the captions, images, and hashtags. I allow my clients to see and edit the stage of each piece of content (idea creation, idea approval or edits needed, post approved or needs edits, scheduled, and posted). Airtable is one of my favorite collaborative and user-friendly time management tools.
Streak
Integrate Streak with your Gmail account to make the best out of your email pipeline. I love using Streak for automation, organizing my potential client pipeline, and making the best out of my email account.
Streak also offers a tool to see when someone has opened your email. Seeing viewed emails are great when I work with clients that struggle with communication, but I’ve noticed that it’s not the most accurate. So if you use Streak, don’t rely on the Viewed tool.
Integration Apps
Integration apps are crucial to get the best out of every software you have. Sometimes apps don’t allow integrations, but having a third-party app will allow integrations that you never thought possible! These are crucial for time management and automation.
Zapier
Zapier is one of the most popular integration apps and for a good reason! You can create automations for nearly every app from Gmail, to Streak, to Asana, you name it! I highly recommend using Zapier to optimize your time management tools. Creating as many automations from daily tasks is crucial for time management.
Best Time Management Tools – Conclusion
Time management tools are essential to make the best use of your time! There are many great tools to help you no matter what you need, and there are many free options! I hope that these options give you a great start.
If you need side hustle ideas, download this free list of over 110 side hustles to get started. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at hello@strivehustles.com.