Using Gantt Charts for Small Business Projects
Have you heard how project management tools can help your small business?
Well, if you’ve been thinking about implementing one for your small business, it could really help you stay organised and on track with your projects.
But isn’t it a lot of work to set up? And won’t it take up even more time to use it?
It does take some effort to set it up initially, but it can actually save you time in the long run.
By having all of your project information in one place, you won’t have to spend as much time searching for documents or trying to remember details.
And it can help you avoid miscommunication and mistakes by making sure everyone is on the same page.
But what about managing changes to your projects, how does a project management tool help with that?
A project management tool can really help you to streamline your change management process.
For example, you can set up a change pipeline. A change pipeline is a way you can manage reviewing and approving changes to your projects. This way, you can make sure that any changes are carefully considered and that everyone is aware of them.
But people are resistant to change. Won’t it be a hassle to get everyone to follow the change pipeline?
It might take some time for everyone to get used to it, but once everyone gets the hang of it, it will actually make things easier. By having a clear process in place, your team can avoid confusion and delays. And it will help you stay on top of any changes so you can make sure they don’t impact the overall the project.
A project management tool and a change pipeline could be really beneficial for your small business.
It might take some effort to get everything set up, but in the long run, it will be worth it. You’ll be able to work more efficiently and effectively, which will ultimately help your business grow.
What’s a Gantt Chart?
A Gantt chart is a great way to visualise your project, and it’s a great way to communicate with your team, to show they’re on track. They’re like those bar charts that show the progress of a project.
They’re a really useful tool for managing projects.
A gantt chart gives us a clear visual representation of the tasks involved in a project and how they fit together. It helps you see the big picture and understand the dependencies between different tasks.
But how does it help you and your business?
Imagine you manage an architecture business, you’d probably have many projects going on at the same time, and it can be tough to keep track of everything.
A gantt chart can help you see which tasks need to be completed first, which ones can be done at the same time, and which ones are dependent on others being finished. This way, you can make sure that you’re using our resources efficiently and that you’re making progress on all of our projects.
But won’t it be a lot of work to set up a gantt chart for each project?
It does take some effort to set it up initially, but once it’s done, it’s easy to update and maintain.
Or you can use a tool like Monday which automatically creates Gantt charts using your project tasks.
Having a gantt chart can actually save you time in the long run by helping you stay on track.
So how do we go about setting up a gantt chart?
There are a few different ways to do it. We could use a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets, or we could use specialised project management software like Asana or Trello.
Monday is another tool which can automatically create a Gantt charts, and it’s free to get started.
It might take some time to get everything set up, but it will be worth it in the long run.
You’ll be able to work more efficiently and effectively, which will ultimately help our business grow.
What are some other tool?
There’s tonnes of great tools that can help you manage and collaborate on projects.
Here’s our top picks:
- Monday.com — Highly effective teams choose monday.com to manage their work.
- asana — Asana organises work so teams are clear about what to do, why it matters, and how to get it done.
- Hive — The tool for productive teams. Thousands of companies all over the world are moving faster with Hive.
- Productive.io — Manage your agency in one place, end-to-end.
- Project Express App — Over 35,000 people worldwide trust Project Express to manage projects, at work and at home.
- Teamwork — At last, easy-to-use project management software you won’t outgrow
- Trello — From high rises to the home office, the way your team works is unique—accomplish it all with Trello.
- Wrike — Only Wrike’s work management platform gives your team full visibility and control over all your tasks and projects.
- TickTick — Join millions of people to capture ideas, manage to-dos and make the most of your life with TickTick.
- nTask — Project management software that enables your teams to collaborate, plan, analyze and manage everyday tasks.
- Adobe Workfront — Connect, collaborate, and simplify workflows using Adobe Workfront to launch campaigns and deliver personalized experiences at scale.
- Accelo — Accelo is a cloud-based software platform that helps businesses manage their projects, clients, and teams.
- Workfront — Workfront is a cloud-based project management and work collaboration platform designed to help teams and organizations manage their work more efficiently.
- JIRA — JIRA is a project management and issue tracking software developed by Atlassian.
- ProjectLibre — ProjectLibre is an open source project management software that provides users with a comprehensive suite of tools to help them manage their projects.
- ProofHub — ProofHub is a project planning software with every tools your team needs to get work done faster, together. No per user fee. Free trial. No learning curve.
- Paymo — Manage projects, track work time, bill your clients, and measure profitability from the same platform.
- VeriClock — Get employee time tracking anytime, anywhere with VeriClock. Easily integrate with your accounting, bookkeeping or payroll software.
- Workzone — More robust than entry-level tools, like Basecamp, less complicated than MS Project, Workzone is the perfect project management solution for most teams.
- SmartSuite — Plan, track, and manage any type of work.
- Nutshell — Nutshell is an easy-to-use CRM that helps small businesses build relationships, track sales, and grow. It’s designed to be simple and intuitive, so you can focus on what matters most: your customers.
- Filestage — Filestage is a review and approval platform that runs itself. Share any content, set your due dates, then let the feedback come to you.
- Evernote — Remember everything and tackle any project with your notes, tasks, and schedule all in one place, with Evernote.
- Airtable — Airtable is a low-code platform for building collaborative apps. Customize your workflow, collaborate, and achieve ambitious outcomes. Get started for free.
- PMI Certifications — The PMP-Agile certification is a hybrid of the Project Management Professional (PMP) and Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) certifications. It is designed to help project managers understand and apply agile principles and practices to their projects. It is ideal for those who want to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving project management landscape.
- TSheets — TSheets is the #1 rated time tracking app, helping businesses save time and money with easy-to-use employee time tracking and scheduling.
- Notion — We’re more than a doc. Or a table. Customize Notion to work the way you do.
- Paytm — Send money with UPI using any bank account. Recharge mobile and pay bills.
- Slite —
- FreeAgent CRM — #1 User-Rated Alternative to Salesforce
- Google Tasks — Google Tasks is a free task management app that helps you organize and prioritize your to-do lists. It’s easy to use, with features like drag-and-drop, reminders, and subtasks. Get organized and stay on top of your tasks with Google Tasks.
- WorkOtter
- Rock.so — Create a space for 1:1s, group conversations or projects. Add anyone, inside or outside your organization, to a space so they can participate in a conversation, work on tasks, read notes and access any file they need.
- Redbooth — Redbooth helps teams manage tasks and communication so projects get completed faster and easier.
- FreeAgent — FreeAgent’s powerful and easy-to-use accounting software for UK businesses brings everything together – from invoices and expenses to Self Assessment tax returns, payroll and MTD-compliant VAT filing. Take a free trial today!
- DeskTime — DeskTime time tracker software lets you to track time and analyze productivity to see how your and your team’s time is spent. Try the free 14-day trial today!
- Basecamp — Trusted by millions, Basecamp puts everything you need to get work done in one place.
- HubSpot — HubSpot’s free CRM powers your customer support, sales, and marketing with easy-to-use features like live chat, meeting scheduling, and email tracking.
- BugHerd —
- Vendasta — From agency to enterprise, the Vendasta platform is the only end-to-end management software for selling digital solutions to local businesses.
- Slack — Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It’s faster, better organised, and more secure than email.
- Nozbe — Best personal and team productivity collaboration tool. Use Nozbe – task management software and increase productivity.
- Toggl — Stress-free time tracking software, project-planning, and hiring. Designed by and for teams that work from anywhere.
- Adam.ai — One place for teams to run efficient meetings, create collaborative agendas, record decisions, and assign tasks.
- CobbleStone Systems — Cobblestone Systems is a software development company that specializes in creating custom software solutions for businesses. They provide services such as web and mobile app development, software integration, and cloud computing. Their team of experienced developers and designers work together to create innovative solutions that meet the needs of their clients.
- Podio — Build powerful low-code business solutions to customize work and communication. Start for free.
- Todoist — Join 25 million people and teams that organize, plan, and collaborate on tasks and projects with Todoist.
- ClickUp™ — ClickUp’s mission is to make the world more productive – Tasks, Docs, Goals, and Chat.
- Microsoft To-Do — Microsoft To Do
- HoneyBook — HoneyBook is the leading clientflow platform that enables independent businesses to book clients, manage projects, and get paid all in one place.