Keeping Your Head Above Water: Essential Project Management Tips for Small Business Owners

by Loralyn

Yup. It’s official – I’ve been drowning but now I’m cheering. My super crazy week is over and I’m cranking this puppy out before I chillax for the evening. Last week, I wrote about juggling plates and the not-so-fabulous way that makes me feel. Since then, I think that I’ve added about 10 more plates to my juggling act, not to mention some ridiculous family drama (which I’ve had to mentally nuke to keep going). I’m teetering on the losing side of the “How Much is Too Much to Juggle Before You Lose Your Mind?” exam question. I have definitely hit the “too much” quota …

Keeping your head above water is tough to do as a mere mortal – doing it as a small business owner with her hand in “this-and-that” is damn near impossible. That is, unless you have next level organization skills, a killer work ethic, grit, and some pretty fabulous project management tools. Let’s dig in.

 

1

Project Management

I don’t know why, but the phrase, “Project Management” turns some people into zombies and other people into those poor deer-in-headlights. Of course, the PMPs amongst us get that goofy Grinchy-Grinch grin – you know, that grin he had when he conjured up his plan to raid Whoville. The thing is, project management can be elevated to a sophisticated professional service with savvy tools and details that would make most people’s heads spin.

But it doesn’t have to be.

A daily To Do List *is* project management. Okay, it may be lacking in some of the sophistication and elegance of a Monday.com or MSFT Project type of solution, but it works for a lot of people. Even me!

Project management and its methodologies can be boiled down into simple terms. If you distill it down, it’s just a fancy way of saying “how to get stuff done without losing your mind.”

When you’re a drowning small business owner (SMB), elegance doesn’t really matter. Getting it done, does. Of course, as you grow, you will get to that point where you’ll need a little help and a solution more elegant than a paper To Do List, but if you’re not there yet, stick with what works for you now.

 

My Thoughts on Some Project Management Tools

I’m going to roll through some of my favorites and why I think they’re fabulous. Or not.

• Kanban it’s ideal for visual learners and sticky note enthusiasts. Which pretty much defines who I am. Imagine a giant board covered in sticky notes, each representing a task. That’s Kanban in a nutshell. It’s perfect for visual thinkers and those who get a weird satisfaction from moving things from “To Do” to “Done”. Plus, it’s a great excuse to buy more office supplies. Who doesn’t love that?
• Trello is paradise for the digital sticky note fans amongst us. Trello is like Kanban, but without the risk of your cat (especially if you are a child-free cat lady) knocking all your sticky notes onto the floor. It’s user-friendly, visually appealing, and oddly satisfying to use. Plus, you can add cute puppy pictures to your boards if you’re not a cat lady. You know, do it for motivation. Or, at the very least, to remind you to get up from your desk chair once in a while and play with your puppy!
• Agile is ideal if life is throwing you curveballs (and when doesn’t it?). It’s like that friend who’s always ready for anything. Pizza night and jammies at home turned upside down into a night on the town? No worries! Or you’ve got that client who wants to completely change the project scope mid-way? Agile has got your back. It’s all about breaking projects into small, manageable chunks and being flexible enough to pivot when needed. It’s perfect for those of us who can’t predict what chaos tomorrow will bring (i.e., all of us).
• Waterfall is designed for those who want meticulous planning, everything is predictable, and nothing changes. It’s ideally suited for the, “if-it-ain’t-broke” crowd. Unlike Agile, which embraces spontaneity, Waterfall is the 180-degree opposite. Everything happens in a specific order, exactly as planned. There is no room for a client to interfere with another scope-creep feature request. Not happening.

 

Software Tools for Project Management

Now that we’ve covered methodologies, let’s talk tools. Because let’s be honest, trying to manage projects with just email and good intentions is like trying to build IKEA furniture without the hex key that comes with it. Everyone has upped their game. From Microsoft to Google and all the little vendors (and not-so-little anymore) in between. You are probably deeply familiar with Microsoft Project, so I’ll talk about a couple of others.

• Asana is for those who need to get serious, but not too serious. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of project management tools. It’s got everything you need, from task lists to timeline views. It even sends you celebratory unicorns when you complete tasks. Because nothing says “professional” like animated mythical creatures.
• Basecamp positions itself as the digital campfire for your team – minus the mosquitoes. It’s great for communication, file sharing, and keeping everyone on the same page but it is AAF with all the pings, endless notifications, separate threads, and how the main directory is organizes. A lot of people love it. I don’t. I’ one of those people that died around the campfire and now I’m a user ghost that everyone else can share stories about.

 

Tips & Tricks

Because we all need a little help, right? I love reading about other people’s tips and tricks. Just about every time that I do, I get one new nugget worth remembering. Here are some tips to take your project management game from “barely keeping it together” to marveling at how they do it.

1. Set clear goals: Make sure everyone knows what success looks like. And no, “surviving until Friday,” doesn’t count as a project goal.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate: Over-communication is better than under-communication. Unless you’re sharing cat videos (do people still do this?). Then maybe dial it back a bit.
3. Delegate like a boss: You can’t do everything yourself. Trust your team. They might surprise you. Or at least amuse you with their creative interpretations of your instructions.
4. Keep it simple: Don’t overcomplicate things. If your project plan looks like a map of the London tube, it’s time to simplify. I don’t care how effectively you’ve color-coded it and aligned all the inputs and outputs. Simplify!
5. Celebrate wins: Did someone complete a task on time? Throw a mini dance party! Finished a project under budget? Time for a pizza feast! Remember, a happy team is a productive team.
6. Learn from mistakes: Every project has hiccups. The key is to learn from them. And maybe keep a stash of chocolate (or something a little stronger in the office fridge) for the really bad days.

 

Wrapping It Up: You’ve Got This!

Remember, project management is part science, part art, and part herding cats. But with the right methodology, tools, and a healthy sense of humor, you’ll be managing projects like a pro in no time, even as an overwhelmed small business owners. So go forth, SMBs, and conquer! Organize those tasks, rally your team, and finish those projects. And if all else fails, there’s always coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

 

I was going to chillax, but a four-legged little furbaby is giving me puppy dog eyes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a project to manage. It involves convincing my dog that she will not melt in the rain. Wish me luck!

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