Time is every entrepreneur’s most valuable asset. But with countless tasks vying for attention, how do you stay ahead?
Studies show that 82% of small business failures stem from poor time management. That’s staggering. Yet, there’s hope. The right tools can transform your day from chaotic to productive, helping you maximize every minute.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best time management tools designed to help you stay on top of your game, streamline your workflow, and ultimately, succeed. Let’s dive in and take control of your time—before it controls you.
1. Monday.com Best Project Management Tool for Businesses
Reasons to Buy:
- Highly Customizable: Monday.com offers extensive customization options, allowing businesses to tailor their workspaces to their specific needs. You can modify dashboards, task columns, and more to create a personalized workflow.
- Robust Automation: The platform includes powerful automation features that reduce repetitive tasks, helping teams focus on more critical work. Pre-built automation templates are available, or you can create custom ones based on your needs.
- Extensive Integrations: With over 50 integrations available, including Google Drive, Slack, and Salesforce, Monday.com seamlessly connects with other tools you may already be using, creating a unified workspace.
- Versatile Use Cases: Suitable for a wide range of industries and team sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. It supports project management, CRM, and content marketing, among other functions.
- User-Friendly Interface: The clean and intuitive design of the platform makes it accessible even for beginners, with easy navigation and clear visual representations of projects.
- Strong Customer Support: Monday.com provides 24/7 customer support across all its plans, including a comprehensive knowledge base, live webinars, and a learning academy.
What Sets This Tool Apart:
- Visual Work Management: Monday.com excels in providing a highly visual interface that includes Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and timeline views, making it easier to track project progress and deadlines at a glance.
- Collaboration Features: The platform fosters collaboration with features like in-app commenting, task assignments, and the ability to view team members’ statuses, which is essential for distributed or remote teams.
- Flexible Pricing Plans: It offers a wide range of pricing plans from free to enterprise levels, catering to different business sizes and needs. The Pro and Enterprise plans include advanced features like time tracking and custom permissions.
What It Lacks:
- Learning Curve for Advanced Features: While the basic features are user-friendly, the more advanced tools like custom automation and API integrations have a steeper learning curve, requiring some time investment to master.
- Cost Scaling: As your team grows, the cost of using Monday.com can increase significantly, especially if you need advanced features available only in higher-tier plans.
- Limited Time Tracking in Lower Tiers: Time tracking is only available in the Pro and Enterprise plans, which could be a drawback for smaller teams that need this feature but are on a budget.
2. Todoist Tool for Entrepreneurs
Why You Should Consider Todoist:
- User-Friendly Design: Todoist’s interface is simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate, making it ideal for users of all experience levels. Its minimalistic approach ensures you can manage tasks without feeling overwhelmed by complexity.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available across a wide range of devices—Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and even wearable tech—Todoist ensures that your tasks are always accessible, whether you’re at your desk or on the go.
- Robust Task Management Features: Todoist allows for comprehensive task management with features like projects, sub-tasks, labels, and priority levels. It also offers natural language processing for quick task entry and productivity reports to help you track your progress.
- Extensive Integrations: With integrations for Google Calendar, Slack, and hundreds more via Zapier, Todoist seamlessly fits into your existing workflow, allowing for smoother task management across platforms.
What Makes Todoist Stand Out:
- Natural Language Input: The ability to quickly add tasks using everyday language (e.g., “Submit report tomorrow at 2 PM”) saves time and makes task entry much faster and more intuitive.
- Flexible and Customizable: Todoist offers various customization options, including themes, filters, and labels, which allow users to tailor their experience to their specific needs. This flexibility is particularly appealing to entrepreneurs who manage diverse tasks across multiple projects.
- Productivity Tracking: Todoist’s productivity reports and Karma system provide a unique way to visualize your progress and motivate you to stay on track with your goals, which is a standout feature for those who appreciate data-driven insights.
Areas Where Todoist Falls Short:
- Limited Free Plan: While the free plan is sufficient for basic use, it lacks some of the advanced features—such as productivity reports and task reminders—available in the premium versions, which might be essential for power users.
- Basic Collaboration Features: Todoist does support task sharing and basic collaboration, but it doesn’t offer the same depth of real-time collaboration features found in more comprehensive project management tools like Monday.com or Asana. This can be a limitation for teams needing more robust collaborative capabilities.
- Kanban Boards and Calendar Views: Although Todoist includes these features, they are somewhat limited compared to dedicated project management tools, making it less ideal for complex project management needs.
3. GanttPro Comprehensive Review
Why You Should Consider GanttPRO:
- User-Friendly Interface: GanttPRO offers an intuitive and visually appealing interface that makes it easy for users, even beginners, to plan and manage projects. The drag-and-drop functionality simplifies task management, allowing you to create and adjust project timelines effortlessly.
- Robust Gantt Chart Features: As the name suggests, GanttPRO excels in providing powerful Gantt chart capabilities. These charts are highly responsive and customizable, making them ideal for visualizing project timelines, task dependencies, and resource allocation.
- Time Tracking and Budget Management: GanttPRO includes built-in time tracking and budget management tools, which are essential for entrepreneurs who need to monitor project costs and track time spent on various tasks. These features help ensure that projects stay on schedule and within budget.
- Versatile Project Views: Beyond Gantt charts, GanttPRO offers multiple views, including Grid, Kanban, and Portfolio views, allowing you to manage tasks in the format that best suits your workflow. This flexibility makes it easier to switch between different perspectives of your project.
- Effective Collaboration Tools: The platform is designed with collaboration in mind, offering real-time data synchronization, task comments, and @mentions to keep your team connected and informed. Notifications ensure everyone is aware of project updates and deadlines.
What Sets GanttPRO Apart:
- Auto-Scheduling and Baseline Features: GanttPRO’s auto-scheduling feature automatically recalculates project timelines when task dependencies change, reducing manual adjustments. The baseline feature allows you to compare your current project progress against the original plan, helping to identify deviations and keep the project on track.
- Comprehensive Resource Management: The software allows for detailed resource management, including tracking labor, materials, and virtual resources. You can assign multiple team members to tasks, manage workload distributions, and ensure optimal use of resources throughout the project.
- Secure and Scalable: GanttPRO supports Single Sign-On (SSO) and SAML login credentials, making it secure for larger enterprises. It is scalable, catering to businesses of various sizes, and includes customizable permissions for different team roles, enhancing project visibility and control.
Where GanttPRO Could Improve:
- Limited Integrations: Compared to other project management tools, GanttPRO’s integration options are somewhat limited. While it does offer connections with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Jira Cloud, it lacks the extensive integration options available in platforms like Monday.com or ClickUp.
- No Free Version: Unlike many competitors, GanttPRO does not offer a free plan, which may be a drawback for startups or small businesses on a tight budget. The pricing, while reasonable, might be a consideration for those looking for free or more budget-friendly options.
- Learning Curve for Advanced Features: While the basic features are easy to use, some advanced functionalities, such as custom reporting and API integrations, might require a bit of a learning curve. Users may need to invest time in learning these tools to fully leverage the platform’s capabilities.
4. TimeCamp A Solid Choice for Entrepreneurs
Why You Should Consider TimeCamp:
- User-Friendly Time Tracking: TimeCamp offers an intuitive interface that makes tracking time simple and efficient. With options for both automatic and manual time tracking, you can tailor your approach depending on your workflow, whether you’re tracking time by project, client, or task.
- Comprehensive Reporting: The platform provides a variety of detailed reports that offer valuable insights into your productivity. These reports can be customized, making it easier to analyze work patterns and make informed decisions.
- Integrated Billing and Invoicing: TimeCamp simplifies the billing process by automatically generating invoices based on tracked billable hours. This feature is especially beneficial for freelancers and small businesses who need to streamline their financial operations.
- Affordable Pricing: With plans starting as low as $5.25 per user per month for teams, TimeCamp offers a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes, making it accessible even for those on a tight budget.
What Sets TimeCamp Apart:
- Keyword Time Tracking: A standout feature of TimeCamp is its keyword-based time tracking. This tool allows you to assign keywords to specific tasks, and TimeCamp automatically tracks time when those keywords appear in the titles of documents or web pages. This automation can significantly enhance accuracy and reduce the time spent on manual entries.
- Wide Range of Integrations: TimeCamp integrates seamlessly with various tools like Trello, Asana, and Slack, making it a versatile addition to your existing tech stack. This integration capability ensures that TimeCamp fits well into diverse workflows and improves overall productivity.
- Clear Timesheet Management: The platform’s timesheet feature provides a straightforward view of all tracked hours, allowing for easy monitoring and adjustments. This is particularly useful for teams needing to manage multiple projects and clients simultaneously.
Areas Where TimeCamp Falls Short:
- Mobile App Limitations: While the desktop version of TimeCamp is robust, the mobile app has its drawbacks. It lacks some essential features like time-off requests and invoicing, which can be inconvenient for managers and employees who need to work on the go.
- Customization Constraints: Despite offering several customization options, TimeCamp does not allow for the creation of custom task names or detailed project breakdowns. This limitation can make managing more complex projects somewhat cumbersome.
- Occasional Glitches and Slowdowns: Users have reported occasional glitches, particularly with the time tracking accuracy and app loading times. These issues, though not widespread, can disrupt workflow and require manual corrections, which defeats the purpose of automation to some extent.
5. Clockify The Ideal Time Management Tool for Entrepreneurs
Why You Should Consider Clockify:
- Completely Free for Basic Use: Clockify stands out by offering a truly free plan with unlimited users, projects, and tracking capabilities. This makes it an excellent choice for freelancers and small businesses looking to manage time without a financial commitment.
- Multi-Device Compatibility: Whether you’re working on a desktop, mobile, or web platform, Clockify ensures seamless time tracking across all devices, making it highly accessible for remote and hybrid teams.
- Comprehensive Reporting: The platform offers detailed reporting features, allowing you to view, customize, and export reports based on projects, clients, or individual users. This is crucial for tracking billable hours, project costs, and overall productivity.
- Easy Integration with Other Tools: Clockify integrates with over 50 other apps, including popular project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira. This ensures that it can seamlessly fit into your existing workflow.
- User-Friendly Interface: With a straightforward, intuitive interface, Clockify is easy to navigate, making it accessible even for those new to time management software.
What Makes Clockify Stand Out:
- Flexible Pricing Plans: Clockify offers a range of pricing plans from completely free to enterprise-level, ensuring that it can scale with your business as your needs grow. The Pro and Enterprise plans introduce advanced features like GPS tracking, custom fields, and labor cost analysis, making it a powerful tool for more complex requirements.
- Offline Functionality: A standout feature of Clockify is its ability to function offline. This is particularly beneficial for teams working in remote locations or where internet connectivity is unreliable. Once reconnected, the data syncs automatically, ensuring no time tracking is lost.
- Advanced Automation and Customization: The platform offers automation features like auto-tracking, which records time based on your computer activity, and customizable templates and reports that can be tailored to your specific business needs.
Where Clockify Falls Short:
- Limited Project Management Features: While Clockify excels in time tracking, it lacks the more robust project management features that other tools might offer. If you need comprehensive project management capabilities, you might need to integrate Clockify with other tools or consider alternatives.
- Steeper Costs for Advanced Features: Although the free plan is generous, the advanced features that many growing businesses might require, such as detailed invoicing, GPS tracking, and custom fields, are locked behind the Pro and Enterprise plans, which can become costly as your team expands.
- No Live Chat Support: Clockify offers excellent knowledge base resources, but it lacks live chat support, which could be a drawback for users who prefer real-time assistance.
6. Toggl Track A Comprehensive Review
Why You Should Consider Toggl Track:
- Simple Yet Powerful Time Tracking: Toggl Track excels in its core function—time tracking. With its one-click timer, manual time entries, and offline tracking capabilities, it allows you to track time effortlessly across multiple devices, including mobile, desktop, and web apps.
- Comprehensive Reporting: The tool offers robust reporting features that allow you to filter, sort, and export time data. You can create detailed client-ready reports and even share live report links, which is particularly useful for client billing and team performance analysis.
- Integration Capabilities: Toggl Track integrates seamlessly with various tools that entrepreneurs often use, such as Asana, Jira, Slack, and Google Calendar. These integrations help streamline workflows and reduce the need to switch between multiple apps.
- Scalability and Flexibility: Whether you’re a freelancer or running a large team, Toggl Track offers flexible pricing plans. The free plan is ideal for small teams, while the premium and enterprise plans provide advanced features like project forecasts, billable rates, and custom reports, making it a scalable solution as your business grows.
What Makes Toggl Track Stand Out:
- User-Friendly Interface: Toggl Track is praised for its clean and intuitive design, making it easy for users to start tracking time with minimal learning curve. This ease of use is a significant advantage, especially for entrepreneurs who need to manage their time effectively without spending hours learning new software.
- Offline Tracking: Unlike many competitors, Toggl Track allows you to track time without an internet connection, syncing data automatically when you’re back online. This feature is particularly beneficial for entrepreneurs who are always on the move or working in areas with limited connectivity.
- Versatile Use Cases: Toggl Track is not just for time tracking; it also offers project management features such as project dashboards, task assignments, and timeline forecasting. These features make it a versatile tool for managing both time and projects in one place.
Areas Where Toggl Track Could Improve:
- Limited Features on Mobile Apps: While the mobile apps are great for basic time tracking, they lack some advanced features found in the web and desktop versions, such as project management tools and admin settings. This limitation might be inconvenient for users who rely heavily on mobile devices.
- No Built-In Payroll Integration: Toggl Track does not offer native payroll processing, which could be a drawback for entrepreneurs looking for an all-in-one solution that includes time tracking and payroll. You might need to use additional tools or integrations to handle payroll effectively.
- Manual Timesheet Approvals: The process of creating and approving timesheets is not fully automated, which could lead to errors or missed entries. Some competitors offer more automated solutions in this area, reducing the administrative burden.
7. Trello Top Time Management Tool for Entrepreneurs
Why You Should Consider Trello:
- Intuitive and Visual Task Management: Trello’s Kanban-style boards are the backbone of its intuitive task management system. Tasks are easily visualized as cards that can be moved across columns representing different stages of a project. This visual approach simplifies tracking and managing tasks, making it especially appealing for entrepreneurs who need a clear overview of their projects.
- Exceptional Collaboration Features: Trello excels in fostering team collaboration. It allows team members to comment on tasks, attach files, assign due dates, and tag colleagues, ensuring that everyone stays aligned and projects move forward smoothly. This level of collaboration is critical for entrepreneurs managing remote teams or multiple projects.
- Customizable with Power-Ups: Trello offers an extensive range of integrations, known as Power-Ups, that allow you to customize your boards to meet specific needs. From time-tracking tools to CRM integrations, these Power-Ups expand Trello’s functionality, making it a versatile tool that can grow with your business.
- Workflow Automation with Butler: Trello’s Butler automation feature enables you to automate repetitive tasks, saving time and reducing errors. You can set triggers and actions, such as moving a card when a task is completed or sending an email when a task reaches a specific stage. This automation is invaluable for streamlining your workflow.
What Sets Trello Apart:
- Unlimited Integrations in Free Plan: Unlike many competitors, Trello offers unlimited integrations even in its free plan. This feature allows entrepreneurs to connect Trello with other essential tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Zoom without additional costs, making it a powerful tool for businesses on a budget.
- User-Friendly Design: Trello is known for its simple and clean user interface, making it accessible to users of all experience levels. This ease of use is crucial for entrepreneurs who may not have time to invest in learning complex software.
- Flexible Views for Advanced Planning: While Trello is primarily known for its Kanban boards, it also offers other views like Timeline, Calendar, Table, Dashboard, and Map. These views provide different perspectives on your projects, helping you manage tasks and deadlines more effectively.
Areas Where Trello Falls Short:
- Limited Reporting Capabilities: Trello’s simplicity can be a drawback when it comes to reporting. The platform lacks in-depth reporting features, which may be a limitation for entrepreneurs who need detailed insights into project performance and productivity metrics.
- Overwhelming with Large Projects: While Trello is excellent for managing smaller projects, it can become overwhelming when dealing with large, complex projects involving many tasks. Navigating through multiple cards and boards can be cumbersome, especially for larger teams.
- No Built-In Time Tracking: Trello does not offer native time-tracking features, which means you’ll need to rely on third-party integrations to track time spent on tasks. This can add an extra layer of complexity for entrepreneurs looking for an all-in-one solution.
8. Google Calendar A Top Choice for Entrepreneurs
Why Consider Google Calendar?
- Seamless Integration: Google Calendar integrates effortlessly with other Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Google Meet, and Google Tasks, making it a central hub for managing appointments, meetings, and tasks without leaving your email or other essential tools.
- Cross-Platform Accessibility: Whether you’re using a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, Google Calendar syncs across devices, ensuring that your schedule is always up-to-date and accessible from anywhere.
- Collaboration-Friendly: Share your calendar with team members, clients, or collaborators, allowing for easy scheduling and coordination. Real-time updates and notifications ensure everyone stays on the same page.
- Cost-Effective: Google Calendar is free to use, which is a significant advantage for startups and small businesses looking to manage their time effectively without additional costs.
- Customizable Notifications: Set reminders and notifications for upcoming meetings, deadlines, or events, helping you stay on top of your commitments with minimal effort.
What Sets Google Calendar Apart?
- Event Integration with Gmail: One of the standout features is the automatic creation of calendar events from your Gmail account. Google Calendar can pull flight details, hotel bookings, and other event information from your emails and add them to your calendar without manual input.
- Ease of Use: Google Calendar is known for its intuitive, clean interface, making it user-friendly even for those who are not tech-savvy. The drag-and-drop feature for events, simple color-coding options, and easy navigation contribute to its wide adoption.
- Offline Access: For those moments when you’re without internet access, Google Calendar allows for offline viewing, ensuring that you can still check your schedule when needed. This feature is particularly useful for travelers or individuals in areas with unreliable connectivity.
Areas Where Google Calendar Could Improve:
- Basic Design: While functional, Google Calendar’s interface has remained largely unchanged for years and may appear outdated compared to more modern calendar tools. Users looking for a visually appealing experience might find it lacking.
- Limited Advanced Features: Although it excels in basic scheduling, Google Calendar lacks some of the advanced time management features found in specialized tools, such as complex task management, advanced reporting, and AI-based scheduling suggestions.
- Dependency on Google Ecosystem: While the deep integration with Google Workspace is a strength, it also means that users heavily reliant on other ecosystems (like Microsoft or Apple) might find it less convenient.
9. Calendly A Top Time Management Tool for Entrepreneurs
Why You Should Consider Calendly:
- Simplified Scheduling: Calendly excels in eliminating the back-and-forth of scheduling by allowing clients, colleagues, or prospects to book time directly based on your availability. This automation saves significant time, which is crucial for busy entrepreneurs.
- Versatile Integrations: It integrates seamlessly with popular calendar systems like Google Calendar, Outlook, and Office 365, ensuring your availability is always accurate and up-to-date. Additionally, Calendly supports over 100 integrations with various business tools, enhancing your workflow.
- Customizable Experience: With options to personalize your scheduling page with your branding—logos, colors, and custom URLs—Calendly helps maintain a professional appearance that aligns with your brand identity.
- Flexible Event Types: Whether you need to schedule one-on-one meetings, group sessions, or even round-robin scheduling for teams, Calendly offers a range of event types to suit various business needs.
What Sets Calendly Apart:
- User-Friendly Interface: Calendly is designed with simplicity in mind, making it accessible even for those not particularly tech-savvy. The interface is clean and intuitive, allowing users to set up and manage their schedules with minimal effort.
- Automated Notifications: The platform’s ability to automatically send out meeting reminders, confirmations, and follow-ups enhances professionalism and reduces the chances of missed appointments.
- Comprehensive Security: Calendly prioritizes data security, employing top-tier encryption, two-factor authentication, and compliance with industry standards like SOC 2 Type II. This makes it a safe choice for businesses handling sensitive client information.
Areas Where Calendly Falls Short:
- Limited Free Plan: While Calendly’s free version is useful, it only allows one event type, which can be restrictive for businesses with more complex scheduling needs. Advanced features like group scheduling, more robust integrations, and custom branding require a paid plan.
- Customization Limits: Despite the branding options, some users find the platform’s customization features insufficient, especially for businesses requiring highly personalized booking pages or advanced scheduling functionalities.
- Learning Curve for Advanced Features: Although basic functions are straightforward, mastering more advanced features—like setting up complex workflows or deep integrations—can be challenging, especially for users without technical support.
10. Harvest Essential Time Management Tool for Entrepreneurs
Why You Should Consider Harvest:
- User-Friendly Time Tracking: Harvest excels in making time tracking effortless. Whether you prefer manual entry or automated timers, each time entry can be linked to specific projects, clients, and tasks, providing granular tracking that is both easy and insightful.
- Integrated Invoicing: Harvest streamlines the invoicing process by automatically pulling billable hours and expenses into invoices, which can be customized and sent directly to clients. This integration with time tracking eliminates the need for separate invoicing tools, simplifying your workflow.
- Comprehensive Reporting: Harvest offers detailed reports that give you a clear view of where your time is spent, helping you identify inefficiencies and optimize productivity. You can generate reports based on projects, clients, and team members, which is invaluable for making informed decisions.
- Seamless Integrations: The tool integrates smoothly with a wide range of other software, including project management tools like Asana, accounting platforms like QuickBooks, and communication apps like Slack, ensuring that your workflow remains connected and streamlined.
- Flexible Use Cases: Harvest is versatile enough to cater to various industries, including creative services, IT, and consulting. It’s equally effective for freelancers, small businesses, and larger teams needing robust time and expense management.
Unique Selling Points:
- Simplicity Meets Depth: Harvest stands out for its balance of simplicity and functionality. While it’s easy to use, it offers deep features like comprehensive time tracking, project management, and invoicing—all within a single platform.
- Real-Time Budget Tracking: One of Harvest’s unique strengths is its ability to track project budgets in real-time. This feature allows you to monitor how much time and money you’re spending against the budget, which is crucial for maintaining profitability and managing client expectations.
- Cross-Device Compatibility: With apps available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and a Chrome extension, Harvest ensures that you can track time and manage tasks seamlessly across all your devices. This cross-platform support is essential for entrepreneurs who need to stay productive on the go.
Areas Where Harvest Could Improve:
- Limited Customization: While Harvest offers several useful features, it falls short in customization options. For instance, billing increments are restricted to specific intervals, and there’s no functionality for batch-assigning time across multiple employees, which can be a hassle for larger teams.
- Discrepancies Between Desktop and Web Apps: Some users report inconsistencies between the desktop app and the web version, leading to potential confusion. This disconnection can disrupt workflows and diminish the overall user experience.
- Accessibility and Notification Shortcomings: Harvest could enhance its accessibility features, such as adding screen reader support and better keyboard navigation. Additionally, the lack of comprehensive notification systems across all devices means you might miss important updates if you rely solely on the mobile app.