Free Remote Working Technology
25/03/2020 Business Continuity All News
Free technology for helping you to collaborate whilst you're remote working.
Like many companies, we're getting used to the new norm of having our entire workforce working in a distributed environment.
Since some staff at Jigsaw Finance have worked remotely for many years, we already use a number of systems to help our staff collaborate whilst working in this way. As we appreciate how difficult it can seem at first to operate in a distributed environment, we thought it might be helpful to share some of the free technologies we are using with you.
Slack
Slack
Slack is an Instant Messaging Service that can be used online, installed on your computer, or as a mobile app.
As a business with various members of staff sitting in different departments, we have found Slack to be really useful as you can set up different Channels to message in. We have channels set up for each department and also have themed channels for communicating useful links, etc.
We've found this to be a great tool for both internal collaboration and employee engagement, with staff continuing their light-hearted banter even though they're miles apart.
Slack has free and paid plans and we’ve found the free plan to be more than enough for our needs.
Find Slack at https://slack.com
They’ve even produced a great guide for remote working at https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/resources/using-slack/slack-remote-work-tips?geocode=en-gb
Zoom
Zoom
Zoom is a Remote Video Conferencing Service that can be installed on your computer or as a mobile app.
We've found Zoom to be an excellent tool for scheduling our usual face-to-face meetings. Zoom is easy to install and it's relatively straightforward to understand its basic features.
Zoom has both free and paid plans. Here’s a selection of features that we’ve found to be really useful on their free plan:
- Encrypted communication
- Voice and video recording options
- Screen sharing
The Screen Sharing feature is a great collaboration tool allowing staff to 'point and show' rather than describe their screen in detail.
Find Zoom at https://zoom.us
Trello
Trello
Trello is a web-based Project Management Tool that can be used for collaborating on projects.
At Jigsaw Finance, this system is mainly in use by our technical and marketing staff, but it can be useful in other business areas that find the need to collaborate on both small and complex projects.
Again, this product has both free and paid plans and we’re currently using the free plan without issue.
Find Trello at https://trello.com
We hope that you've found the above useful!
Wishing you the best in these difficult times
Jigsaw Finance Limited
Jigsaw Finance Limited and associated trading styles is a Credit Broker not a lender and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 679612). We work with a limited panel of lenders, who may offer different interest rates and charges. We are only able to offer finance products from these providers. Our lender selection process is structured to balance lender efficiencies with customer approval rates. We operate on a non-advised basis, meaning we do not provide financial advice or make recommendations. Instead, we explain key features of available finance products, and you decide whether the product is suitable for you.
We do not charge you a fee for our service; instead we receive a commission payment from lenders for arranging finance on your behalf. The commission we receive may vary depending on the lender and product. The commission we receive from the lender and pay to the introducer impacts the amount you pay.
As a credit broker with a limited panel of preferred credit providers from whom we receive commission, Jigsaw is not impartial and we may be influenced by the amount of commission we earn. Although we receive commission from lenders, we aim to provide finance solutions that meet our customers' needs.
The amount earned by Jigsaw and the motor retailer including how it has been calculated will be disclosed prior to signing your agreement. Full details of this can be found in our Initial Disclosure Document.
If you have any questions about how we are paid or how we select lenders, please ask before proceeding.