Remote work opens up many opportunities for both employers and employees, but it also brings certain challenges. According to a survey by MIT Sloan, HR leaders expressed concerns about how to keep remote employees engaged, productive, and connected.

It’s not an easy task, but with the right tools, everything is possible. In this blog, you’ll find the list of the most useful remote collaboration tools that can help your club staff stay connected, boost productivity, and maintain engagement, along with their key features and pricing.

Key Takeaways

• Remote collaboration tools are essential for keeping club staff connected and productive.
• Tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack modernize communication through chats and calls.
• Zoom offers reliable video conferencing for remote meetings with convenient recording.
• Miro enables remote team brainstorming with visual collaboration.
• Cloud storage platforms like Dropbox and Google Workspace provide secure file sharing and real-time document collaboration.
• Project management tools like Trello and Asana help track tasks and projects, ensuring everything stays on schedule.
• Microsoft Office 365 and Notion offer versatile solutions for document creation, note-taking, and collaboration.

What Are Remote Collaboration Tools? 

Remote collaboration tools are digital platforms that help teams stay connected, work together on tasks, and communicate efficiently, no matter where they are. 

Tools like video conferencing, shared documents, and team messaging apps ensure that everyone stays on the same page. These tools aren’t just convenient – they’re essential for keeping remote teams aligned and productive.

Does Your Club Need Remote Collaboration Tools?

If your club operates with any remote staff or often coordinates with vendors, contractors, or part-time employees, remote collaboration tools are a game changer. 

Picture this: you’re organizing a major golf tournament, but half of your staff are working remotely. Without a reliable system for communication and task management, key details could easily fall through the cracks. 

Remote collaboration tools give you the structure you need to manage every aspect of your club, ensuring everyone is connected, and tasks are completed smoothly, even from a distance.

What Are the Types of Collaboration Tools? 

When managing a remote team, having the right tools for every aspect of communication and workflow is crucial. From keeping your staff connected to organizing projects and tracking deadlines, collaboration tools are designed to support every function of your club’s operations. 

Here are the key types of collaboration tools.

• Team communication (Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat)
• Video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Skype)
• Cloud storage and file sharing (Google Disk, Dropbox, OneDrive)
• File and document collaboration tools (Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Confluence)
• Project Management (Notion, Trello, Miro, Asana)
• Time management tools (Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook Calendar)

10 Best Remote Collaboration Tools

Microsoft Teams

Features: Microsoft Teams combines chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and task management into one platform. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365, OneDrive, and Outlook.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: Teams is perfect for keeping your staff connected through group chats and video calls, whether they’re on-site or working remotely. For clubs that rely heavily on Microsoft products, its integration simplifies file sharing and document collaboration. Plus, its built-in calendar helps you keep track of meetings and important club events in one place.

Pricing: For businesses, the plan Microsoft Teams Essentials costs $4.00 user/month. Also, you can choose Microsoft 365 Business Basic with the price $6.00 user/month paid annually or Microsoft 365 Business Standard with the price $12.50 user/month paid annually.

With Microsoft 365, you’ll get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook, as well as additional apps for your business needs (Bookings, Planner, Microsoft Forms, and others).

Slack

Features: Slack is a team messaging platform for organizing communication through channels, direct messaging, and file sharing. It supports integrations with many other tools, such as Google Drive and Trello.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: With Slack, you can organize conversations by different departments or projects, so the event team isn’t overwhelmed with tech support messages. Slack’s simplicity and customization make it easy to adopt for clubs of any size, helping teams collaborate without unnecessary emails clogging up inboxes.

Pricing: There are different plans for $0, $8.75, and $15.

Miro

Features: Miro is a visual collaboration tool that allows teams to brainstorm, plan, and collaborate on an infinite digital whiteboard. It includes templates for project planning, design sprints, and team brainstorming.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: Planning events or new initiatives can be visualized and shared in real-time with Miro’s collaborative whiteboard, which is ideal for club managers coordinating remotely with teams on everything from member engagement strategies to budgeting. Its visual nature helps clarify complex ideas quickly.

Pricing: Free plan with unlimited users. Starter – $8/mo per member billed annually or $10 monthly. Business – $16/mo per member billed annually or $20 monthly. 

Zoom

Features: Zoom is a leading video conferencing platform known for its reliability and high-quality video. It includes features like screen sharing, breakout rooms, and integration with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: Whether you’re holding remote staff meetings or connecting with club members virtually, Zoom provides a straightforward solution. Its breakout rooms are especially useful for splitting larger meetings into focused discussions, like planning various aspects of an event or separating team departments.

Pricing: Basic (1 user) – free. Pro (1-9 users) – $12.49/month/user, billed annually or $14.99 billed monthly. Business (10-250 users) – $18.32/month/user, billed annually or $21.99 billed monthly.

Microsoft Office 365

Features: Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based suite of Microsoft’s productivity tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and many more. It allows for real-time collaboration on documents and projects.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: For clubs already using Microsoft products, Microsoft 365 is essential for document management and collaboration. Staff can work together on membership databases, event planning spreadsheets, or marketing presentations in real-time, ensuring everyone stays on the same page no matter where they are.

Pricing: Microsoft 365 Business Basic – $7.20 user/month; Microsoft 365 Business Standard – $15.00 user/month, Microsoft 365 Business Premium – $26.40 user/month. You can save 16% when paying annually.

Dropbox

Features: Dropbox is a cloud storage platform designed for file storage and sharing. It offers seamless synchronization across devices and integrates with tools like Slack and Zoom.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: Dropbox allows your team to securely store and share documents, from event budgets to membership forms. Its integration with other tools helps streamline workflows, ensuring files are always accessible when needed. Its simplicity and security make it a great option for handling large volumes of documents across club staff.

Pricing: The Plus plan is priced at $11.99/month for personal use, the Essentials plan at $19.99/month for professionals (1 user), the Business plan at $18 per user/month for teams of 3 or more, and the Business Plus plan at $30 per user/month for teams of 3 or more.

Notion

Features: Notion is an all-in-one workspace for notes, project management, databases, and collaboration. It offers customizable templates for everything from meeting notes to task tracking.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: Notion’s flexibility is its biggest strength. Clubs can use it to organize anything from staff meeting agendas to tracking ongoing projects like facility upgrades. Its easy-to-use interface makes it accessible for club managers who want a simple, yet powerful way to keep their team aligned.

Pricing: Free plan for up to 10 users, $8/seat/month for Plus, $15/seat/month for Business.

Trello

Features: Trello is a project management tool that uses boards and cards to organize tasks. It allows teams to visualize projects, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress in a clear, visual way.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: For clubs juggling multiple projects, such as events, facility maintenance, and member services, Trello provides an easy way to track progress. Each department or project can have its own board, allowing teams to see what’s being worked on and what still needs attention.

Pricing: The Free plan is $0 USD and available for your entire team. The Standard plan is $5 USD per user/month if billed annually ($6 if billed monthly). The Premium plan costs $10 USD per user/month when billed annually ($12.50 if billed monthly). For the Enterprise plan, the price is $17.50 USD per user/month, billed annually at $210.00 per user.

Google Workspace

Features: Google Workspace includes tools like Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Meet. It offers real-time collaboration and integrates smoothly with Google Calendar and Gmail.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: For clubs using Google products, Workspace enables effortless collaboration on everything from financial reports in Google Sheets to event itineraries in Google Docs. The ability to easily share and edit documents in real-time makes it perfect for teams working remotely.

Pricing: Business Start is $6 per user/month, Business Standard is $12 per user/month, Business Plus is $18 per user/month, and Enterprise pricing is available upon request, all with a 1-year commitment.

Asana

Features: Asana is a project management tool that helps teams organize, track, and manage work. It includes task assignments, deadlines, and progress tracking features, and integrates with many other tools like Slack and Google Workspace.

Why It’s Helpful for Clubs: With Asana, club managers can assign tasks, set due dates, and track progress across multiple projects. Whether it’s organizing a club tournament or overseeing renovations, Asana keeps everything on track, ensuring nothing is forgotten.

Pricing: The Personal plan is free. The Starter plan is $13.49 per user/month, and the Advanced plan is $30.49 per user/month. Annual billing is available at a lower rate.

Conclusion

Managing remote teams can be challenging, but with the right collaboration tools, your club can stay organized, productive, and connected, no matter where your staff are working from. Whether you need seamless communication, project management, or document sharing, the tools we’ve covered offer solutions to fit your club’s needs. 

By leveraging these platforms, you’ll not only make remote work easier but also improve the overall efficiency of your club operations, ensuring that both on-site and remote staff work in harmony.

And if you need someone to care about your IT services and cyber security, our professional team is ready to help. With over 20 years of experience in the club industry, we know how make your Club innovative, safe, and secure. Contact us to find out more.