Having great tools will help make managing projects a whole lot easier. Having the right tools will enable you to share files seamlessly, communicate easily, reduce down time and increase accountability. Here are a few tools that small businesses can benefit from when it comes to project management.

==> Basecamp

Basecamp is one of the most popular project management systems on the web. It’s entirely web based and supports the vast majority of project management tasks you’ll need.

It has a discussion boards, milestones tracking, projects tracking, file uploads and more.

Larger businesses might find that Basecamp doesn’t quite address all their needs, but most small businesses find that Basecamp offers a great bang for the buck.

==> Google Docs

If you have spreadsheets and documents that need to be edited regularly, instead of storing it in a regular file, it often makes sense to store it in a Google Docs file.

For example, if you’re in a sales team, it might make sense to store your sales metrics in one spreadsheet on Google Docs. That way, whenever someone makes a sale, that person can just change their sales number in the spreadsheet.

Whenever someone changes something on Google Docs, the changes are immediately reflected on everyone’s screen. It’s like a collaborative document that changes in real time.

==> Dropbox

Dropbox allows you to backup and share files quickly and easily. Here’s how it works.

First, you select a folder. This will be your Dropbox folder. Anything in this folder is automatically uploaded to Dropbox and backed up. If you work out of your Dropbox folder, you more or less insure that you’ll never be crippled by having your data wiped out.

You can share folders with other people. If you’re running a project with a group of people, often time’s it makes sense to store all the files your group needs in one Dropbox folder. That way everyone can upload, access or edit those files.

==> Skype

Skype offers the best of all worlds when it comes to messaging services.

First, you have instant messaging. If you need to get a message across quickly, Skype can do it.

Then you have audio and video calls. If you need to talk more in depth with someone about something, Skype can help.

If you have team members that aren’t working side by side, Skype can help bridge that gap.

==> Wiki

Having your own internal wiki is a great way to store procedures, processes, tips and answers to common questions.

For example, you can use a wiki to store all the common answers to email inquiries that media or customers may send you.

These are a few project management common tools that small business owners and managers can benefit from.