#basecamp

So how do I do it? How do I stay focused on a project when working with a client on their project while working remotely?

Being a nomad, you can’t lug around a 27" screen everywhere, so you have to improvise. And I do that with my 13" MacBook Pro.

I’ve been using a single 13" screen for as long as I care to remember. I find it very portable and can do anything and everything on it.

I start by creating a client profile in Brave. That way I can keep every client separate, and remove distractions from my own environment.

The browser tabs are organised for the tools, website and services I only need for that client project. And my Basecamp and HEY apps are always in pole position.

Time tracking is not something I worry about too much, as my fee is always fixed as I never need to supply my hours.

But I just keep track of the hours inn HEY for myself, that way I can optimise my day and future projects.

Basecamp does have an add-on for time tacking, but I don’t require the vast feature set it has, so I can’t justify the cost.

Again, for me the 13" screen is perfect. It’s small, nimble and I’m able to adjust my workspace to whatever project I’m working on.

How do you organise your digital workspace?

The new Hilltop view for Basecamp is here, and it’s going to make the top-down-view of all your project tasks so much easier.

The Hill Chart is a tool that helps you manually keep track of task lists so you know what’s going on with a glance.

You also have the ability to leave notes when updating the Hill Chart so everyone in the team can know how the tasks are progressing.

So now with the Hilltop view, I can check all my project task progression in one view to help me assess my workload and any sticking points, if any.

It’s kinda like The Needle feature, but for tasks.

It’s hard running a business, we all know this.

So when you have a someone in your circle that get fed, cleaned, walked and sleeps whenever he likes, it can be a little annoying to say the least.

So why not get them to pull their weight!

Woof! has been a my Security Officer for many years, but he also has another incredibly important duty within my organisation!

Kia.

Hahaha, that’s a very good question!

As you know I use Basecamp when I work with my clients. And there are times I have to make videos showing Basecamp from the client’s perspective.

So the videos have to show what they see, rather than Basecamp from my viewing perspective.

For that reason it’s good to have a ‘dummy client’ account in the project to make it easier.

Why would you do this?

Well, do you really want to show confidential client information to the team?

A dummy account doesn’t have to be boring. And having Woof! as my Security Officer has broken the ice many times while I’m collaborating a team!

And now you know why Woof! the Security Officer has a Basecamp profile.

…but many make the mistake of complicating the simple and make it hard for themselves.

Here’s a preview of my Basecamp template just before I onboard my clients for a large project we’re collaboration on.

Don’t have everything all over the place, have it all in one place, that way you’ll never have things fall through the gaps!

How do you start your projects?

Kia.

Today is the day I onboard my clients into Basecamp for a project I’m extremely excited to get start on!

The screenshot is my Basecamp template before the work begins. I have a some client data in there to get started, but it’s pretty much a blank sheet right now.

This client hasn’t used Basecamp in the past, so I have to ease them into it.

But while in the discovery and negotiation stage, we agreed on using it for the project to make sure everything was in one place, and not all over the place!

All design assets, communications, doors to external tools, milestones, calendars events, everything, will be here.

So no emails, messages, pigeons or any other form of communications will be elsewhere. It will all be within Basecamp.

I’m not a communist, if there are urgent matters we will obviously use other tools like video calls etc.

But if everything is in one place and documented correctly, there are no reasons to have things go astray.

Right?

In the spirit of my video titled ‘ You already have the app!’ I almost fell into the trap, again!

This morning I needed to send a proposal to a client. I have in the past used several services to make this task simple, but I found them to be complicated and bloated.

Then I realised… I already have an app! It’s called Basecamp!

Kia.

Often we complicate the most basic of things. Presenting a proposal used to be as simple as a phone call, an email, a chat message.

But they’ve became as convoluted as all the three examples above plus documents, PDFs, external services and I’m sure someone as some point has even sent a carrier pigeon!

I’ve been guilty of some of the exsamples above, but I wanted a way to cut through the crap and just get on with the project.

As soon as I simplified my proposals, and the way there were presented, I got busier. So I made them shorter and shared them as simply as I could.

How? Well, I already had the app!

I started using Basecamp and its ability to share the proposal via a public link.

I find this easier than email, as it can be shared internally with the client’s departments, if needed, before I get the go-ahead.

And I’ll even accept the reply via a carrier pigeon!

P.S. This proposal was approved within a few hours, and the invoice was paid the following day!

I was one of those who though Basecamp was ’too simple’. I also bounced between apps to help me run mu business and collaborate with my clients.

But once I realised Basecamp could do everything I wanted form it, I never looked back!

Kia.

As you’re aware, I use Basecamp for the foundation of my business. My client project collaborations, CRM and so on.

I also use HEY as my only email service because of the feature set, its simplicity and how it fits my workflow.

But I’ve recently started using HEY as a lite ‘pre-CRM’, for the times I need to track the smaller projects.

So I setup a Workflow with the same stages I have in my Basecamp CRM and started testing it out to see if it’ll work.

Within HEY there is the ability to add notes for the email. I use this to jot down any information about the client, stage and general notes.

I’m pretty happy with it so far as it’s simplified my workflow. Its removed the need of clicking through different apps to do the simplest thing.

Be aware though, this is my personal workflow. I’ve created it over many many years to how MY brain works. So it’s not for everyone.

If you’re interested in creating a workflow for your business. And want help to remove tech friction and regain your time, let’s talk!

Today 37signals updated the Basecamp website by adding a page showing people’s paths to returning to using Basecamp.

Go and check it out if you’re still on the fence on using Basecamp for you business.

And if you have any question, I’m always here to help.

basecamp.com/paths

He helped me set up my Mac some time back, showed me a very efficient folder structure which I still use and best of all, introduced me to Basecamp.

The simplicity of Basecamp really reflects Kia’s philosophy: you can work efficiently with only a handful of tools. I couldn’t work without Basecamp anymore. Its simplicity is its power.

I work with all my clients via Basecamp and the feedback from my clients is always positive. One place for all outputs, documents, task management, email forward, agenda and communication.

Thank you Kia, for your teaching and your ongoing, dedicated support to make a consultant’s work environment structured, safe and simple.

I recently made a video about using Basecamp as a CRM. So here’s the demo project, with notes below, to show what’s possible.

As you can see, it’s quite simple.

Triage = Leads
Not now = Lost
Done = Won

• The rest are my ‘stages’. Change them accordingly for you own use-case.
• Create a card, place all client and project details within.
• With Basecamp being so versatile, what I like to call a ‘blank sheet of paper, you can place any bits of information you like. For instance, budget, deal cost etc.
• I then use the comment section for each ‘client’ to add notes.

However, I wouldn’t recommend using this method if you’re a sales team with multiple members.

Hope that helps.

I wanted to find a way to perform a search with Alfred for emails in HEY. The issue was when doing a search, in HEY, there didn’t seem to be a URL change.

After posting what I wanted on the 37Signals forum, I found that the link I posted actually worked! So apparently there as a page/query you can use.

Here’s the working link:  app.hey.com/search

So I created a shortcut in Alfred, tested it, and it works perfectly! I’m sure you’ll be able to do this in Raycast or similar app.

Now I can search without opening HEY first. Just bring up Alfred, type my search query, and hey presto!

“The tidier the desk, the more you can get done” isn’t alway true, but it works for me.

Here’s my desktop, it’s my ‘virtual’ desk. It’s not cluttered because I don’t want to be distracted when I sit to share my thoughts or get some work done.

It has the exact tools I need at an arms reach. So there’s no friction of looking for the right app.

I’ve recently moved back to using HEY, and I’m now using Basecamp more of my personal projects and not just for client work. So far it’s going great.

What you see in the Dock are the main tools and apps I need to run m business and life.

Keep IT Simple.

Having an OS for your business is probably one of the first things you should probably think about when you decide on the tech when running a team.

Want me to help you with Basecamp? Click here!

There are many apps that try to help you be more productive. But I’ve found they often make you busier than you need to be and actually hurt your productivity.

Want to simplify your workflow? Click here!

I was one of the first people on the list when Basecamp announced HEY. I was intrigued, and excited and couldn’t wait to get my hand on a simpler email workflow.

Paid for the first year, got a fantastic alias and there I was using Hey for the year. But, the year wasn’t without issues, but I persevered and it worked out fine.

‍Yet, after the year was almost done, I found that I wasn’t using the features as intended. And if you know me, I love email, and the simplicity of the technology as well as being accessible to all.

‍So I didn’t renew my subscription and went back to my trusted Apple Mail app.

‍Over the following year, I found that it was becoming more reliable. And the features were getting better. So at the beginning of the year, I signed up for it again hoping that my workflow would get with said new features.

‍But alas, no. I found myself struggling with too many clicks to do the simplest of things. Also, I know how to use email.

Heck, I even get hired to help those in need of email simplicity!

‍So after a month or so, I gave up.

‍It’s not you HEY/Basecamp, it’s me. I prefer simplicity over complicated/over-engineered tools.

Yesterday, Basecamp pushed an update with some handy tools. A most welcomed feature is called Lineup, where now you can add start and end dates to projects, and they show up on the Home Page.

Not only that, but this Lineup feature gets a dedicated page too, where you can view all projects, past and present, in a handy little timeline.

They’ve also released many other great features, and the one I’m personally pleased about is their commitment to better security and privacy.

Learn more about the full update by clicking here.

Having data and communication all over the place can make you feel unproductive and, at times, anxious.

I know because this is how I felt when I started coaching, but with Basecamp, I was able to tame and have a single source of truth.

Basecamp is a company I follow very closely, not only because I use their products, like Basecamp & HEY, but for their amazing knack for writing copy that draws you into the product, and makes you understand it quickly, with no sales-y’ BS!

Well played Basecamp, well played!