Every office worker works as hard as they can — most of the time, anyway. But just because your employees are doing their jobs doesn’t mean they’re doing it as quickly or as efficiently as they could be.
Part of this problem stems from the software they’re using. While you don’t want to spend a fortune on office software, there are some cheaper (or even free!) options you could use.
Looking to streamline your workflow but don’t want to break the bank? You’ve come to the right place. We have the three of the best office solutions waiting for you in this article.
1. Use LibreOffice
If you’re looking for an alternative to use for basic Microsoft software, LibreOffice is the next best thing.
Instead of using the typical programs associated with Microsoft like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, your office will have LibreOffice versions. These include:
- Writer
- Impress
- Calc
- Base
- Math
- Draw
These six programs all work on a Mac, Windows, and even Linux computers. The best part? It’s completely free to use for Freelancers and business owners alike.
Plus, the entire suite is compatible with all other Microsoft document formats, making the transition even easier for your office. And you’ll find frequent updates and features on every program thanks to the volunteers who work on LibreOffice suite.
What most users like most about OfficeLibre is the last three software options. While you’ll find most office suites offer something like Word and Excel, few have mathematical functions, databases, and design options. These are perfect for your accounting department!
OfficeLibre is currently on its sixth version and offers improved file export and import capabilities, interface customization options, and online help pages.
Although there are so many things to love about OfficeLibre, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you want to download just one of the applications, you won’t be able to — you have to download all six.
There’s also no cloud storage or sharing capabilities within this program, so you’ll want to make sure you store your files somewhere safe.
2. Google Drive Saves Lives
We use Google for pretty much everything, so why not make it your office go-to, too?
Like OfficeLibre, Google Drive offers programs such as Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets just to name a few. You don’t even have to download the suite — as long as you have a Google account you access the Drive (and all the files) from any computer. You’ll want to be careful when you do share files, though, because you can’t password protect them.
Don’t have a computer on-hand but need to access a file immediately? Google Drive’s mobile app is easy to use and works seamlessly on both Apple and Android devices.
If any of your employees work together on projects, this platform is particularly beneficial due to its sharing capabilities. You’ll be able to determine who can view or edit files, and you can see who’s working on a file as soon as you open it.
If you want to share a file with someone who doesn’t have a Google account, don’t worry. You can still do so and they’ll be able to access it without having to create one.
It’s also perfect for storing files for completely free. And don’t worry about using this office suite on a particular browser as it works the same on any you choose to use.
Keep in mind, it doesn’t have as many advanced capabilities as LibreOffice. You’ll also find it doesn’t open files created in other programs that well, either. While some convert without any issues, others won’t convert at all.
For example, documents saved as DOCX or XLSX will convert easily, but older versions or ones from other programs you may have trouble with. On the bright side, files do save automatically and Google Drive does frequent backups so you’ll never have to worry about losing important files and projects.
Although your office might be using advanced technology such as this, you might still need to send an old-fashioned fax once in a while. With Google fax service, this isn’t a problem, either.
If you haven’t figured it out already, Google Drive’s office suite is completely free to use. But they also offer a business version which will cost you £3.30 per month/per user.
3. Microsoft Office Online
You hear Microsoft and you might think about programs you grew up using — Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. While many offices still use these programs today, they are costly.
Microsoft has found a way to compete with its online competitors such as Google Drive and LibreOffice with online versions of its software.
As the name suggests, Microsoft Office Online is an online version of all its applications (PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote, and Excel) for free. The difference between these and the ones you pay for? You won’t have every capability as the downloaded versions.
Because this office suite is available online, there’s no need to download anything. One major difference between this office suite and Google’s? You’ll have no problem converting files saved in formats.
Sharing is made easy as long as you have a Microsoft OneDrive account. This is also where you can upload any Microsoft file to edit and save for later use.
You’ll find the most success of this online office suite if you use Chrome as the browser. But for times when you’re away from your computer, you can use the mobile apps which are available for both Android and Apple users.
Final Thoughts on the Best Office Solutions
There you have it! These are the three best office solutions to add to your workplace to streamline your workflow at absolutely no cost.
If you’re looking for more tips and tricks for anything from finance to happiness, make sure you check out our blog. We’ll even help you to engage your employees, so make sure you don’t miss out!