Key highlights
- Discover essential tools that help remote professionals stay productive, focused and connected in a work-from-anywhere environment.
- Learn how the right mix of education, design, communication and project management platforms can simplify remote workflows.
- Understand why focus and productivity tools are critical for managing distractions and maintaining consistent work routines at home.
- Explore popular collaboration and video conferencing solutions that keep remote teams aligned and communicating effectively.
- Identify resources that support continuous learning, creative work and business growth while working outside a traditional office.
Remote work allows professionals to work outside of the traditional office environment when necessary, including self-employed individuals, freelancers and those working from home. Remote work can be hard for some to stay on task or create a manageable schedule. A key component to being productive when you work from home is having the essential tools to keep you on track and in communication with your teammates as you work throughout the day.
Essential Remote Work Resources for Your Home Office Setup
A productive home office doesn’t require a complete overhaul, just strategic improvements. Your physical workspace impacts productivity, comfort and professional presence during video calls, making it a valuable remote work resource.
- Secure VPN Access for Remote Work Privacy: VPN (Virtual Private Networking) enables private, secure internet browsing. It protects you by masking your IP address and location, encrypting data and preventing tracking. VPNs are useful for home, office, mobile or public network access. Subscribe to a VPN provider with monthly or annual fees.
- Starter Setup Essentials: Begin with proper ergonomics by positioning your monitor at eye level and ensuring your chair supports your lower back. Optimize lighting by facing windows or adding desk lamps to avoid harsh shadows. Test internet speeds and identify strong Wi-Fi zones. Reduce noise with closed doors, sound-absorbing furnishings or noise-canceling headphones.
- Upgrade Considerations: As you settle into remote work, consider upgrading with a monitor stand, external keyboard and mouse, ring light or professional webcam. White noise machines or room dividers create better boundaries between work and personal space. Build your setup gradually based on your workflow needs.
20 Must-Have Remote Work Resources for Staying Productive at Home
Educational Remote Work Resources for Success
1. Codecademy: Coding has never been cooler than it is today. Codecademy allows users to learn the intricacies of coding by allowing them to choose their desired skill sets, practice by writing real code and receiving feedback.
2. Coursera: It’s never too late to learn a new skill. Coursera features thousands of online courses from accredited universities and companies that help you earn industry-recognized credentials.
3. Skillcrush: What better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than with an online platform geared to helping women pursue a career in technology? Skillcrush features courses like visual design, web development, digital marketing and more!
Design Tools for Remote Work Presentations and Visual Content
4. Canva: If you are looking to brush up your design skills, Canva is a great platform to create presentations, slideshows, portfolios and more!
5. Animoto: Video creation’s have never been easier with Animoto. Users can create impressive content with a drag and drop video maker that allows you to personalize your video with custom music, colors and fonts.
6. Visage: This template system for brand design allows you to become a storyteller and create brand content that reflects your unique voice, tone and personality.
Music and Productivity Remote Work Resources for Workers
7. Brain.fm: Do you work better with a good playlist coming through your speakers? Brain.fm combines science and music to provide users with functional music that will help you be more productive and engage in your day-to-day work.
8. SelfControl: Don’t you hate getting distracted by online shopping or random internet browsing? SelfControl allows you to block access to certain websites for a set period of time so you can work free of any distractions.
9. Evernote: Taking notes never goes out of style. If you want to organize your ideas, big projects or stay on track of your deadlines, Evernote is a note taking app designed to manage your everyday task in one place.
Marketing and Sales Remote Work Resources for Business Growth
10. Hubspot: If you are ready to take your business to the next level, Hubspot is a marketing, sales and service software that can help grow your business. Whether you’re working on email campaigns, customer feedback or your analytics, Hubspot gives you the tools to thrive.
11. BuzzSumo: BuzzSumo helps you create dynamic content by allowing you to research keywords or domains that can help you generate ideas, find influencers and monitor the conversation of trends online.
Remote Work Communication and Collaboration Tools
12. Slack: A platform that allows multiple team members to communicate on one channel whether they are making announcements, hosting a video chat or collaborating on new projects.
13. Trello: If you want to track and manage the productivity of fellow teammates, Trello is a great management tool to power up your workflow and keep your team on task.
14. G Suite: If you have a Google account, G Suite brings your business together by allowing small teams to communicate via emails, hangouts and mobile device management.
Project Management Tools for Remote Work Resources
15. Basecamp: Basecamp is a project management tool that allows you to manage and break up work into separate projects through message boards, group chats, automatic check-ins and to-do lists.
16. Asana: Asana is another great project management tool that allows you to stay on top of your work from anywhere in the world. This online tool and app allow you to track the progress of a project, streamline communication between multiple people and improve collaboration between team members.
Social Media Scheduling Tools for Remote Work Productivity
17. Buffer: A social media scheduling tool that allows you to create, collaborate and publish content for multiple social platforms all in one place.
18. Hootsuite: Schedule, manage and report the progress of your social media postings using Hootsuite. You can save time by scheduling multiple posts, curate pre-approved content for members to review and monitor your social analytics through one dashboard.
Video Conferencing Remote Work Resources for Collaboration
19. Zoom: Zoom is a modern video communication platform that allows you to host a meeting, video webinar, chat or book a conference room to enable meeting spaces.
20. Skype: Just because you’re remote, doesn’t mean you can’t chat with your co-workers. Skype features video and phone call features that allow you to screen share and use subtitles with fellow teammates.
Remote Work Resources for Building Stronger Team Connections
Building genuine connections in remote teams requires intentional effort beyond formal meetings. The key is creating lightweight rituals that foster team culture without overwhelming schedules.
- Virtual coworking sessions: Schedule optional “work together” blocks where team members can collaborate silently with cameras on, mimicking office presence
- Async-first communication: Use dedicated social channels for casual conversations, celebration posts and team updates that don’t require immediate responses
- Onboarding buddies: Pair new hires with existing team members for informal check-ins and cultural guidance during their first month
- Time zone inclusivity: Rotate meeting times quarterly and record important discussions for those who can’t attend live
- Digital coffee breaks: Host brief, optional 15-minute video chats for casual conversations without agenda requirements
Final thoughts
When you work from home, you have the opportunity to start learning a new skill or trying out a new online tool to set you up for success. These remote work resources are designed to make remote working productive, manageable and help you easily communicate with your co-workers. Using any of these tools can transform your work from home experience by keeping you accountable, on task and ensuring you get the job done.
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