Backpack It!

June 27, 2007

We have been looking for a way to keep a company calendar and track some to-do lists—going back and forth in email had just become overwhelming! That is when I found Backpack. I am (so far) so delighted with the service that I thought I would share with everyone how we use it.

Backpack is incredibly easy to use. There is a calendar. There are pages. It’s very simple! We don’t use it as a personal information manager though, so it’s a little bit non-standard. Here is exactly how we use it for collaborating:

We make a page for each client.
Pages are basically like a folder where you can put all of your info into one place. So on each client’s page, we put notes about the project and general information in the body section.
We have 2 to-do lists per page.
Under the body is the lists section. I make one list and label it "Nikole’s Stuff". I make another and label it "Ira’s Stuff". This way, each one of us get a task list where we can check off items as we complete them—and we can add to each other’s lists!
We use a lot of notes.
Under the lists section, there is a notes section. We add all the notes about a project here, including some relevant communications with the clients. They are always there so we can refer to them as the project builds.
We have 2 calendars.
With the calendar page, we assign a color to each person. This way, we can easily see each person’s schedule on the same calendar. We use this for deadlines, project milestones, and other events.

Okay, but if you already have 20 different calendaring software packages, why would you need something like this? Well, maybe you don’t, but I get these benefits for switching to the Backpack platform:

Portability.
I can check client notes or my project calendar from anywhere, even from the client’s office!
No equipment to buy.
I already have 2 cell phones, a Mac laptop, a desktop PC, a few whiteboards, and all the rest. I don’t want one more thing, or have to deal with a PDA that needs upgrades or troubleshooting. Backpack is so simple and "lightweight", it hurts.
Simplicity.
Yes, 37 Signals, the maker of Backpack, has another program called Basecamp that is specifically made for collaborating. I just don’t need all those features. (But hey, if you do, it is a very good product as well.)

Best of all, you can try out the software for free! I signed up for a free account and had it up and running in about 10 minutes. I was so pleased with the technology that I did purchase a larger plan, however. If you are just using it for personal use, you can probably just stick to the free version. Start out by taking a tour at their website.

I hope this helps—it’s been such a great product for us! Are you using Backpack? Or another software that performs similar functions? Tell us about it!

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