Brainstorming is a fundamental part of innovation as it allows you to identify great ideas and solutions with your team. You know what they say, two heads are better than one; and that is certainly true for business problem-solving.
As a business owner, this is why you must never overlook the significance of brainstorming to develop new solutions, imagine new possibilities, and better organize your thoughts. And because brainstorming is a significant part of the entrepreneurial process, developers have created tools to help you get the job done.
These tools are especially vital in today’s digital-driven world and remote working environment; virtual brainstorming sessions are becoming a norm. It is possible thanks to brainstorming tools that allow you and your company’s members to share ideas and collaborate smoothly. Here’s a guide outlining the tools you need to consider for a successful virtual brainstorming session. Let’s get started.
- Coggle
Coggle is a brainstorming and whiteboard tool you can consider if you want to enjoy real-time collaboration. What makes it so great is that it was designed with entrepreneurs in mind. Besides being free, using this online tool is easy, enabling you to create mind maps and brainstorming sessions. In addition, this brainstorming app is ideal for entrepreneurs because it’s great for collaboration and idea-sharing. You can use it to access your documents from anywhere, whether you log on through your laptop or smartphone.
This brainstorming tool incorporates some valuable features that make it easy to streamline communication, and these include;
- Unlimited image uploads.
- Real-time collaborations.
- Ability to add floating pictures and texts to annotate your map.
- Instant upload of changes made to the map for other team members to see.
- Option to create numerous starting points for your diagrams.
The best part about Coggle is that there’s a free version. But if you wish to upgrade, you won’t need to spend too much cash as the subscription only costs USD$5 to USD$8 each month. As a premium user, you can access added features that improve your brainstorming experience.
- MindMeister
Another brainstorming tool you should consider is MindMeister—a web-based software designed to help you develop and share ideas visually. It can help you be more productive when coming up with ideas for new products, services, and marketing campaigns. Using this tool, you can create real-time updates and easily connect with key people to know what best action to take next.
For such a handy tool, MindMeister is surprisingly affordable. You can get a free-to-use MindMeister plan, but you can also opt for a subscription plan to access more premium features. The subscription plan starts at USD$4.92 each month and is billed yearly. There’s also a lifetime bundle that costs USD$312.
With MindMeister, you can effortlessly interact with others via real-time chatting, commenting, and voting. You can also get much-needed training to understand mind mapping better. In addition, MindMeister integrates with many popular workplace applications such as Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Confluence, and G Suite. Thanks to this tool, you can plan projects, organize ideas, and streamline workflow effortlessly.
- LucidChart
LucidChart is another effective brainstorming tool for small teams, individuals, and large companies. It’s an easy-to-use, powerful flow chart maker that’ll help you and your team develop professional diagrams for visual collaboration. Also, this tool integrates with other applications such as Jira, Confluence, and G Suite. With this tool, you can hold your brainstorming sessions together with other routine software such as project management software and cloud storage, to name a few.
There are five plans available to use should you want to use LucidChart, and these include; free, basic, enterprise, and pro team. For the Basic plan, you’ll get unlimited documents, shapes, and 100 MB of storage, and you’ll be required to pay USD$4.95 each month, which is paid annually. The Pro plan, which includes Visio import and export and adds professional shapes, costs USD$8.95 per month.
In addition, the Pro Team plan incorporates added features such as third-party integrations and team-friendly features. The Enterprise plan’s pricing is available upon request, and you can get robust security features and license management.
- MindMup
Brainstorming is a vital part of the idea cultivation process. And this is where the MindMup tool shines, thanks to its many advanced features. This tool is also easy to use and convenient for great minds collaborating. Using MindMup, you can convert maps into PDF or PowerPoint that you can share and publish online. MindMup also allows you to save mind maps to Google Drive, and you may access them later on using any gadget.
Another advantage of the MindMup app is that it has a built-in shortcut feature, which allows you to share ideas faster with other team members. You also can access an infinite number of maps without paying a dime. However, you’ll need to pay USD$100 to access the more advanced features.
- WiseMapping
There are many reasons why WiseMapping is a brilliant brainstorming tool for entrepreneurs. For one, this visual mapping tool allows you to map out ideas in a web chart rather than write them down on paper. Because of this, the brainstorming process is more efficient and convenient for users. Another reason you should consider using WiseMapping is that it allows you to store your ideas in the cloud, which you can access anytime and anywhere. It reduces the risk of losing critical information on paper.
With WiseMapping, you can collaborate with your teammates and share ideas conveniently through multiple devices. That way, you don’t have to wait until you’re at home or in the office to share your concepts with your teammates. Other outstanding features integrated into this brainstorming tool include;
- It enables you to add icons.
- It has a customizable font.
- You can export maps after creating one.
- It comes with customizable colors.
Another advantage of WiseMapping is that it supports various media types like text, images, videos, and audio files. So all you need to do is load the content you need in WiseMapping and place it on top of its blank canvas where you want to put it.
Takeaway
Using a brainstorming tool is handy as it helps you record and better envisage the progress of your ideas. With these tools having such an integral role, you need to get one that best promises to foster greater creativity among the team members. This in-depth blog has outlined the tools you may need for a successful brainstorming session. Choose one to better harness a collaborative mentality and achieve better productivity.
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