Smart Ways to Use Your Office Productivity Tools as a Small Business

Last Updated:

September 30, 2025

Editorial Disclaimer

This content is published for general information and editorial purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as such. Any mention of companies, platforms, or services does not imply endorsement or recommendation. We are not affiliated with, nor do we accept responsibility for, any third-party entities referenced. Financial markets and company circumstances can change rapidly. Readers should perform their own independent research and seek professional advice before making any financial or investment decisions.

Everyone understands how to type documents in Word or edit spreadsheets in Google Sheets, but did you know that there are some commonly-overlooked features in both Google Docs and Office 365 (among other office productivity suites) that are generally underutilised? To help your business grow and work more efficiently, we’re going to give a couple of useful tips that can help you boost your productivity to new levels.

Key Takeaways on Using Office Productivity Tools as a Small Business:

Collaborative Features: Use collaborative tools in software like Office and Google Docs to enhance teamwork and accelerate document processing.
Remote Accessibility: Leverage cloud-based services to access and edit documents from any location, enhancing flexibility and responsiveness.
Enhanced Commenting: Use commenting features to streamline communication and reduce reliance on lengthy emails or inconvenient calls.
Advanced Spreadsheet Use: Explore beyond basic functions in spreadsheets; use formulas and formatting to increase the functionality and presentation of data.

1. Make use of collaborative features with your team

Both Office and Google Docs have a range of collaborative features that allow you and your team to work simultaneously on documents, drastically speeding up your workflow.

2. Remember that you can always work remotely

Since Office and Google Docs can be used together with cloud-based services, it means that you can access and edit your documents on-the-go wherever you are.

3. Commenting is more powerful than you think

Gone are the days of long email chains that take forever or phone calls at inopportune times. Simply leave a comment on the document while highlighting certain areas that you want to bring attention to and you’ll get a response much faster.

4. Spreadsheets are more than just grids with values

A lot of people just think that spreadsheets are just grids with numbers. Some intermediate users know that you can add formulas to the cells, resulting in a dynamic spreadsheet that can show a lot more information than you think. As you get more advanced, you can refer to the infographic below to learn more about formatting your Excel sheets for usability.

[image credit - Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay]