“Can I use Microsoft Teams for my home business?”

There are several things to know about me before I get into this search topic. Number 1, we have lived in a small, raised ranch for 27 years. I love our home, but the lack of storage, not so much. The only way we could make this small home work through all the stages of our lives was to get creative with space and to remain generally clutter-free. (Bare with me, I promise this is leading somewhere). I am very anti-clutter, whether it is our countertops, our car or my own personal workspace. I can’t focus and work effectively with stacks of paper and clutter all around me.

When I became a remote worker and freelancer, it became even more important to use tools that allowed me to get my hands on information regardless of where I was working. I need to know my schedules, my client information and my active projects at all times. Microsoft has always been my go-to solution (I mean my email is still msn.com) – One Drive, One Note, Word, Excel and, of course, Teams.

Microsoft Teams has a personal 365 version for Home. Much like the versions we are using in the office, it allows for meetings (I may cancel my Zoom, still researching), chats, sharing of documents, photos, files, etc. What it doesn’t have is the ability to add apps that work directly through Teams, as that seems to be an corporate package situation. Additionally, the “Teams” you set up are actually called Communities (you can still do channels within the community).

I am seamlessly balancing a couple projects right now and I have a Community designated to each. It has been a very effective way to keep documents and notes in one place and comment on them in real time.

Now, I recognize that this is not the only solution – Slack is out there, Zoom Workplace, Google Drive and Chat, etc. – this is just the easiest and best solution for my situation. I think we all have to work with what we got and what we are most comfortable with.