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Communication is KEY.

Regardless of industry, experience, level, and just about every other factor a business may need to take into consideration, if team members are not communicating clearly, work isn’t getting done … and that’s a Big Problem.

We’re a blend of traditional and contemporary with most things, but for something as critical as staying in touch, we prefer to go high-tech. We do a lot of cool stuff in our headquarters in Norfolk, VA, but the real magic happens on a little project management tool called Basecamp.

Remember that scene in Bruce Almighty where Morgan Freeman opens the filing cabinet and it flies out, displaying infinite storage capabilities? Basecamp is like that filing cabinet – only better – because it’s digital.

We organize our Basecamp on a project-basis. Each client has a “file,” or project, in Basecamp, from which we can monitor everything going on, across all departments. From managing contact information, to requesting client approval, to assigning tasks with deadlines, we can do it all in Basecamp.

Let’s back up a step and look at Basecamp through the lens of a brand-new project. Let’s call that project “Crabby Content,” and say it’s a copywriting company.

After the initial strategic discovery sessions and official signing of the contract, we’ll send an email invitation to Crabby:

Crabby can click the link, and will be taken to Basecamp for the first time. The email includes a one-time PIN code for logging in:

Once Crabby enters the code, they’ll be taken to their official Basecamp project. It’s a bit different than what we as TechArk see. The “clientside,” as it’s called, is much more simple. It’s really just a straightforward message board:

There are only two types of correspondence sent through Basecamp to clients: regular messages and requests for approval:

For the most part, clients like Crabby are able to communicate directly from their inboxes, responding to messages just like any other email. The one exception is the request for approval, which requires clicking through to Basecamp, and logging in.

Because of this, we highly recommend that you jot down your login information!

Requests for approval are best dealt with immediately, as Basecamp (not us!) will continue to remind you daily until you’ve responded.

We hope this was helpful – and we’ll see you on Basecamp soon!