8 Abilities to Make Amazon Alexa the Excellent Digital Enterprise Assistant
Working from house comes with a ton of perks and an equal set of distinctive challenges. For those who’re a freelancer or distant employee, then the dread of mounting disorganization—the guilt and mind fog that comes from being unproductive in your day-to-day.
Would not or not it’s nice in the event you had a digital assistant to maintain you on monitor—somebody that can assist you handle your calendar, invoices and bills, and tasks? Although hiring a digital assistant might not be within the funds for the solopreneur, likelihood is you have already got one: Alexa.
Alexa is Amazon’s voice-controlled AI accessible on many units, together with the Amazon Echo sensible speaker. Thanks to those Alexa expertise (basically apps), you may enhance Alexa’s capabilities and switch it into a strong digital assistant.
1. Calendar
While you join your Google, Microsoft, or Apple calendar, you should utilize Alexa to handle your occasions. It would remind you of upcoming occasions, with the choice to disable notifications outdoors your working hours.
That is an built-in potential, so that you need not obtain a ability. To make use of it:
2. Reminders
With this built-in potential, Alexa can remind you to do one thing that isn’t in your calendar at any time you specify. Say, “Alexa, add a reminder” to immediate it.
You too can add and edit throughout the Alexa app, below Reminders within the Extra tab.
That is an important Alexa voice command. It replaces the necessity for sticky notes littering your workspace that you simply swear you’re going to get round to cleansing up.
For instance, ask Alexa to remind you to name your consumer by saying, “Alexa, remind me to name Bob at 1:30 pm.” You too can ask it to remind you to change duties, and even to eat and go to the lavatory. Hey, all of us get so engrossed in work that typically we neglect these easy issues!
Todoist is an easy-to-use undertaking administration device (free for people) that may be as easy or complicated as you need it to be, and it integrates with Google Calendar.
When you join your Todoist account to the Alexa ability, you may handle your job listing, add duties, or have Alexa learn them to you with instructions resembling:
Relying on the command, the duty is added to your Alexa to-do listing or procuring listing, which you’ll be able to entry and edit in your browser or the Todoist app. Merely ask Alexa so as to add the duty to one among these lists.
It takes a very long time to refocus after a distraction. Notice Taker is the right companion when you’ve got an concept that you must jot down in the course of a undertaking, so that you don’t break your movement.
After enabling the ability, merely ask Alexa to “take my notice,” and it’ll ask you what you need the notice to say.
That is best for fast concepts, because the recording time isn’t lengthy. Ask, “What’s my notice?” to have it learn your notes to you. To delete or edit, you’ll need to go to the Alexa app to handle particular stickies.
Distant staff typically work together with one another and companies from completely different nations. In some circumstances, changing time zones is an easy job, however while you’re working with somebody on the opposite facet of the world, the time distinction can get tough to gauge with out some assist.
Somewhat than waste time checking your cellphone’s a number of world clocks, have Alexa help. Ask Alexa to transform the time now in New York to Tokyo time, or from Jap Customary Time to Indian Customary Time. You possibly can even go as particular as to ask for the time distinction on a selected date and time.
6. Math Calculations
Alexa’s fast to the draw on the subject of math calculations. Utilizing this built-in ability, ask it so as to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, or resolve a fancy equation hands-free when you work. It’s going to prevent loads of time as an alternative of reaching for the calculator.
For example, Alexa may also help you draw up your invoices sooner—ask it to multiply your hours labored by your hourly price. That is notably helpful in case your hourly price is completely different per kind of service you present, or in case your charges differ between shoppers.
YNAB (You Want a Price range) is a implausible budgeting service that syncs to your financial institution accounts and data your transactions, so you may see the place your cash goes. It is not free, nevertheless it has a fairly priced month-to-month and annual plan.
You possibly can join your YNAB account to Alexa and use it to document spending, verify expenditure, see how a lot cash is remaining particularly classes, and extra.
To start, join/in to YNAB and construct your funds. Then:
As soon as carried out, you are good to go. Check out instructions like, “Alexa, ask YNAB what is the steadiness of Transportation?” or “Alexa, ask YNAB how a lot cash I’ve left to spend within the Gasoline class.”
Zoom Rooms present a distant convention room expertise; they create groups collectively and are notably helpful for the freelancer or distant employee who collaborates with a number of individuals inside a corporation.
To make use of this ability, allow it and hyperlink your Zoom enterprise account. Then, use it to begin, finish, and be part of conferences. For instance, say, “Alexa, begin assembly.”
This ability solely helps Zoom Rooms, not common Zoom conferences. It requires a Zoom enterprise account.
When to Select Alexa Over a Human Assistant
Alexa is a implausible digital assistant for some primary duties, resembling managing your calendar or note-taking. When your wants prolong past this, it could be time to think about hiring a human digital assistant. They may also help you with graphic design, video enhancing, social media administration, and extra.