First, what is Basecamp? No, I’m not talking about a military term…I’m talking about the Project Management Software. What does this software do for you? It makes discussing ideas, project proposals, and monitoring project progress with colleagues, clients, and project team-members, EASY! How, you might ask. Well, keep reading this guide for Novices, and you’ll be on your way to project organization faster than you can say “Basecamp!”
Wikipedia describes Basecamp as follows:
“Basecamp offers to-do lists, wiki-style web-based text documents, milestone management, file sharing, time tracking, and a messaging system. It also offers integration with its own Campfire product.
Basecamp is proprietary software available in the English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Finnish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Greek, Russian, Hungarian, and Japanese. Translations into additional languages are planned.”
“Who is Basecamp for?
The quote off their website was too good not to use: “Our products are built for small businesses and individuals (we call this group the 
Fortune 5,000,000), but companies of all sizes use them every day. From 1 person to teams of 3-5 people to companies of 5000.” I like the Fortune 5,000,000 part. Power to the small biz owner.
However, I would say it depends on the type of business. If you are looking for an online collaboration tool but yours is the kind of small business that does not have well-defined projects, fitting your work into Basecamp may feel like forcing a square peg into a round hole. Remember, Basecamp is a “project” collaboration tool and not all businesses work by projects” (http://bit.ly/3uodh).
Let’s talk a little about why you might be interested in using a PMS before we go into depth. You’re probably telling yourself, “Well, I can do project management through email!” This, I’m not going to lie to you, is very true. The drawbacks of this way of thinking are endless, though! Email threads are disorganized, don’t help you manage your project and make things a little difficult. Basecamp was designed to help YOU. This program has message boards to keep all of your ideas and project updates in one central location! This program encourages team and client discussion, it allows you to upload files and pictures and keeps them organized. Here’s how!
TEMPLATES:
Upon sing-up for Basecamp, you will have a choice of templates. Choose the template appropriate for the project you wish to work on with your colleagues. Add Time Management, Messages, To-Do’s, Write- Boards, and Milestones to your template.
There are even templates solely for To-Do Lists! So, set up your Basecamp: customize it and make it yours!
DASHBOARD:
This tab gives you an overview of your project. It shows you all recent activity, milestones (which we’ll discuss later in this article), to-dos, comments etc. It’s a summary of what’s going on with your project, and what’s coming up!
MESSAGE BOARDS:
These are like email threads, only better. You can organize your messages by category on the right bar, keeping you from mixing up ideas and allowing for better project management. You can also specify whom your posts go to, commenting back is a breeze. This feature also allows you to send email notifications! You can attach files to messages, and these files get archived. You can constantly update your files and the earlier versions will be saved under the updated version. This way, you can keep track of changes!
Privacy an issue for you? Then check the “make this message private” so only you and those you choose can see the post!
FILES
You can categorize your files just like your messages. Also, as mentioned above, you can save files and update them. The earlier versions are stored, dated, and listed underneath the latest version of the file. The latest version will be listed at the top, in bigger scale from the previous versions, allowing you to determine which file is which. It keeps track of all the changes, and you can go back into the archives and delete current changes if you wish! Your files get archived, not deleted or overwritten.
If you upload a photo, you are able to see a preview of the photo without downloading it first. This allows you to quickly glance at what someone has uploaded without spending the time to download it, and you can comment faster!
MILESTONES
This tab allows you to specify who’s responsible for each milestone. It tells you which milestone is late, upcoming, and completed. When the milestone has been met, simply check the completed button!
If you have a MAC, you can register the Milestones calendar with your iCalendar, and it meshes the milestones with your laptop calendar, allowing you to check what’s coming next even when you’re offline. You can also send email notifications of changes or new milestones to whomever you wish by checking the box next to the appropriate project team-member or colleague.
TO-DO LIST
This allows you to post things that need to get done, and set a deadline for that item. You can also check off who is responsible for getting that item done, and send out email notifications of new to-dos. This feature helps organize ideas and plans, keeping your project in motion!
TIME TRACKING
This feature can be found under the “Time” tab. This allows you to see the amount of time put into a project by which team-member on what date. You have to enter the data, and then click, “add to log.” You can also select what you were working on for how long.
Enabling time tracking on your to-do list allows you to record how much time spent on that project. After you do this, click the clock on the left of the to-do item, and record your time spent! If you input an hour, and you end up spending more time than that, simply enter the time spent further, and the hours and minutes will add to what you had input already! No math required!
You can also see reports on who spent how much time on what. This shows you who is putting more effort and time into what project! This is a great feature for employers or project managers; you now know who’s doing what!
WRITE BOARDS
These seem more like word documents, but unlike word, you can keep track of who writes what! You can even roll back to previous versions of the document, or compare the earlier version with the updated on, side by side! You can use this alone, or with team members.
You can flag which documents are most important: In the right column, click on the file you want to flag. The file will pop-up, and at the top, click, “flag this version.” Email the file if you wish as well; just click “send via email” next to the “flag” button, and fill it in accordingly.
Use these like project white-boards! Throw ideas and thoughts out for your team-members and yourself to discuss, edit, and create!
CAMPFIRE CHAT ROOMS
This is my favorite feature of Basecamp! Campfire Chat Rooms are group chats meant to allow you to have an online “meeting” with your team members in real time! You can protect the chat room with a password so only those who know it can join! Use this application on your IPhone as well! NEVER miss a digital meeting, no matter where you are! Be like FDR- have a fire-side chat! 
MOBILE
Use Basecamp on your IPhone! Use the EnCamp app! Here is more info about EnCamp:
“Encamp … supports rapid switching between Basecamp accounts, a key requirement when … away from the office. Encamp also allows you to access archived projects, a feature that none of the other clients we tested supports.
Get projects done. On the Go.
Insight is a native iPhone application for managing Basecamp projects. Wherever you go — you always stay connected with your projects and tasks. It’s Basecamp’s best companion!
With Insight you’re working right on your projects – no need to trigger synchronization or whatever — all changes are immediately reflected in your hub, clients got your comments, “responsibles” notified on delegated tasks.
Everything just works — that’s what you expect with Basecamp” (http://bit.ly/8PKS2).
MORE FEATURES YOU’LL LOVE!
-Translate your Basecamp in over a dozen languages!
-Add APPs: http://basecamphq.com/extras
-Basecamp and QuickBooks, together at last!
ChronoPipe is a utility that enables you to quickly and easily import Basecamp Time Entries to QuickBooks.
Features
-Import Time from any Basecamp Project to any Customer and Job in QuickBooks
-Match Users in Basecamp to Employees and Contractors in QuickBooks.
-Match To Do Item names in Basecamp to Service Items in QuickBooks. This lets you assign your time to categories such as Design, Programming, and Testing, then create invoices and reports on those categories in QuickBooks.
-Specify a “catch all” Item for Time that doesn’t have a match.
-Import with the same set of parameters more than once, without duplicating entries.
-Compatible with every version of QuickBooks that supports Time Entries and runs on a Windows platform – including QuickBooks Online!
FINAL NOTES/ SUBSCRIPTION INFO
Now that you know a bit more about Basecamp, you might be interested in using it for your business! Well, Basecamp offers a free trial, but beware, you may not be able to upgrade to the full version by doing this! In my opinion, the best option is going all-in, and getting the full-version.
Basecamp starts at $24.00 a month, which is less than a dollar a day! There are no long-term contracts, and you pay them as you go along. After one month, if you’re not satisfied, you have no obligation to Basecamp, just quit using the program, and quit paying them…cancel! I assure you, satisfaction is almost guaranteed!
Just look at what these Basecamp users had to say!
The perfect tool
“Basecamp is the perfect tool for coordinating.”
Basecamp is the best out there
“Thanks for the great software. It’s the best out there…and I helped start a company called intranets.com, if that counts for anything.”
-Mark Goodstein, co-founder of Intranets.com (a Basecamp competitor)
Basecamp is the closest thing to perfection
“Basecamp is the most useful web app I’ve ever used—the closest thing to perfection I’ve seen yet in that class of software.”
-Needmore Designs
So, go ahead! SIGN UP TODAY!
Check out other works written by Raven at her site HERE!
The good thing is that there are so many options out there, including Basecamp.
I would also recommend 5pm (http://www.5pmweb.com).
It just takes it to a next step with Timeline View, Reports etc. But still keeps it simple.