Being the owner of a small business is hard enough without all the other worries that you have about how you are somehow becoming more and more inefficient and worn out. Fret not! We are in the age of technology, and apps are maybe the best way to save yourself some time and nerves, so here are a couple of business apps that could make your business go into second gear:
Circa
As we both know, your time is limited and precious, but you still need to stay informed. Circa is a great app to help you keep track of the news that matter to you. It lets you customize your preferences and pulls up all breaking news, notifying you of updates of those most important to you.
Slack
The app has considerably reduced the e-mail rate for those who used it. It can be great for communication, allowing you to form groups with different levels of privacy, different statuses or tags and even drag and drop files such as images, word documents, and PDF documents. Slack is an efficient way of taking communication mobile and keeping up to speed through a natural type and send.
Skype
If you want more quality to you calls, then Skype is the way to go. Skype is ideal for video conferencing no matter where you are. If you choose to make an investment into upgrading to Skype for business, the app integrates with Microsoft Office and is a great tool to have, becoming more secure and offering added benefits to the free version.
Clear
Enough about Windows, let’s speak of Mac devices and Apple apps. This little app lets you organize lists in a fun and easy manner allowing gestures like pinch, swipe, and dash to make your tasks still available, in progress or complete. Once done, you just swipe the task off the screen and off of your mind and “to do” list.
Tripit
A good app that can be found for both iOS and Android devices is Tripit. The app organizes and manages all of your travel information no matter if you make purchases and reservations off of different websites or apps. It is simple to figure out: all you have to do is forward your travel-related emails to the app, and it organizes them up nicely in a very tidy itinerary. Just imagine never having to browse chaotically at the airport for your plane ticket again.
RescueTime
The name says everything right? Ever been curious how productive you are during a workday? Now you can see how you could have been more productive since the app monitors apps and websites that you access and lets you know through rounded up statistics where your time is flying.
PayPal
This is a really nice website with an equally easy to use an app. PayPal lets you link your bank accounts to the online transaction platform that allows you to easily make payments to all of your suppliers and collaborators. They charge about $2 for each transaction, but it is a safe, reliable and easy to use platform that makes your life easier by even allowing you to download receipts, give payment reminders and check up on payment statuses.
Expensify
Again, we come to money. It is a bit annoying to see how it seems to fly every month so Expensify can help you keep track of your expenses by either linking your credit or debit card to the account or simply photograph receipts and the app will extract the necessary information by itself. Smart, no?
CubeAnywhere
This app is a bit more unique since it also tends to your project management needs. With it, you can easily keep track of all the projects you have and the costs that are involved. The app simplifies information through charts, and it can be accessed from any device, offering a 24/7 visibility.
Boxmeup
Now here is a smart one. You know how, as a business you are obliged by law to save years of documents into archives. The moment when you have to dig up something from 2009 that lies God knows in what dusty corner of a shelf seems painful and futile in this digitized era. Well here you have it: Boxmeup makes QR codes that you can put on your boxes and when you need something just scan and see what the box contains. Forget all about the dust, the hassle, and the room filled with open files and scattered papers.
Zirtual
Now we speak of a whole different type of app. Zirtual acts like a personal assistant. It can respond to emails, organize your hectic schedule, manage your calendar and tend to your administrative tasks. The digital assistant can plan your travels, and research restaurants fit for business meetings in your area collect data and even update your social media stream.
Dropbox & Box
Every company needs a common sharing folder where to put those extra large, e-mail –impossible attachments or where to collaborate online. Such a place is Dropbox that remains a reliable way of sharing information. The alternative would be box. Box is a tad more intelligent despite its old-fashioned look. It connects with Microsoft Office and allows multiple peers to edit a document at the same time, a process similar to the one on Google Docs, but for business, in a secure environment.
Mailchimp
If you don’t know how to send newsletters and don’t have time for that daily repetitive extra work, Mailchimp is the way to go. The app manages your e-mailing lists and offers a lot of customized mail templates from which to choose. Turn the toughest task into a simple push of a button.
Survey Monkey
Survey Monkey helps you every time you want to see the opinion of your employees or if you simply want to organize an outing and want to know their preferences. Either way, it’s a great tool for both internal and external communication and it is easy and intuitive to use.
The Nutshell
No, it’s not an actual app. I just wanted to point out that life is only as easy as we make it, and apps can save you a great deal of time and stress. So go ahead, download and become your version of 2.0.
