Apps have taken over the world, literally. You can learn to cook, learn a language, work out, and even develop other apps with apps. This will show you how important and relevant, and also helpful they will be to every business. We have outlined some simple apps, you can download on your phone, which are available on Play Store and the Apple store, which will help you on a daily basis:
- CamScanner: turns your smartphone camera into a scanner, creating PDF or JPG files that you can save, email or print wirelessly. Once you take a picture of the document you want to scan, the app removes any background, adjusts the angle and tilt, fixes any issues with brightness or colour, and creates a high-resolution final document. I use it almost every day and it’s free to download on both stores.
- Expensify: allows you to keep track of business expenses or process reimbursements without worrying about paper receipts. You can link the app directly to a credit or debit account. It automatically tracks charges and places them on an expense report. Or, if you prefer, you can use your phone’s camera to take pictures of receipts, and Expensify will extract and upload the relevant information.
- GoToMeeting: If your business requires conference calls with employees or clients, GoToMeeting can provide a single hub that connects users from their phone, computer or tablet. The app includes screen sharing, as well as an audio and video connection, and you can record the call for later playback. GoToMeeting can also sync to your calendar, so you can schedule meetings in advance or create regular team appointments.
- Moment: Time management is a struggle for many small business owners, especially with smartphones providing endless distractions. You can boost your productivity with the Moment app, which tracks your phone usage and gives you a clear snapshot of how you are actually spending your day. To limit your phone time, you can use the app to set daily limits and receive notifications when you go over your allotted time.
- Asana provides a platform for teams that collaborate and communicate about projects. An Asana board allows you to create tasks and projects, monitor progress, share notes, upload files, and communicate directly with team members and employees. It integrates with Google Drive and Dropbox for file sharing and lets you share updates to your Slack channels.
- TripIt: If you are a frequent business traveler, TripIt consolidates all your travel information, regardless of where you bought tickets, rented your car or booked hotel rooms. When you receive confirmation emails for your travels, forward them to TripIt to create a custom itinerary for each trip. The app also allows you to view departure times, check delays or weather reports and get directions.
- MailChimp: mailchimp is an email marketing platform that is free to access on web and app platform. It allows you customise your email newsletters very easily. It is easy to use, and you can add and remove anything you want. It also stores all your contacts and lets you know if the email was received. Anybody can manipulate the platform.
- Canva: this is graphic design 101, as a new business you may not be able to afford a graphic designer, as such canva is easy to use, and you can build your posters, newsletters, flyers and any other promotional material your brand may need. It has over 1000 free templates and even more paid templates. You can use it for free, but if you want advanced options and more templates then you can pay a small fee, every month.