Running a small business today demands mobility and constant connectivity. That’s why smart entrepreneurs conduct business on the go and make the most of their hours with the help of smartphone applications. It is also a good idea to consult with someone who has a computer science degree for advice as well.
You may have already heard about Dropbox, Square and FreshBooks. All of them are indispensable tools for small business owners. But there are many more new apps that deserve mention. Below are four of them.
IFTTT
If you hate wasting time and crave order and simplicity, this app is for you. IFTTT stands for “if this, then that,” a tool used for automating web-based services or for connecting two different applications.
Make IFTTT work for you by using business “recipes” or formulas. Here’s an example.
- If you were sent a file on Gmail (this), then move it to your Dropbox account (that).
- If you receive an email from PayPal, then move it to your Evernote account. Tip: specify an Evernote Notebook for your PayPal receipts to get more organized.
- If you receive a Gmail message labeled “Important,” then have a push notification sent to your phone.
The list of recipes is virtually limitless. If you can’t find a recipe for a business-related task, then create your own.
IFTTT is a web-based service so you can create an account even without a smartphone. The company recently released an iPhone app. An Android version is in the works.
Evernote
This isn’t a mere note-taking app. Evernote is one of the most versatile apps out there. You can use it to store your receipts, outline your schedule for the week, write down ideas or sketch something. Evernote functions exactly how you want it to be. A to-do list manager, a PDF library, a picture bucket, a receipt archive and more. It’s a universal capture tool.
Evernote integrates with other company products such as Skitch and Clearly. With Skitch, you can annotate and highlight your PDF files and instantly upload it to Evernote for easy viewing. With Evernote Clearly, you can easily read web pages minus the clutter, highlight some important paragraphs, and synchronize it with your Evernote account.
Be sure to read Evernote Essentials by Brett Kelly if you haven’t figured out how to use Evernote yet.
Quip
Quip lets you create and collaborate on beautiful documents. Quip is made for mobile devices and is perfect for managing team-based projects.
If you haven’t been satisfied with any of your document processing and editing apps, say Google Drive, Quip is a compelling alternative.
The app is a powerful word processor that lets you collaborate with others in a thread-style conversation. You can even mention people and documents Twitter style using the symbol @. What’s more, Quip makes it easier to control up-to-date edits (deletions or modifications to a document) using a feature called diff.
The app works offline so you can take your documents anytime, anywhere—even on the plane.
Quip is available for iOS and on your desktop. There’s a recently released Android preview version.
BillGuard
It launched as a web-based-only service back in 2010. Dubbed as the “antivirus” for your bills, BillGuard finds unauthorized charges, credit card and debit card hidden fees and all sorts of scam and fraud.
The company recently introduced an iPhone app that notifies users whenever a transaction is made. It nudges users to review transactions considered deceptive or unexpected and thus save them money.
As a small business owner, you can’t afford to lose a few hundred every month. Use BillGuard for a faster and more effective bill checking.
There’s an Android version coming soon.