Top 10 Small Business Apps

In this digital age, every company needs to be in the know of cutting age technology.  With androids, iPhones and iPads and every other mobile device imaginable, some of the easiest ways to make your business more efficient is to use certain apps.  While there are tons out there, here are a list of some of the best apps for making your business run smoother and that will save you time and money

1.      ActionMethod: This task management software rivals full-fledged project management tools. ActionMethod lets you create tasks and delegate them to any contact or team member. You can prioritize tasks and see all tasks by project in a single view. All your projects and to-do lists are in the cloud so this app automatically syncs to your web-based account or your iPhone or Android device.

2.      Bento 4:  Bento 4 is a personal database that organizes your data quickly and cleanly and makes retrieval just as simple. Bento 4 includes 25 templates for organizing common types of business data, including contacts, billable time, sales, issue tracking, vehicle and equipment maintenance, projects, to-do items, contact lists, inventory, notes, customers, event planning and product catalogs. It allows you to store text, numbers, GPS locations, dates, times, durations, addresses, URLs and pretty much any other type of data your business might need.

3.      DropBox:  DropBox is for saving your files in the cloud. Whatever you save in your Dropbox account, whether it be documents, pictures, music or video you’ll be able to access on just about any mobile device or computer.

4.      SpringPad:  SpringPad lets you create notebooks and boards where you can store information about any project or idea. SpringPad even works with handwritten notes and lets you drag and drop files and photos around. It’s a great tool for brainstorming and innovation, design projects and events.

5.      SimpleNote:  You can make notes and keep them synchronized across your iPad, the web and other device. You can share notes with friends, family and co-workers. One handy feature lets you go back to earlier revisions of a note by moving a slider. Pins and tags let you organize notes on a topic, and a handy search capability finds whatever you need in a snap.

6.      Pocket:  Pocket lets you drag any content to your Pocket where it’s automatically synched with the web and all your devices. It’s simply the best place to store and access content you want to read at a later time.

7.      iMarginProfessional: For instant decisions on authorizing discounts to customers, iMargin professional is the way to go. You can set it to calculate markups from a cost or margins after discounts. With this app, you’ll always know the margin on any deal, even if you’re doing business in multiple currencies. And it includes automatic currency conversion rate updates.

8.      Tweetbot:  This Twitter app for iPad surpasses the Twitter iPad app with its winning interface and collection of sounds. Intuitive user-configurable gestures, customizable navigation and multiple timelines let you switch back and forth between lists. Tweetbot supports attaching photos and content from Instapaper, Pocket, CloudApp, Readability and Droplr.

9.      Signeasy:  This app manages electronic signatures. You can import a document from any application, including email, and then draw or insert your signature. Once the document is signed, Signeasy generates a PDF of the completed document that you can email, print or store. You can collect up to three signatures per document and you can type in any additional information required, such as the date signed. Signatures are easy to resize to suit the space available. You can passcode lock your signature if you store a signature file in the app.

10.  PhoneSwipe: If your small business needs to accept credit cards, PhoneSwipe makes it easy to get started right from your iPad. This secure app is password protected and no credit card data is stored on the device. The app lets you calculate sales taxes or discounts and customers can add tips to a bill. PhoneSwipe calculates the tip amount for the customer based on a percentage they enter, or it can accept an amount. You can email receipts or print them out. PhoneSwipe even integrates with cash drawers if you take cash if your business. You can set up customized inventory list to make sales fast and easy for you and your customer. Multiple devices can be linked to your account so there’s no limit to the number of transactions you can process. You can swipe cards or enter card numbers manually and you receive a complete report of all transactions.

While this list is not all inclusive, these apps can be really useful in helping you run and manage all your small business needs and help you meet your goals in a more tech-friendly way which saves time and money.

So what are some of your favorite business apps?  Have I mentioned them above or are there others that you tend to use more frequently?  Can you see some of these apps helping your business grow?  Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Here are some articles you might want to check out about the best apps for business:

“10 Brilliant Apps Small Businesses Should Use”: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2012/05/29/10-brilliant-apps-small-businesses-should-use/

“13 Must-Have Mobile Apps for Business”: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2012/05/29/10-brilliant-apps-small-businesses-should-use/

“7 Best Apps for Small Businesses”: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/7-best-apps-small-businesses-040111507.html

“5 Must Have Apps for Small Businesses”: http://www.getbusymedia.com/5-must-have-apps-for-small-businesses/

Until next time…