Apps are popping up everywhere and changing the way business gets done. Non-existent just 5 years ago, apps are serious business tools that make it much easier for entrepreneurs and small business owners to run their business more effectively and efficiently.
Turn Your “App”titude Into Success
Turn Your “App”titude Into SuccessHere are some of the favorites we recommend along with how you can use them to run your small business more smoothly.
1. Evernote makes modern life manageable by letting you easily collect and find everything that matters.
Prior to the introduction of this little gem into the marketplace, how did we save articles and information for later consumption? We printed out the information and saved it in an ever-bulging file or we bookmarked it — never to be found again. Evernote changes that.
How to use it — why we love it:
a. Create topic notebooks on subjects of interest from goals to research for blogs to client projects. The possibilities are endless.
b. Add notes for each notebook to better organize information you want to access at a later time.
c. Clip and save online articles to the appropriate notebooks
d. Share notebooks with others to facilitate collaboration without overwhelming your inbox with emails.
e. Tag notes to find the right information at the right time with search.
f. Download app to desktop, ipad, iphone, or android device to automatically sync across all platforms. You’re never without the info you need when you need it.
2. Google Docs/Drive is a web-based office suite offered by Google that keeps your files backed up and easy to reach from any phone, tablet, or computer.
Another great replacement for files, faxes, and mailing documents to your clients resulting in delays, disorganization, and disruption, Google Drive works with the pace of business today.
How to use it — why we love it:
a. Back up files in the cloud saves space on your hard drive.
b. Access files from anywhere at any time.
c. Share files and folders easily with others while reducing the amount of email in and out of your inbox.
d. Collaborate on a variety of documents with your clients in “real time” to accurately and instantly capture edits and changes.
e. Automatically sync documents from your desktop to the drive saves time and makes sure you’re not in the field while a key document is at the office.
3. Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily.
Similar to Google Drive, Dropbox serves a similar, yet slightly different, purpose as noted by our client, Zbra Studios, who is a hug fan of Dropbox.
“Dropbox, like Google Drive, has security. The desktop app for Dropbox allows you to drag and drop files. There’s no login required so it’s easy to send or forward files, particularly those that are large.”
4. Feedly is a news aggregator that compiles news feeds from a variety of online sources for the user to customize and share with others.
Back in the “olden days”, we gathered information on “what’s hot and what’s not” from newspapers, magazines, and colleagues at the local coffee shop. Although those remain viable sources, the speed at which business moves renders information garnered through those channels obsolete and irrelevant very quickly.
How to use it — why we love it:
a. Keep up with the latest news, business trends, and information without overwhelming your inbox.
b. Allows you to “go to” information when you’re ready rather than have info pushed at you, interrupting your workflow and creating a distraction.
c. Easily subscribe to blogs (like Synnovatia’s business coaching blog).
d. Save useful articles as a “must read” for later consumption.
e. Keeps your leading resources of information in one place so you can quickly and easily capture what you need to know to grow your business.
5. ActiveInbox gets things done by turning Gmail into a task manager.
Seldom are emails a two-way conversation. Email contains tasks related to projects that have deadlines. How do you stay on top of everything you need “to do” without becoming incredibly overwhelmed, obsessing over details, or missing critical timelines?
Paper and pencil works — sort of. ActiveInbox is a task (and project-lite) management system that keeps everything in one place. Make ActiveInbox remember — so you won’t forget.
How to use it — why we love it:
a. Turn any email into a task allows you to quickly sort through your emails and get out of your inbox.
b. Easily organize tasks into action/waiting for, due dates, or assign them to specific projects (or all three) keeps tasks organized and easy to complete.
c. Move emails requiring action out of your inbox and into an organized system to reduce email bloat and overwhelm.
d. Display tasks by project, due date, or action required depending on what system best supports how you like to work.
e. Create additional “to do’s” and notes related to each task/email within each task/email so nothing gets lost.
6. Buddhify is the #1 mindfulness app for modern life.
When you need to chillax, and don’t have the time to escape to your private island (haha), Buddhify provides bite-size chunks of “ahhhh” no matter where you are.
How to use it — why we love it:
a. Provides guided meditation based on where you’re at or what you’re doing to target what you need most. Online work stressing you out? No problem. Buddhify has a meditation for that.
b. Choose from over 40-guided meditations so you never get bored hearing the same mantra over and over and over.
c. Meditations vary in length from 5 – 20 minutes to fit whatever time frame you have available to distress and relax.
That’s our down and dirty top 6 business apps to sharpen your “app”titude. It doesn’t stop there, however. I’m sure you’ve found incredible apps that make you a smarter and faster entrepreneur. We want to hear from you. Tell us the apps you love and how you use them.
