Top 9 Useful Apps for Small Business Owners
We are living in the age of smart phones, mobile devices and applications. While most of the popular apps are either games or useful for everyone using a smart phone, there are some very useful apps for small business owners. Given below is a list of nine such apps. Most of these are popular but some are not so. But all of them are mighty useful when it comes to increasing productivity and organizing your work.
Best App for Brainstorming: Evernote
What is it?
Collects notes, takes photos and jots down ideas, all in one place.
Key Features
Syncs across all of your devices, saves your favourite web pages, allows employee collaboration, gathers your research and remembers things you like.
Cost
The basic account is free. The business package costs €10 per user, per month and the premium package costs €40 per user, per month.
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Blackberry and Windows Phones
Best Customer Service App: Zendesk
What is it?
A mobile dashboard that allows your computer service team to solve issues instantly
Key Features
Live ticket support, instant messaging and phone support notifications resulting in faster service and satisfied customers
Cost
Starter packages from $1 per month, per agent, billed annually. High end enterprise package $195 per agent per month. Other packages in between.
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 and Kindle Fire.
Best Cash Flow Management App: Square
What is it?
Turns your smartphone or tablet into an instant cash register.
Key Features
Register for a credit card reader, download the app, plugin the credit card reader into your phone and you have an instant point of sale. Take payments, track sales, give customer receipts and only pay when you sell.
Cost
Starter packages from $1 per month per agent, billed annually. High end package $195 per month per agent. Other packages in between
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android
Best package Tracking App: Delivery Status
What is it?
A package tracking application.
Key Features
Supports over 30 services including Fedex, UPS, DPD, DHL & Royal Mail. Shows the latest package status in transit and counts down to the estimated delivery time
Cost
Retailing on iTune store for $4.99
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone and iPad)
Best App for File Sharing: Dropbox
What is it?
Shares multiple large documents, pictures and videos online and across devices
Key Features
It automatically syncs across all devices. Everything is backed up online. It allows for multiple users and large file sharing.
Cost
The basic package is free and includes 2 GB storage. The pro package costs $.99 per user per year and includes 100 Gb and priority email support. The business package costs $795 for 5 users and includes unlimited storage and all features.
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Blackberry and kindle Fire
Best Email Campaign Management App: Mailchimp
What is it?
It designs and sends your email and newsletters and captures mailing lists.
Key Features
Capture your customer email addresses, segment your lists by location, build reports and integrate with Google analytics
Cost
The entrepreneur package is free for less than 2000 subscribers sending up to 12,000 mails per month. The Growing business package allows for 50,000 subscribers sending unlimited emails a month and costs from $10 a month
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone) and Android
Best Business Trip Organizing App: Tripit
What is it?
It organizes your travel plans into an all in one itinerary.
Key Features
24/7 access, share travel plans with colleagues, creates custom itineraries including maps and directions
Cost
The basic package is free forever and the pro package is $49 a year with a 30 day free trial. There is also a team plan which starts from $29 a month.
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7
Best Social Media Manager: Hootsuite
What is it?
A single dashboard that allows you to manage schedule and measure all of your social media profiles at once.
Key Features
Instead of logging into several accounts you now log into one. It has customizable reports and in integrates with Google Analytics.
Cost
The basic account is free and the pro account aimed at small businesses starts from €7.16 per month with a 30 day free trial.
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android
Best Business Card Reading App: Card Munch by Linkedin
What is it?
Snaps an image of a business card and converts it into a contact on your phone
Key Features
Digitally catalogs new business contacts at conferences, networking events and meetings instantly. Cuts down on paper business cards and contacts
Cost
It’s free.
Compatibility
iOS (iPhone)
Continue reading here: How To Effectively Carry Out Your Online Business
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