When it comes to running a business in the digital age, it’s no surprise that small business owners often utilize mobile app technology to keep their business up and running. From invoice tracking to social media scheduling or even meditation, mobile apps are a godsend for the modern day business owner.
Not to mention utilizing free apps saves you time and money. I’ve never heard a small business owner complaining about having too much of either, so these apps are a great way to manage both!
We’ve collected some of our (and others’) favorite free apps for the small business owner in the hope that they will provide some respite in your hectic life.
Smartr – Contacts app
It’s like an old school Rolodex but, well, smarter. You can keep track of your business or personal contacts as well as their socials in one place. Never mix up those two Stephanies’ birthdays again! This one is currently offered for iPhones in the app store.
Toggl – Time tracking app
If you’re a solopreneur with a bunch of clients, Toggl could be your new best friend. It’s a time tracker that tracks to the second what you’re doing. Whether you want to keep yourself on track or make sure you give your clients the most detailed invoice you can, Toggl is a great way to manage your time.
Wave – Invoicing app
Say goodbye to paying to send an invoice. Wave lets you send invoices and receive bank payments without paying a dime. You can also track receipts for tax prep! There is a paid option of Wave as well which allows credit card payments and payroll management.
Evernote – Organize notes app
Have you ever wanted to share a to-do list with your team members (or spouse, roommate or children)? Evernote makes sharing notes easier than ever. Jot down whatever you need to remember and send it off to however many folks need to know about it. Much easier than copy and pasting in a pre-downloaded Android or ios app, plus there isn’t the concern that the others won’t receive it because they don’t have the same phone system as you. Win/Win.
Canva – Graphic design app
Canva is a designing tool complete with programs and templates to help you make your visuals look better than ever. The possibilities are endless with tons of different things you can do from website graphics, social media posts, create a newsletter, create a flyer, create presentations, animated posts, social media cover images, posters and so much more. If you can think it, you can design it. While nothing replaces a great graphic designer, an app like Canva is a fantastic way to create something quickly while still maintaining a professional look. While they have free images to use, there are paid options as well, and they are $1 per image, so still pretty affordable.
Adobe Express – Graphic design app
Like Canva, Adobe Express has more options for creating graphics and even video for whatever you need. There are additional templates and programs at your fingertips. Canva and Adobe Express are great partners in amateur graphic design. Adobe Express has a free version but most of its upgraded options are for their paid monthly plan.
Slack – Email message board app
Slack is the new email. Seriously. It’s like a message board, chat box and private messaging system all in one. You can keep in touch with your team (or even clients) wherever they are in real time. This is available to download for Android, iPhone and even desktop users
Dropbox – Cloud storage app
Never send an oversized file via email ever again. Whether you use Dropbox or Google Drive, it’s a much better system for sharing a lot of files all at once. Plus you don’t lose the quality of images because Dropbox doesn’t have to shrink down your file sizes to send to other people the way email does.
Genius Scan – PDF scan app
Need to send an important document ASAP and you’re not near a scanner? No worries. Genius Scan can instantly convert your doc into a PDF or JPEG and send it off in seconds. You’ll never need to worry about the mail losing an important contract ever again!
Fuze – Video messaging conferencing app
Have several team members or clients who need to be in on a conference call? Use Fuze and get up to 12 separate video feeds into your video conference for free. It’s free to you and the folks who need to use it to keep in touch with you or your business!
RingCentral – Communication app
Want folks to be able to get in touch with you even if you’re not in the office? RingCentral lets people call your work number and reach you on your cell without disclosing your private number! It’s the perfect way to avoid missing important calls and keep your personal line personal.
What’s your favorite app, paid or free? We’d love to hear all about it. Small business owners need to stick together to help build each other up so we can better compete with big box companies.
Now, if you want your business to be on a mobile app, this is a great discussion to have with us as we can help you get that going. Contact Unleashed Mobile Apps to get started. If you still aren’t sure of the benefits a mobile app can be for your business, take a look at your App Store and reconsider as there are millions of apps available for your customers to tap into – don’t miss out.
