When it comes to making your company a success, you can’t do it without the right tools. Software is a tool like any other, and some are suitable for certain jobs, but not for others. All businesses, regardless of size, need to keep an eye on the bottom line, but also should have a clear understanding of the part that good software can play in building, launching, and growing a company. Right now everybody has an app for something, but you should try some champions to do the heavy lifting. Pick up these flexible, scalable applications and watch your expenses drop and see your revenue take off.
Evernote: It would be easy to dismiss Evernote as another freemium app, if only it weren’t so useful. From students to startups, Evernote has become a classic and a staple on multiple devices from smart phones to laptops. The free basic plan allows 60 megabytes of uploads per month synced across two devices. For $34.99 per year, the Plus Plan allows you one gigabyte of uploads and syncs you across all devices. If you are going big time, consider the premium plan with its entire laundry list of features at a business rate of $12 per user per month.
Toggl: For tracking those billable hours, The Simple Dollar says that nothing will beat Toggl. You can track projects and clients, set billable rates, create and view graphs, export your timesheets, and every member of your team can use it so that everyone stays on the same page. It works with android, IOS, Windows as well as Linux and integrates with apps like Basecamp, Salesforce, Google Drive, and Zendesk. Let’s just say it works with almost everything, with everybody, for every time use and billing purpose.
BlueJeans: Video conferencing solutions seldom come all in one box until you meet with cloud-based video meeting app BlueJeans. This cross-platform compatible, affordable, and intuitive app is the way to hold any meeting that Slack can’t get you out of. Whether you are joining in from a room system, your android or iOS phone, or your browser, this app offers maximum scalability, the reliability of cloud servers, sharing of rich content including video, security, and the ability to record and archive your meetings. There is also an involved user community, as well as premium tech support. You may think that you don’t need a videoconferencing app, but research by Entrepreneur magazine shows that the use of video meetings increases attentiveness across all age groups from Millennials to Boomers. This app is so diverse it should run for president.
Pocket Analytics: Pocket Analytics is a paid app that tracks multiple streams of analytics data from Google Analytics, Facebook, Flurry, Pingdom, and many more from user created dashboards. It is currently only available for iOS. If you need to take your data on the go, this is the app that you need. You should never miss a marketing insight simply because you are not at your desktop dashboard.
Slack: If you don’t know about Slack, you really should. This instant messaging app allows you to organize team conversations, easily share files, and have them all indexed and archived for you. There are no user limits, and according to NerdWallet, Slack users see nearly 50 percent fewer internal emails, and have to deal with 25 percent fewer meetings. Increases in productivity amounted to 32 percent overall. The paid plan gives you a lot more bang for your buck, though the freeware will reel you in like a hooked fish.
Wave: For a brand-new startup or for a very small business without a bookkeeper, Wave is a cloud-based free double entry bookkeeping app that lets you keep books, create invoices record payments, process credit card payments, scan receipts, and even do payroll. This app received 3.5 out of five stars from PC Magazine when stacked up against pay-to-play heavy hitters such as QuickBooks. It integrates with Etsy, PayPal, Shoebox, and Stripe. It doesn’t have the time tracking, inventory management, or POS features of QuickBooks, so if you need those features, you may want to consider looking elsewhere. Premium editions offer live chat and phone or email support otherwise.
New software and apps should integrate with your operation without a lot of fuss. Yes, there’s always a learning curve, but the best apps offer intuitive interfaces, and with online tutorials, you staff should be up and running in no time. Remember, in order to make lasting changes, people have to like the changes that they’re making. Once the new software proves to be an asset and something that helps rather than something that’s a hassle, you’ll see the difference in increased productivity, better time management, and less stressed staff. Take out that phone or tablet, and start hunting the apps that will make your life easier.
