In a world where new technology is rapidly changing the workplace and the nature of work itself, mobile apps can be your best friends.
There are apps for sharing work, communicating with staff via instant messaging and videoconferencing, for financial accounting, payroll and record keeping, and many others.
These can be used to improve productivity, analyze and track your business metrics, and even send a free fax.
Best of all, they can be accessed via mobile devices as well as desktop computers, helping your workforce to use their time more efficiently.
Using Technology To Help Your Business
Mobile apps can help you organize and manage your business, improve communications and productivity, keep accurate records and much more. The tag “there’s an app for that” is truer than ever in the world of business.
Especially for small businesses and startups, where everyone has to wear many hats, these apps can give you control over every area of work.
Here’s a quick rundown of the best apps to manage the four most important parts of your business: communication, finances, mobile payments and project management.
Many of these have been available for personal use, but have professional or business versions for businesses of different sizes. They can be used on most mobile devices and with different operating systems, giving you a truly connected workforce.
1. Communication
No matter the size of your business, it’s important to stay in touch with your employees, clients, partners and suppliers. Different methods like email, instant messaging, phone calls, faxes and videoconferencing all have their uses for various purposes. Here are some of the best apps that help you and your staff to work more efficiently.
Skype : Has been around for a long time, and is still one of the leading apps for videoconferencing. That’s because it has continued to evolve in response to user needs. It lets you make video and phone calls to any place in the world, videoconference with up to 25 people at a time, send files, videos and photos without any size limits, and share your computer screen. You can also send text and voicemail messages. It is compatible with Amazon Alexa devices.
Fuze : Is another videoconferencing app that can be used for large meetings. It is available for all platforms and operating systems. Beyond communication, it offers analytics and real-time intelligence for businesses.
Slack : Is another favorite with businesses, with instant messaging for individuals and groups, and no limits to the number of people who can be added. Files and video can be shared via the chat platform. Messages and files are automatically filed and indexed.
FaxBurner : Brings faxes into the Internet age, minus the paper. Faxes are still used where there is a need for security, accuracy or a legal requirement for an authentic document. To send a fax from anywhere, all you need is a computer or mobile device.
2. Finances And Payroll
This can be one of the most difficult areas to mange for business owners, and these apps take over with a minimum of fuss. They can be used for a wide range of functions, and help you manage your finances and record-keeping efficiently and accurately.
Quickbooks : Is another classic app that has continued to change with the times. This accounting software can be used with Mac and Android operating systems and on all mobile devices as well as desktop computers. It can be used to track sales and expenses , generate financial statements, and file taxes. It has many extras: it will maximize tax deductions, and even scan receipts and store them safely. QuickBooks is also used for employee payroll and can connects to thousands of accounts via bank account, credit cards, PayPal and Square.
Wave : Is accounting software specially designed for small businesses, independent contractors and sole proprietors of businesses with less than nine employees. It can track sales and expenses, manage invoices and customer payments, generate payroll and reports, and scan receipts. It can be used on different platforms and operating systems.
3. Mobile Payments
Most people nowadays practically live on their phones and other mobile devices. For businesses of all sizes, the ability to receive mobile payments is an essential way to connect with customers. These apps combine seamless efficiency with easy-to-use interfaces, putting technology at the service of businesses and customers.
Square : Is a great app appreciated by both business owners and their customers. It allows small businesses to receive payments via a mobile device. A small, portable card reader is attached to a phone or mobile device to accept card payments. This is convenient for small and mobile businesses like food trucks, crafters and beauty salons. Square Register is a point-of-sale system for brick-and-mortar stores.
PayPal Here : Is PayPal’s answer to Square and consists of a card reader that can be attached to a mobile device. This can turn a phone or tablet into a portable register that accepts card payments.
4. Organization And Time Management
For business that do most of their work online, project management can be a challenge. However, there are many apps that help you to manage your projects and your online workforce,
Asana : Is a project-management app with a board to view and track all tasks and projects. Group members can share notes and files and communicate in real time. It can be integrated with other apps like Google Drive, Dropbox and Slack.
Trello : Helps you to manage your workflow by adding cards for each task, assignment or project to a board. You can add information about team members, comments, files, checklists, due dates, and labels to each card. All team members can access the cards, to stay informed about the progress of the project and their place in it.
Mobile apps give you control over your workflow and help you stay in touch with your employees, no matter where in the world you happen to be. For all kinds of businesses, from small to medium to large enterprises, they help to improve communications, accuracy and productivity.
