As an entrepreneur with a business coming fresh off the ground, you’re going to want to have as many tools as you can to make sure you’re prepared to handle every situation as efficiently as possible. Luckily, we live in the smartphone age and now have pocket devices that double and triple as secretaries, computers, printing centers, GPS, and more. Apps have come out for nearly everything you could possibly think of–from an app to organize documents on the iPhone to an app to make free conference calls using Android–and business apps are no exception. But there are a lot to sift through, so I decided to list my favorite apps for making business more efficient.
1. SumUp
Now, this is app is not the last word in the matter, but if you’re looking for an easy-to-use, convenient app to manage your finances or even accept payments, SumUp could be the choice for you. Especially useful if you move around outside of the office for your work, this app lets you accept credit card payments through your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone without the use of a card reader. Currently it only accepts Visa and MasterCard, but there are no monthly fees.
2. Tiny Scan
The smartphone is now a scanner and a notary. If you’re traveling and need to send urgent documents, you no longer have to worry about getting hold of a printer/scanner to get what needs to be sent to whom it needs to be sent to. Tiny Scan allows you to take pictures of documents and immediately convert them into a PDF file, essentially becoming a scanner for your pocket.
3. Readdle.com
If you need to sign a document for which you don’t have a hard copy, you’ll want to have the app from Readdle.com to cut out the need for a printer. This app lets you not only fill in PDF documents, but also add legally binding signatures to whatever needs to be signed. Your phone has suddenly become your Kinko’s.
4. Fleetmatics
This is for the company that needs to manage vehicles, like a roving food stand collective or a transport service for the disabled. If you’ve got vehicles you need to keep track of at all times, Fleetmatics can help you out. By registering all of your vehicles with the app, you can get real-time updates on the whereabouts of each individual vehicle, in case you need to know which one is nearest to a client or if one gets stolen (hopefully, the latter doesn’t happen too often!). But aside from keeping you informed of locations, Fleetmatics will also keep you updated with real-time alerts and reports that can remind you of things like when a service is due.
5. UberConference
Now the conference call or business meeting can happen anywhere, thanks to apps like UberConference. By simply choosing contacts from your contact list, you can immediately make free conference calls using Android phones or the iPhone for up to 17 people. Every free membership starts off with a maximum conference call size of five, but by doing simple things like linking with social media accounts, you get rewarded with a cap increase up to a total of 17. The free account comes will all of the main features, which include both conference monitoring options as well as in-conference management options, such as mute, earmuffs, record, and more. Currently this is available for the iPhone and Android phones.
The world is becoming friendlier towards the entrepreneur every single day, what with companies both old and new releasing apps on a regular basis to make things easier and cut as many obstacles as possible out of your way. Thanks to apps like the ones listed above, you’ll be able to work much faster which is great as, when starting off a new venture, you want to carry with you as much forward momentum as you can.