Being able to manage your business without being tied down to a desktop computer in your office is just one of the many benefits of using smartphone apps. These seven ways to use apps to manage your small business can help you run your business from anywhere with internet access.
1. Project Management and Organization
Keeping track of everything you need to do, creating and managing your workflow and allocating resources are all functions that can be handled by project management and organization apps. If you run a business in a specialized industry, you may want to seek out an app, such as a construction app, that is specifically geared towards your industry.
However, many general-purpose project and time management apps can be adapted to your specific business. Some of the best apps in this category include Trello, Asana, Basecamp and Evernote.
2. Accounting and Finance
Every business needs some way to keep track of revenues and expenses, payroll, and other functions. Accounting and finance apps can help you draft a budget, track expenses, track sales and accounts receivable, do your payroll, create financial statements, perform bookkeeping tasks, do your taxes and more. Popular apps in this category include Quickbooks, Wave, Freshbooks and Expensify.
3. Inventory Management
If your business sells products, then keeping track of your inventory is one of your most important tasks. Apps can help you maintain real-time inventory records, automatically order supplies when you need them, provide information to your POS system about what is in stock and where, and more. Many of these apps also integrate with shopping and accounting apps to help streamline your processes. Top apps in this category include SOS Inventory, Delivrd and Sortly.
4. Point of Sale and Payment Processing
Point of sale and payment processing apps greatly increase the flexibility of where you conduct your business. Equip your staff with a tablet or smartphone with one of these apps and you no longer need to set up a bulky cash register to process sales.
These apps are particularly useful for mobile businesses, such as food trucks, or vendors at flea markets and trade shows. They are also useful for businesses where the staff comes to the customer, such as take out restaurants.
Some of these apps can also manage your inventory, loyalty programs and more and most integrate with other popular apps. Top apps in this category include Square, Quickbooks, GoPayment and PayPal Here.
5. Time Tracking and Team Management
Even if you are the only employee in your business, you need a good way to keep track of the time you are working and manage that time effectively. These apps can help you create schedules for your employees, assign tasks, and keep track of how many hours employees are working overall and on specific projects. Many of these apps can be integrated with your payroll software. Some of the best apps of this type are Gusto, TSheets, HotSchedules and Teamdeck.
6. Communication
Effectively communicating with your employees and customers is key to any successful business. These apps can help you organize team meetings, conduct video calls, send instant messages and more. Avoid the hassle of scheduling and conducting in-person meetings. With these apps you can get instant answers, collaborate in groups from anywhere around the world and more. Communication apps to consider include Slack, Skype, Microsoft Teams and GoToMeeting.
7. Customer Relationship Management
Building brand loyalty is very important for growing your small business. CRM apps can help you forge and maintain relationships with your customers. These apps can help you run customer loyalty programs, run promotional campaigns and communicate with customers through text or e-mail.
Popular options include Spendago, Belly, Salesforce and Nimble. Apps are a great way to take the management of your business mobile. They do not eliminate the need for desktops and laptops, but they can greatly reduce it and provide you with a tremendous level of flexibility and mobility in your business management.
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