If you are a small business owner, there’s a high likelihood that you think you are making the best use of technology, including, of course, the many different apps that are currently available. But are you really? Scratch beyond the core apps that all businesses use, and there are plenty of other new, exciting, and fresh platforms that can provide a serious boost to your presence.
And when frugality is an essential part of being a small business owner, it’s vital that you know about all the tools at your disposal when it comes to building audiences, marketing, and productivity. With this in mind, here are some essential business apps you might not have heard of – and possibly should be using. Let’s get started right away.
1.Yelp
If you aren’t using Yelp, you are likely to be losing out on a lot of opportunities. Yelp is, in essence, an app that people use to find local businesses, and you can pick it up on Android or iOS. It’s a listing service that, if used correctly, can put your business front and center of your ideal customer’s minds – so much so, in fact, that some small business owners feel their Yelp presence is actually greater than their own websites. While we wouldn’t go that far, it is certainly important to get your business name on Yelp if you want to establish and grow a local online presence.
2.Fiverr
There are pros and cons of using Fiverr as a way of getting work done quickly for your business. While it is cheap – everything costs $5, although you will need to pay more for additional services – the quality isn’t always fantastic: you get what you pay for, of course. That said, if you need basic tasks done like designing the cover of an ebook or writing some interesting product descriptions for your ecommerce store, it’s worth getting the app. Ultimately, you could place an order and have the completed work back to you within 24-48 hours.
3.Canva
If you fancy designing your own logos, Facebook profile pictures for your business, or ebook covers, check out Canva. It’s free to get started, and there are many free templates you can use, although premium templates might cost you a few bucks for a more professional sheen. It’s easy to use, too, and you can create some incredible, professional looking images without any coding or design experience.
4.Google My Business
You won’t need us to tell you how important Google is – the vast majority of your customers will be arriving at your website after a Google search, of course. But the Google My Business app is something you may not be aware of – yet it’s a vital tool for your online marketing. First of all, it’s well optimized for local search, gives you an edge over your competitors. You can check your stats, profile, and look at reviews of your business from your smartphone, so it’s ideal for any business owners out there who operate on the move.
5.Kik
Kik Messenger is an up-and-coming messaging app that is popular amongst the younger generations – and it’s a valuable tool for business. There is a range of steps to download KIK for PC, Mac or smartphone, and once you have created your profile, you have access to over 300 million users. Kik is a combination of Snapchat, with the added bonus of the security you might know from BlackBerry. Ultimately it’s a great little communication tool that allows you to target users based on location and even use Kik Bot stores to interact with your audience, improve customer service, and even use it as a collaboration tool.
6.Wave Analytics
Wave Analytics is an app created by Salesforce and can give you some serious insights into your business dealings. It’s accessible from any device and provides predictive forecasting for your sales, helping small business owners and teams make instant decisions on data and facts, rather than just testing out ideas. While we’re on the subject of Salesforce, they also provide an app called Geopointe – it’s a native app that helps you visualize data about your business on a local basis. You can create heat maps of sales, as well as working out how to optimize your sales routes and identify areas with potential for new prospects.
7.Camcard Lite
Camcard is a business card reading app – available for free in its Lite version. It takes snapshots of business cards and can interpret the relevant data to create contact information on your smartphone. It’s a great app if your business relies on networking with a lot of people, and saves you a lot of time. There’s no need to type in a new contact’s relevant information manually, and although the free version has some limitations, it’s highly usable and ideal for networkers.
8.Pomodoro
Are you a writer, or do you have to do tasks that require a lot of concentration? If so, the Pomodoro app could help you become more productive. The Pomodoro Technique is all about working in short bursts – you set a limit of, say, 25 minutes, and work without interruption, and then take five minutes break when you are done. Repeat the process throughout the day, and you will find you get more done, while still having the time to check your emails, Facebook, or Twitter feed.
9.Office Time
If you are a small freelance business, time tracking will be a vital part of what you do. Apps like Office Time enable you to ‘start the clock’ when you commence a task, and turn off when you finish. In essence, it tracks the time you spend on tasks and turns them into billable hours, and it works on a minute-by-minute basis. Office Time also generates invoices for you, as well as giving you reports which you can use to improve productivity and highlight areas and periods of the day when you are wasting time.
As you can see, there are plenty of apps you can use to save time, money, and promote your business. DO you have any more to add? Feel free to leave them in the comments!
