10 BUSINESS APPS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES IN 2016

We cannot deny the fact that technology is moving incredibly fast in terms of growth. Not so long ago, the larger part of business operations demanded manual input.

This is no longer the case. Technology has ushered-in a handful of apps that are being used widely to make general operations in business really easy.

Some of the applications are meant for smartphones while others are meant for computers. Others are versatile enough such that they can be used on both computers and smartphones.

Let’s have a close look at several categories of apps, best known for their ability to make businesses flourish in different aspects:

TO-DO APPS

There is great need to ensure that all operations in your business are done in an organized and timely manner. Technology has brought forth some apps that are considered best in helping businesspersons organize their activities efficiently.

Needless to say, it is through organized operations that goals in any business are achieved easily. Some of the best To-Do Apps include:

CHECKMARK 

The app allows you to set reminders of upcoming events based on time, location, contacts, and even your favorites. You will therefore be receiving reminders of the upcoming event or activity with regard to the criterion you have selected.

For instance, you can set a remainder based on location. Anytime your smartphone detects that you are close to that particular location, a notification will come up reminding you of the scheduled event in that particular area. You can download the app as little as $5.

FANTASTICAL

Mac users can consider Fantastical for scheduling upcoming events. The best thing about this app is that you can opt to speak or type details of the upcoming event.

The former is always considered better than the latter. Needless to say, speaking is easier than typing. Upon feeding the event details, the app will schedule everything for you and send occasional reminders with regard to the upcoming event.

EVERNOTE

It is a note taking app meant for Android, Blackberry and Mac users. The app has features that give room for typed and spoken notes. Aside from that, the app is able to save all your notes for as long as you wish.

All you have to do is schedule dates for a certain event and save them in your Evernote app whereby you can retrieve the details at your convenience. You can even set event reminders on the same app.

FINANCIAL AND BILLING APPS

Your business will, of course, need financial regulations and general billing. This is where financial and billing apps come in. They are the kind of apps that are used in helping business operators calculate figures, prepare financial documents, and perform other billing activities flawlessly.

Unlike in the past when such tasks could be done manually, things have changed today. Here are the key billing and financing apps that you should consider:

EXPENSIFY

The primary role of this app is to log expenses, manage reports, and also capture images of different receipts. Companies that operate on corporate accounts are considered a perfect match for this app.

If you must know, Expensify has other additional features that can facilitate easy and smooth preparation and storage of financial data and reports. The app is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Blackberry and it is usually free of charge.

SQUARE REGISTER

If your business works more with credit cards, this is the app that you should consider installing on your smartphone or tablet.  Square register allows you to accept credit cards with a very friendly swiping fee of 2.75 percent. Most business owners consider this app ideal since it does not limit them to liquid cash transactions only.

FRESHBOOKS 

Professionalism in any business is definitely something worth embracing. This covers even the financial documents that you present to your clients and other involved parties.

The kind of invoices you present to your clients greatly communicates your image. To create professional and appealing invoices, you will require the FreshBooks app.

It has all the features that can enhance the appearance of your invoices. What’s more, the app is also able to set up a reliable credit card payment system. This, we must agree, is a perfect app for both small and large businesses.

FREEAGENT

It is an advanced version of apps that are used in creating professional invoices, tracking of expenses, chasing particular payments, and many other things.

The best of all is that FreeAgent performs all its roles from an intuitive interface. One more thing, accuracy is fully assured for FreeAgent users. This is made possible by the Time Tracking feature the app has. FreeAgent is able to record the specific time that certain data was fed.

XERO

Accounts management in both small and large businesses has never been this easy, thanks toXero. It is among the most efficient yet sophisticated apps that are designed to manage accounts in a flawless manner.

Xero has the capacity to import financial data into its database and later link everything to the respective accounting transactions. In the end, you will be able to have a clear and precise view of all your accounting transactions. Xero is considered ideal for large businesses.

BUSINESS APPS

It goes without saying that security is imperative for any business, especially if it is anything that has to do with critical data. Here are some apps that you can use to beef up virtual security in your business:

BIZNESS APPS

Bizness Apps is an affordable way for any small business to easily build a mobile app for their customers. You can enable a loyalty program, mobile food ordering system, geo-location messaging, and more.

CALL BLOCKER

This is a free app that works well for any businessperson who wishes to keep his personal phone number private. You can lock away unwanted callers and respond to them using an auto-text. The app also has the capacity to back-up your contact list for future reference.