The modern business world is mobile — it’s not about brick-and-mortar offices and storefronts. It’s not about desks and computers wired to the spot. To work effectively on the go and with an equally tech-savvy customer base, you need to put together a custom array of business apps to get the job done. The following apps are excellent resources for startups, from media and marketing firms to goods and commodities retailers.
1. Square
If you’re a point-of-sale retailer and you don’t know about Square, now is the time to learn. With the help a simple peripheral, Square allows businesses of all sizes to create a mobile point-of-sale, eschewing cash registers and clunky credit card swipers altogether. Square lets you take payments, send receipts by email, set prices and track your cash flow by the minute. This is a must-have for any retailer, whether operating out of a single location or on the go.
2. Business Plan
Tracking your fledgling company’s data and presenting it to potential clients, investors, and employees is both essential and difficult. Business Plan allows you to keep all of this information in one, tidy package. It’s a great app for those who have never written a business plan before, presenting you with a simple, step-by-step template with clean graphics and a simple interface. As a bonus, Business Plan links to another app, Start-up Budget, that lets you calculate your base finances dynamically.
3. Basecamp
Just because your startup is lean and full of driven, talented people doesn’t mean it’s easy to keep all your ducks in a row. Basecamp is a full-service project management app that keeps track of info big and small. It’s a personal planner, memo-maker, inbox and filing cabinet all in one. Use it to create to-do lists, upload files to share with others in the company, and send and receive feedback to everyone on every project. Most conveniently, Basecamp isn’t entirely bound by its central app. Users can access their Basecamp account on any device that has Internet access, from a mobile device to a laptop or desktop computer.
4. BizXpenseTracker
When you’re on a tight budget (and startups are always on a tight budget), expenses can get out of hand very quickly without proper monitoring. BizXpenseTracker allows you to keep a handle on every cent you spend at home and on the road. It features trip-specific expense reports, mileage tracking, timetables, and other features to keep all the P’s and Q’s in order. It also has a handy receipt photo uploader that lets you digitize all the little purchases along the way. All of this info is easy to share via email and file managers like Dropbox.
These are just a few of the best apps out there that help startup businesses stay informed and efficient. There are many other tools for the small business community that make daily operations and networking that much easier. Apps let you run your startup free from paper, confusion, and miscommunication while saving you money and helping you make the most of the versatile technology at your disposal.
Need more knowledge check out these 10 startup tips at nibletz.com