Running a business can be challenging. Small business owners are especially faced with the difficult task of managing several moving parts, both on and offline, without the help of a large workforce. This can impede their ability to focus on revenue-generating activities to grow their business in a steady manner.
Luckily, there is a wide range of apps that are specifically designed to streamline most of these tasks. In this article, we'll take a look at 12 apps that can help you improve your workflow and run your business efficiently.
How Can Apps Benefit Small Businesses?
Regardless of which sector you operate in, business apps can help you with the tedious tasks that take up time and effort. These range from managing email campaigns to setting up team collaboration tasks.
The ability to automate and simplify recurring tasks reduces the burden of business management and allows you to shift your focus to what matters: the high-value activities that drive more cash flow and ensure sustainable growth. This can be anything from developing new marketing strategies and doing competitor analysis to securing funding and improving customer service.
12 Free Apps for Small Businesses
As a business owner, you should consider apps as a key component of your day-to-day task management. The list below features some of the best small business apps that are available today.
Zoom
Zoom has become the talk of the business world over the past few months — and for a good reason. Unlike apps like Skype and other web-based platforms, this video conferencing software allows you to set up high-quality virtual meetings — either through a web browser or mobile app — that aren't plagued by latency and low frame rate issues. Zoom comes with a long list of features that includes screen sharing, custom backgrounds, meeting recording functions, unlimited chat for premium accounts, and comprehensive audio and camera control.
This video call app is available on all Android and Apple iOS mobile devices and is supported by most browsers. Zoom has four pricing options that start with a free version all the way up to a $240/year paid plan that offers unlimited storage and 500-person meetings.
Asana
Asana is a project management app that facilitates team collaboration and allows users to organize and track their workflow. The platform boasts a minimalist design and the interface is easy to navigate. The highlight of this app is its team collaboration capabilities — managers can easily streamline their task management by setting up due dates, assigning tasks to team members, keeping track of time thanks to time-tracking integration, and communicating in real time with assignees and freelancers via third-party messaging apps.
The app is available on all mobile operating systems. Asana offers four different plans to users: Basic Plan (free), Premium Plan ($10.99 per month), Business Plan ($24.99 per month), and Enterprise Plan (custom pricing depending on client needs).
Gmail
Simply put, this app is a must-have for any small business and startup. Gmail has everything you need from an email client: a simple interface for checking your emails, an effective search function, the ability to share files and send attachments, and a wide range of notifications that help you stay on top of your business communication and email marketing efforts.
The Gmail app is available on all devices and is free of charge.
Google Drive
When it comes to cloud storage and syncing services, few apps can match Google Drive. This is an all-in-one solution that allows managers to create, modify, store, and collaborate on documents on a single platform.
For free plan users, storage is capped at 15 GB. To exceed that limit, you can pay $19.99 per year for 100 GB, $29.99 per year for 200 GB, and $99.99 per year for 2 TB.
Square
Square is a point-of-sale (POS) app that is as effective as it is easy to use. Some of the noteworthy features of this app include in-depth analytics, sales reports, manual credit card entry, and built-in payment processing that seamlessly connects with Square hardware.
The Square POS app is compatible with all mobile devices and comes with no setup or monthly fees. Users pay a processing rate of 2.6%, plus $0.10 every time they take payment.
LinkedIn is not only a great way to identify and recruit qualified talent but it is also an effective channel for business owners to keep up with trends in their industry and stay on top of the best practices, tools, and marketing strategies in the space. The free LinkedIn app brings most of the platform's features to iOS and Android mobile devices.
Evernote
Taking notes is an integral part of business management. Evernote is an app that helps you take, organize, and archive your notes in an effortless way, resulting in a more efficient workflow. Evernote is cross-platform and is compatible with Android, iOS, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. As for pricing, the app has three plans: Basic (free), Premium ($7.99 per month), and Business ($14.99 per month)
PayPal Here
PayPal Here is another POS app that helps businesses carry out a variety of tasks. By using this app, businesses can manage invoicing and process checks and credit cards on their phone. Unlike the majority of payment apps, though, PayPal Here focuses exclusively on payment processing functionality. The app can be downloaded on all mobile devices and costs 2.7% per U.S. card swipe.
Dropbox
This is another file-syncing and storage app that allows managers and business owners to store, sync, and share files on a streamlined platform. Dropbox sets itself apart from similar apps by ensuring higher security. This includes advanced password protection, expiring links and download permissions, and unauthorized edit protection. Dropbox offers plans for both personal and work purposes.
HubSpot CRM
The HubSpot CRM is a free inbound marketing, sales, and service platform that is available on Android and iOS devices. The app helps business owners monitor and optimize their sales funnel by enabling them to effectively streamline the management of tasks, contacts, and deals.
One of the advantages of the HubSpot CRM is its third-party integration capabilities. Users can easily connect their app to e-commerce platforms like Shopify and collaboration tools like Trello.
Mailchimp
Staying on top of your email marketing campaigns is critical to the success of your customer acquisition strategy. As the premier email marketing solution on the market, Mailchimp has all the features you need to create and manage your campaigns.
Mailchimp users can create email campaigns from an iPad or iPhone in a matter of minutes and integrate pre-designed landing pages and opt-in templates by adding a simple code snippet. The free plan offers 2,000 contacts and 10,000 emails per month, whereas the premium plan provides access to all marketing features at $299 per month.
Google Calendar
One of the challenges that business owners face when dealing with a multitude of tasks is the inability to maintain and manage a consistent schedule. Google Calendar is a free app that provides a straightforward solution to this issue — users can create events, send invites, and set reminders to ensure that all pending tasks are handled on time.
Keep Track of Your Small Business Finances With Skynova
While the apps listed above would be great additions to your business, you still need a comprehensive accounting software solution that helps you manage every aspect of your business finances. We offer just that with Skynova's accounting software.
This all-in-one accounting solution uses double-entry bookkeeping to ensure financial accuracy and gives business owners access to an intuitive platform where they can track income and expense reports, store receipts, and generate financial reports.
Notice to the Reader
The content within this article is meant to be used as general guidelines and may not apply to your specific situation. Always consult with a business adviser to ensure you're getting the necessary professional guidance.