Running a small business today can be a herculean task for moms and moms-to-be trying to juggle raising their kids while running their business. Try as they might, today’s “Superwomen” still cannot be in two places at the same time. And with all the expenses that come with child care and other health related expenses, some moms simply can’t afford to hire extra hands.
You built your business up from scratch, maybe it’s time to let your smartphone and tablet do some of the heavy lifting.
Blackenterprise.com talked with a few techies to see if there were some apps out there that can help you run your small business and hopefully save you from going insane.
As always, these apps all depend on the kind of business you have — but we’ve tried to make them pretty generic.
This is not just another task list, but a complete solution for your entire workflow. Both the mobile and web apps are optimized for GTD® (Get things done) but allow complete flexibility to customize for any productivity method. It banishes the need to hop between multiple apps and web pages. You can link and manage all your accounts – email, calendars and notes.
A lot of people swear by this one. PCMAG reviews it as, “The program that saves all your thoughts, notes, recipes, photos—whatever you upload—in the cloud so that you can get to them from your computer, smartphone, tablet, or really anywhere you have an Internet connection and a browser with Evernote’s Web app.” Additionally, “It also has effortless solution to note-taking and -syncing. Some of the best search outside Google. Adjustable user interface. Simple and well-balanced design.”
This one allows virtually anyone to accept credit card payments using their personal mobile device. That’s huge for businesses and individuals alike. You’re not really in the game if your small business doesn’t take credit cards. With Square you receive a credit card reader dongle free in the mail. Just plug the dongle into the headphone jack on your iPhone, and swipe a credit card to start processing payments on the go.
Dropbox has its critics, but it also means never leaving an important document or file behind. You have access to files and documents anywhere and any time. It takes just a few seconds to install the app. Your files also stay synced across all your devices.
The gold-standard of video chats. The videoconferencing platform is a gem for small business owners. It lets you make video calls using the front-facing camera on your handset. You can connect with users on nearly any device. If you’re away from the office, it can let you “virtually drop into a staff meeting.”
Your personal cash flow guru. This one lets you take control of your money. It simplifies daily expense tracking and monthly budgeting. You can also store photo receipts and customize your personal and business expenses with easy to understand reports. Includes a visual indicator to show at a quick glance how much money is left in the budget.
One of the most popular for personal finance tracking. Indispensable for busy moms. Syncs with most financial institutions. Organizes your business and personal spending into categories— like rent, gas, clothes, lattes—and shows you where your
money goes in easy-to-understand charts. Allows you to manage credit cards, bank accounts, investments, personal income, monthly budgets, and any other assets or expenditures in real time.
Bonus: Pocket Informant
Combines your Calendar, Tasks and Notes in one functional tool. Includes printing, AirDrop sharing, 64-bit support, event conflict checking, and natural language input for creating new tasks with Quick Entry.
In the meantime, don’t forget your stalwarts. Facebook Pages, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus Apps.