Mobile technology has turned every smartphone and tablet into a mobile office that allows company employees and entrepreneurs alike to remain connected to the business regardless of their location. Likewise, mobile apps provide businesses with affordable solutions that allow them to send invoices, manage documents, share information easily among employees/departments, and stay in touch via email, text, and chat. The best part is that many of these apps are free to download and use. The following are 7 business apps you can access for free and give your startup the advantage it needs to succeed early on.
WordPress
In 2015, businesses without a website might as well not exist. A website allows your business to connect with consumers far outside your local area, expanding the revenue potential of the company in the process. WordPress is a simple tool that allows you to develop a website and/or blog to reach out to customers, provide vital information on your product/service, and even sell directly to consumers.
Google Docs
Collaboration is critical in the modern world. You cannot be chained to your desk all day and still be successful. As an entrepreneur, you’ll frequently be on the road, meeting with vendors and schmoozing potential clients. Google Docs allows you to upload invoice, accounts payable, and presentation documents to the cloud, and then access them from any device with an Internet connection.
iAnnotate
iAnnotate is a great app for on-the-go reading and annotation on work documents. The intuitive user interface allows you to read documents, make notes, and share documents with other employees to ensure collaboration remains smooth and easy.
Toggl
As mentioned earlier, you’re likely to be out of the office for client meetings and presentations. How do you track your billable time in and out of the office? With Toggl, you can accurately track your billable hours in real time and organize those hours by project, tag, or simply mark the time block as billable.
Loomio
Communication is important. Whether your startup consists of five people or 15 people, everyone is entitled to a say in the decision-making process. Loomio allows everyone in the company to participate in the discussion, regardless of location. The app allows you to start a discussion on any topic, bring others into the loop, and then share diverse perspectives and develop ideas as a team. Next, the group discusses proposed courses of action, with users allowed to make a decision to agree, abstain, disagree, or block the project. The overall process encourages your employees to work together to develop a proposal that works for everyone, including your end-users.
DueDil
Appropriately named, this app allows you to conduct due diligence about your operations and compare the results to your competition. DueDil allows you to better understand the risks of your operation by conducting credit risk reports, collecting payment data, and court judgments (for example), that impact the financial performance of your competitors, suppliers, and customers.
RedMine
RedMine is a free, open-source project management and issue tracking tool that can be accessed via the web or mobile application. You can manage multiple projects and subprojects, and even track news, documents, feeds, and email notifications.
With these apps downloaded to PCs, smartphones, and tablets used by yourself and other employees, your startup has access to free services that help you manage the day-to-day operations of your business, accurately track billable hours, and collaborate on various projects and concepts that impact your business.
