Best Apps for Your Small Business

It seems as though with every new technological advancement businesses flourish. The first Xerox copy machine was introduced back in 1960. And now, can you imagine any business surviving without a photocopy machine? The next major innovation was the fax machine which allowed businesses to instantly pass documents and purchase orders across the country and around the world.

Then came the internet and everything changed! Today, savvy small business owners are tapping into a vast array of resources that fit in the palm of their hand. We’re talking about mobile smartphone business applications. How can they help your business succeed?

Consider the following apps to help run your business virtually.

Bump

The number one way for business owners to connect with clients and contractors is by passing along their business card. With the Bump app you can now transmit your contact information directly by “bumping” or touching your phones together.  You can also “bump” photos and files. This might not replace your business card completely but at least you’ll be guaranteed that whoever you “bump” will be getting your info!  You no longer have to keep hanging onto hundreds of paper business cards anymore!

Expensify

Filing an expense report is essential for anyone who wants to be reimbursed by their company. But it’s also a tedious chore to cobble together receipts and mileage numbers. Now with Expensify you can take the drudgery out of writing expense reports. You can scan and upload receipts and file them by the specific business trip. The report generated by Expensify can be directly emailed to a company’s finance officer.

Square

From the founder of Twitter comes a remarkable app that turns your smartphone into a virtual payment processor. Square allows businesses to set up an account and accept credit card payments directly into the phone. This means you can receive a payment in any location and at any time. Best of all, there are no monthly fees or sign up costs. Instead, Square takes a 2.75% service charge for each swipe. That is comparable to a standard credit card machine. This is a great app for a business which sells goods or services away from an office or storefront.

InDinero

With this app you’ll be able to access and track your bank accounts and cash flows. This allows you to manage operational expenses on a day-to-day basis. The InDinero app syncs up to your business bank and credit card accounts.

Google Drive

Google has already changed the way we search the internet. With Google Docs, businesses are able to share information with staff members and clients. Now Google Drive lets those same users effortlessly upload and edit any type of files from your PC to your smartphone. This is like having a mini-cloud drive on your phone. Best of all you get 5GB of storage for free. This is perfect for business that needs to maintain email storage.

Have you discovered an app that has changed the way you do business?