Saturday, October 25, 2014

ENTREPRENEUR / APPS SPECIAL ............................ 10 Apps Every Entrepreneur Needs

10 Apps Every Entrepreneur Needs

If you're an entrepreneur who is running your own company, chances are you have experience with the product you're building or selling. You probably do not have expertise with invoicing, analytics, or payments, among other things. That's why a good app can be so handy.

Just because you're a sole proprietor or run a small startup, that doesn't mean you can't have executive-level support literally at your fingertips. There is noapp for just about anything, including making your entrepreneurial pursuits just a little bit more manageable. Many of these apps range in price from free to very reasonable. Opting out of entrepreneur-centric apps is like turning down an offer of free work from a contractor. You wouldn't do that, so please make sure you don't have an empty smartphone desktop.
Of course, entrepreneurs also don't have time to test out every possible app and gadget on the market. You have a business to manage. Here's your cheat sheet for some of the best apps to make your business run a little bit smoother. Who knewbing your own boss could mean you might have so many minions?
1. WinStreak
You're focused on growth and productivity, so make sure this free iPhone app is at your beck and call. All you do is pinpoint three "wins" you want to complete every day, and then set three for tomorrow. It's goal setting made easy, feasible, and within reach. You can cater your wins strictly toward business, or pepper in some other important tasks too (like getting to the gym).
2. Venmo
Forget PayPal, annoying bank transfers, or paying any kind of fee at all for sending money to employees, colleagues, clients, or partners. Venmo is a completely free way to send payments with no caps and no long forms to fill out, and it's secure. It's also flat-out quicker than PayPal, so sit back and laugh at those who pay extra money because they still think they should use PayPal. Even though it trumps every other peer-to-peer payment method out there, it remains a best-kept secret.
3. TripIt
Travel a lot for business and can't keep up with your itineraries? TripIt offers instant travel organization and all you have to do is send your confirmations to your email. It instantly sorts, notifies, and helps you keep on track when you're going in a million directions. Who needs a travel agent when you have this app?
4. Box
You depend on cloud storage like Google Drive to upload, edit, change, and share files with people around the world. However, Box lets you keep real-time track of how projects are progressing and provides live feedback from anywhere. It features responsive designon smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops alike.
5. Focus@will
Productivity can be challenging even for A-type personaities when starting their own business. With this app, special music is used to bolster productivity and make you focus more clearly. There's science behind it, but it's too new to know if it "really works" or it's just a placebo effect. However, does it really matter if your productivity is skyrocketing?
6. Evernote
Another Silicon Valley investor darling, this cloud-based app syncs all your devices so you can share, edit, and view as needed. It automatically updates and is available for both major operating systems, letting you instantly scan items and add notes. It can basically serve as a personal assistant no matter where you are. It's been a go-to notetaking app for years.
7. Square Register
You know Square as the way to accept card payments on the go--essential for some entrepreneurs (especially those in the service industry). You can use it on any type of mobile device and enjoy an instant credit card terminal. The app/card reader is free (as is the app) but you do pay a 2.75 percent fee for processing with every transaction.
8. Invoice2Go
Manyentrpreneurs lose money because they don't invoice properly, can't keep track of who owes what, and sometimes are so embarrassed over their own failure to invoice that they just let it go. This app helps to solve all that by letting you invoice quickly and professionally.
9. Producteev
This is a free app that lets you delegate tasks and make sure they get done on time. It's helpful for any small business owner and features due dates, milestones, and progress tracking to keep you motivated. There's also filtering so you can see how busy each of your employees is before assigning new tasks.
10. Pocket Analytics
Yes, you should have a webmaster keeping track of your website's analytics, but you should be keeping track too, of course. This app gives you quick, easy-to-read charts and a personalized dashboard so you can instantly see how you're doing with Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and a host of other options.
Ready to take the next big entrepreneurial leap? You're always hearing about how there's an "app for that." In many cases, it's true. Quite a few of the things you need to take your company to a higher level are possible with apps that are already on the market. It can be easy with the right help--and it's just a swipe away.




 JOHN BOITNOTT   http://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/10-apps-every-entrepreneur-needs.html?cid=em01016week43a

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