When you’re just starting your business, you need all the help you can get. You can reach out to mentors, get the advice and support of friends, contact the bank, and more. But some of the best help comes from the little device you always keep in your pocket.
Did you know that there are five times as many cell phones in the world as PCs? Mobile phones are taking over in multiple areas, and starting your business is one of them.
The mobile phone has shaped the entrepreneurial world as we know it – impacting consumer decisions as well as easing the development of businesses. Any entrepreneurs who ignore the use of mobile technology will quickly find themselves out of business.
Before starting or expanding your company, take one more look at your technology use. If you’re not already, use some of these apps to shape your business strategy for the better.
1. StratPad
No business can get started without a business plan, but it’s not always easy to develop your strategy, especially if you’re a first-time business owner.
With the help of StratPad, you’ll go through the process of writing a business plan, step by step. It will also help you write your financial projections and present them professionally to any investors or stakeholders.
2. Sellingly
This may seem shocking, but 80 percent of leads don’t get the follow-up attention they need to close a sale. Salespeople get busy and don’t get around to making every connection.
Sellingly is an email add-on that will organize your leads and remind you to get in contact. You can set up automated reminders and find leads according to your preferred method of organization.
3. Credit Karma
Most business owners can’t get started or make expansions without a business loan or a business line of credit. However, if your credit isn’t in good shape, you’ll have a difficult time qualifying for a loan.
With Credit Karma, you can access free credit scores, reports, and insights about your credit. You’ll find out if you qualify for a loan and how to improve your score if it’s too low.
4. Plebu
Rather than hiring an expensive web designer who may or may not share your vision, you can use an app to design it.
Plebu works on the web and your tablet to develop an attractive website that will meet your needs. The website will be responsive, so you won’t alienate any customers based on the device they’re using.
5. Evernote
Have you ever had an excellent idea that was lost because you didn’t write it down? Or maybe you wrote it down, but lost the sticky note.
Evernote is the app that will solve this problem. You can write down or voice record your notes and save them to the cloud. Your notes can also be synced to your other devices so that you can access them wherever you are.
6. Expensify
As a new business owner, it can be easy to mix up your personal and business spending. However, you don’t want to sacrifice your financial freedom in the name of your business.
With Expensify, you can easily keep track of all your business expenses. It lets you take photos of receipts, upload them to the Expensify dashboard, and then categorize them for better organization. You can also send them straight to your accountant, so you’ll never pay for another business item out of pocket.
7. UberConference
You probably spend a lot of your day running around, but you still need to stay in touch with your team.
Enter UberConference, the conference calling and productivity app. You can call up to 17 people on your Android and iPhone devices. It also lets you track and record your conversations so you can go back later.
Mobile technology is truly a wonder in the entrepreneurial world, and those starting a business shouldn’t miss out on the many ways to stay organized and connected.
