Top 7 Small Business Productivity Apps   by Tracey Gritz

With the holidays only weeks away, I have no doubt that some of you will be unwrapping smartphones or tablets pretty soon. As exciting as your new toy can be, it can also be tough figuring out how to use it most effectively. To help you get started, I offer you a list of my top 7 small business productivity apps.

1) Evernote. If you haven’t tried Evernote yet, it’s an excellent tool for storing information found online, in your email, or on the go. The information is stored in folders and you can specify which of the folders you want to have sync with your phone. Installing the app on your phone lets you access and capture information on the fly.

2) Dropbox. This is a file sharing application. To use it, visit the website and install the program on your computer. Then, to take a file along with you, simply save it to the folder on your computer called “Dropbox.” Now, you can share that information with someone or access it on your phone.

3) Quickbooks Mobile. Quickly look up an invoice or access your customer data on the fly. If you’re a Freshbooks user instead, they offer a comparable app called Minibooks.

4)Paymo. This is a great little tool for tracking time worked on the go. Got a consulting meeting? Just click the button when your client arrives and click it again when she leaves. Your time is automatically tracked for billing later.

5)GoPayment by Intuit. If you’re selling a product on the go, this handy tool will help you accept credit cards. Simply plug the device into your phone and swipe the card to collect payment.

6) Shoeboxed. This app is provided by the offline Shoeboxed service that allows you to mail your receipts to the company for scanning into a spreadsheet format. With the app, you simply take a photo of your receipt and it is stored for downloading into your expenses tracking tool when you return to the office.

7) Business Card Reader (iPhone or iPad) or CamCard (Android Devices). Instead of carrying piles of business cards around, snap a photo and the card’s information will be captured on your device.

Of course, I didn’t bother to add “your calendar, contacts, and email” to the above list, because that will no doubt be your natural first step, but do make sure that you’ve got that synced up before you hit the road. The more you have easily accessible on your phone or tablet, the more you can make use of those small moments waiting for a client to arrive or standing in line.

About the Author

Tracey Gritz is an office productivity expert and owner of The Efficient Office NC. Through speaking, training and hands-on assistance, her clients are able to organize for peak efficiency. For other articles by Tracey, visit http://www.efficientofficenc.com/blog/ .
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