Whether working from home, in a remote office, or on the go, running a small business requires juggling many responsibilities. These can include accounting, communication, and project management.
For project management, task offers collaborative tools that help you manage tasks, projects, and more. It’s available on desktop and mobile.
Time management
When running a business, the day-to-day tasks can take over and pull you in a thousand different directions. Whether it’s billing, client interactions, or scheduling, so many to-do items can easily consume your time and make it difficult to focus.
Time management apps help you create a better to-do list and track your progress more efficiently. You may also utilize them to pinpoint areas where you’re squandering time, allowing you to make changes accordingly.
You may disable social media and email sites on your phone or laptop if you spend too much time on them.
Social media marketing
Small business owners juggle many tasks, from financial management to job scheduling and communication. Best free apps for small business owners are available to help make these responsibilities easier and more manageable for entrepreneurs.
Social media marketing uses Internet channels to promote and advertise items or services. It involves creating and promoting content such as digital photos, text, videos, and conversations. Social media marketing offers companies access to a broader range of consumers than traditional advertising methods like TV, radio, billboards, and mailers. This form of marketing also allows end users to interact with organizations and give feedback.
Social media app marketing is essential for e-commerce businesses and businesses that depend on customers for sales. The ability to interact with customers through instant messaging has revolutionized customer service. As a result, companies can now adjust product offerings or marketing strategies more quickly than ever.
App marketers can perform social media marketing on a wide variety of platforms. Each platform has its native ad manager where marketers can create and measure campaigns. Advertisers can also choose from several ad formats, including video, image, and carousel ads.
For example, Instagram is a popular platform that can be used for app marketing because it is conducive to visual media. Additionally, its user base skews younger than Facebook. Another great social media platform for app marketing is Pinterest. This constantly growing platform functions as a social media network and search engine. The best part is that 97 % of searches on Pinterest are unbranded.
Accounting
Whether a freelancer or a service-based small business, you must keep track of your invoicing.
An accounting app is a mobile portal that lets you oversee cash flow, invoicing, payroll, and more from any internet-connected device. It’s often subscription-based, meaning you pay a monthly fee instead of a more significant upfront license fee (software as a service — SaaS).
Some accounting apps are specifically designed for small businesses, while others are compatible with many businesses. Deciding what features are necessary for your business before purchasing is essential. Look for features that include an account register, invoicing, receipt tracking, and bank reconciliation tools. Some programs also provide e-commerce, retail, and distribution business inventory management features.
Other must-have features for small businesses include a dashboard and reports that help you monitor your financial health, including sales revenue, expenses, and profit projections. If you work with multiple clients or employees, choose an accounting software program that offers role-based access and supports collaboration. Some options provide a mobile version of the program to give staff and contractors on-the-go access.
An accounting app should make creating estimates and invoices easy, handle claims and expenses, and run a timer for project-based work. It should also connect to your bank and enable fast transaction imports for streamlined monitoring. Consider if the platform also supports multi-currency payments and other payment processing services. Many top accounting programs offer a free trial, so you can enter test transactions and see how the program performs before you commit to a subscription.
Collaboration
Another way to make your business more productive is by using an app like Google Drive, which enables you to save and share files of any type. You can quickly access and modify them from any device and any location.
Lastly, it is essential to have an app that helps you manage your customers.
Collaboration apps support groups and individuals working together toward a common goal. These tools can be as simple as chat and messaging or as sophisticated as comprehensive project management software with workflow, wikis, dashboards, and data conferencing. The bottom line is that these tools should improve teamwork in increasingly remote work and educational environments.
Most collaboration applications feature some form of online messaging, typically with threaded, contextual conversations that can include both individual and group discussions. They also often provide visual communication capabilities, such as whiteboards or mind-mapping tools, to facilitate brainstorming and problem-solving sessions. Other features like calendars and scheduling help team members track project milestones and deadlines.
Collaboration apps may feature built-in or third-party file-sharing options. It allows teams to easily access, share, and collaborate on projects in their preferred apps. They can also support sharing with other apps enabling collaboration features.
Some collaboration apps issue a notification any time someone edits content within the application, keeping everyone on the same page and reducing errors that can occur when directives are miscommunicated.
Communication
The free versions of most apps offer a wide range of functionalities. Many are explicitly geared toward small business owners and are easy to use. Some can even replace expensive apps and systems that a company previously used.
With the help of several communication apps, business owners can easily keep in touch with customers, employees, and colleagues.