Small business finance applications
1. Mint(r)
Mint can be used in both your personal and professional life. This is a simple app for budgeting that is part the QuickBooks (r). This tool is perfect for small business owners that need to know their expenses by line item and category so they can keep track of budget.
Set a monthly goal of how much money you will need to spend in order to remain profitable. Add in any monthly expenses that are constant, like rent or internet. You can also estimate dynamic expenses, such as inventory, payroll, and utilities, based on your expectations for the month. You can sync credit cards or even bank accounts for automatic expense recording.
2. Goodbudget (r).
You can divide your monthly business expenditures into “envelopes”, and then set the maximum values for each. The envelopes can be emptied until the money runs out. Goodbudget is similar to a budget planner whereas Mint acts more like a tracker.
Goodbudget allows you to share and sync your envelopes so that your entire team can use the same budget. You will also have access to tools that you can use to prepare for future business purchases or debt payments. Goodbudget allows you to be proactive about your spending, rather than reactive.
Accounting software for small businesses
3 . QuickBooks(r)
QuickBooks can be used to manage your finances. QuickBooks allows you to manage your business’s finances, pay your employees, and track your taxes. QuickBooks is used by companies of all sizes, so you can scale up your small business at any time.
QuickBooks has a certification program that allows you to become an expert with its tools and enhance your financial knowledge. Knowing your numbers is important even if you do not have a background in accounting.
Look for QuickBooks-certified professionals who know how to use your software if you’re looking to outsource accounting. Check out these Payroll Tools for small businesses:
4 . Expensify(r)
Expensify allows you to budget more accurately and understand the costs of a project. This tool allows unlimited receipt scanning so that your employees can scan expenses such as travel expenses and per diem or expenses associated with company events. Expensify has a corporate card reconciliation tool that matches the charges on the cards with the receipts.
The next-day refund is one of the biggest benefits to using this option. You won’t have to pay your employees back for their expenses, and you can reimburse them automatically as long as the charges are approved. Consider using this tool if multiple members of your team make charges on behalf the company.
Small business communications applications
5 . Slack(r)
Slack is one of the most widely used communication tools for small businesses. It is superior to other business apps due to its organized threads and multiple channels. You could, for example, create a communication channel in your small business where you only discuss marketing. Your marketing ideas will all be in one channel, with only marketing staff having access. Many companies use dozens of channels in order to keep discussions focused on their operations.
Try it out with a small group of employees and then roll it out to your entire staff. This tool can also enhance communication when you are working with remote employees, or contractors outside the office.
6. Zoom(r)
Zoom has become the videoconferencing tool of choice for many small businesses after the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoom’s cloud recording and social media streaming tools make it easy to bring together dozens of people for an unlimited period of time. The higher-tier plans include automatic transcriptions of recorded videoconferences, which makes it easier to take notes during meetings.
Small business time management software
7 . RescueTime(r)
RescueTime, one of the best apps to track time for businesses, is highly recommended. This tool allows you to track your daily activities without recording them. This tool will automatically track how much time you spend on email, social media and other projects.
You can use this data to set goals that will help you waste less time while getting more done. Even small steps can make a difference in time management. For example, checking your email only a few times a day, or not using Twitter (r), are examples of these.
8. Todoist(r)
Todoist is a time management app that builds on the foundation of other project management apps. It provides a unique proactive approach to managing your time. The app will surface the most urgent tasks at any given time, allowing you to better manage your time. If you are in a hurry, you can delegate certain tasks to others. With productivity visualizations you can easily identify which tasks to prioritize when you are in a hurry.
Small businesses can benefit from mobile payment apps
9. Square(r)
Square, a mobile payment app that can also be used as a point-of sale platform, is one of the many apps available. Square comes with card reader software that turns your smartphone or tablet into a register. It’s easy to accept payments using your mobile device, and you won’t have to install complicated equipment. Square also offers tools to build e-commerce sites that boost your sales and automate inventory management.
10. PayPal Here (r)
PayPal Here PayPal’s equivalent of Square. PayPal’s card readers are affordable and the free mobile app allows you to turn any device into an electronic payment station. PayPal Here can be used to process payments at your store or for takeout orders. If you have an existing business PayPal(r), all it takes to refund your customers is access to your smartphone.
Small business project management and organization applications
11 . Evernote(r)
If you want to take notes more often so that you don’t miss out on small tasks and ideas, try Evernote. This tool allows you to share notes from meetings with other attendees, categorize your thoughts, and add media files for additional information. Evernote can be used on your smartphone, tablet, and work computer. All information is synced in one place. If you take a note on your tablet during a business meeting, you can access it later at your desk.
Evernote can be a great tool for those who write down ideas on scraps or drafts of email throughout the day, but do not have one central place to store them. You will forget less ideas and be less likely to miss something important.
12 . Trello(r)
Trello , a task-management tool that you can use in your team, is. You can create boards for different tasks, and then assign them to other people. Trello allows you to create workflows so that you can see where each task is at in the completion process. Trello lets you upload documents and mark items as completed. If you need to review the marketing designs of the website, for example, your web designer could upload a Trello framework and assign you the task.
You don’t need to constantly check on your employees because these tools make it easier for you to manage the business. Trello allows you to see what tasks need to be completed without having to ask your employee.
Inventory management software for small business
13 . Sortly(r)
You may want to use an inventory management application if you are planning to run a service-based or product-based company (for instance, a salon that sells shampoo). Tools such as Sortly will tell you the amount of inventory that you have, and adjusts your numbers with every sale. This system offers a simple interface and a highly visual approach, making formerly confusing processes easy.
Inventory Management can be important for employees who check out company resources. You can, for example, track the fleet of vehicles that your employees use and determine which dates and times they have them. It helps prevent your staff from booking twice.
14. Zoho(r) Inventory
Zoho simplifies the grouping and bundling of items in your small business, while providing you with tools to manage multiple storage facilities. Also, you’ll get features to help maintain your vendor and customer relationships. Zoho combines these features with numerous automation and integration tools to make inventory management seamless. With Zoho’s flexible reporting tool you can also see how much you are getting out of your inventory app.
Small business sales applications
15 . Streak(r)
Consider if you run a business that relies on leads. You can use a tool to manage content and track every completed form or email. Streak is a tool that can help you do this. You can sort leads to see which you’ve already pitched or followed up on.
Track your lead conversion and completion rates to determine the effectiveness of various promotional campaigns.
This tool is especially useful if you are planning to hire new sales staff or improve your marketing. You can find out which marketing channels generate leads and which salespeople convert the most leads to customers.
Streak helps your team to work together better. You can share frequently used templates with your team. You don’t have to write a new email for each lead.
16. Salesforce(r)
Salesforce is the CRM tool of choice for virtually all industries. The cloud-based platform allows you to access all of the information that you need. Open the customer file during sales calls or any other interaction and see how well all relevant data is organized. You might just make the sale you have been looking for if you keep referring to it when you are on the phone.
What should small business applicants look for?
When selecting an app to help manage your small business, you should consider these features:
- Affordable. Small business apps should not break the bank. You should spend some money on apps, but it shouldn’t be so much that your budget is exceeded. Some of the best apps for business have free tiers, which, while designed to be used as an introduction, may meet your needs.
- No contracts. A lot of praise is not enough to guarantee that you will like a small-business app. If you are contractually bound to a small business app that you don’t like, you will be stuck paying for it. You should look for apps that do not require you to sign a long-term contract.
- Free Trials. In relation to the binding contract you may wish to test an app before making a commitment. You can test out many apps for free to see if they are right for you.
- User friendliness. You’ll be back to square one if you don’t know how to use your app’s features. Make sure the platform is praised by customers for its user-friendliness to avoid this problem. You won’t be stuck trying to figure out a new system that is more complicated than your previous methods of working.
- Scalability. A program that can only handle 10 users will not be very useful as your business grows. But the best apps for small businesses are designed to grow along with your business. You can start small and gradually move up to custom enterprise solutions.
- Customer Service You’ll invariably have questions on how to use the application. A slow response from an email contact will not help you in those moments. Choose a service provider who offers a customer service line that is readily accessible. You can resolve problems within minutes, not hours.
- Cloud based. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, remote working was on the rise. Social distancing measures then accelerated the growth. Small business owners who had only their office technology and apps available were caught by surprise. Cloud-based applications can help solve this issue. They are available to you and your team from anywhere. These apps are updated in real time to ensure accuracy of information and streamline workflows.
- An immediate, substantial return on your investment. Many small business apps may not be expensive, but some do cost money. You should always make sure that you get your money’s worth when you spend it. How much money will my business earn if I implement this app? When will the returns start to appear? What is the return compared to the price? You can only know if the app is worth purchasing based on the answers to these three questions.
You can use more apps for your business
You can also use other apps for your business besides those on this list. Each app falls under a specific category and offers its own features. Some categories (and the apps related to them) to consider include:
- Business Financial Health Tool like SmartBiz(r) advisor
- Apps such as Wally (r), Spendee and Lasting Bond (r) are budgeting apps.
- Addappt (r), Pushover (r) and Skype(r), are all communication apps.
- Basecamp (r) and Asana (r) are two of the most popular project management applications.
- Social media apps such as Hootsuite (r) and Buffer (r)
You can take your time back and simplify seemingly impossible tasks, such as your finances, with the right app organization. There are many more business apps to choose from. Try out a few apps to decide which you’d like to use, and which would be best for another company even if it doesn’t suit yours.
