Find the Right App For a Smarter, Faster Business Running an SME has never been easier with apps engineered to make your business smarter, more efficient and productive.
By Greg Tinkler
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Problem solver, accountant, marketing manager, tea lady…. Running an SME involves wearing a lot of hats. If you're looking to increase productivity and organisation, or just make your life as an entrepreneur a little easier, a good app might be just what you need.
There's an endless sea of business apps out there, some good, some bad, some expensive and some free to use.
Below is a list of business related apps I've recently reviewed and tested on my businesses (All available on your iStore or Play Store).
When I Work Employee Scheduling
Scheduling can be an especially difficult part of running an SME, particularly as the number of remote employees increases. The "When I Work' app makes it possible to easily view a company's schedule, the availability of each worker and the overall hourly budget. When scheduling conflicts arise, or a worker has to cancel at the last minute, it's easy to quickly and seamlessly contact potential replacements.
Slack
Getting employees on the same page can be extremely difficult, especially when team members are in different locations or on the road. We use Slack at Cre8tive to manage staff and division tasks, notify everyone on important developments and schedule internal meetings. The app offers chat rooms, private group spaces and direct messaging.
Hootsuite
Social media is an essential tool for any business looking to gain exposure and attract customers, but regularly managing a number of different channels, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, can be a hassle and take up a lot of resources. This is especially the case if you're taking the DIY marketing approach.
Hootsuite's social media management app provides a time-saving solution. Using the app, you can share and schedule posts from your business' Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts — all in one app.
HeadSpace
Science is starting to understand the effect meditation can have on reducing stress and anxiety, and improving sleep. It's not hard to see how a business owner could benefit from Headspace; the world's leading meditation app. Describing itself as a "gym membership for the mind', Headspace provides guided meditation sessions and mindfulness training that can be accessed online or through the app.
MailChimp
MailChimp is a veteran in the world of email marketing and offers users an easy-to-use, yet advanced service, suitable for the entrepreneur.
MailChimp remains the go-to service for business owners looking to follow up on purchases, nurture leads and provide product information to their mailing list. Email Marketing is still thriving in 2017!
Expensify
There's nothing more tedious than dealing with expenses. But, thankfully, the days of holding onto that crumpled receipt from your last meal is now a thing of the past.
Utilising SmartScan technology, you can simply use travel expense app Expensify to take pictures of receipts, upload them, and leave the software to do the rest.
Dealing with expenses can be a real headache for business owners and employees alike. Workers can become rightly frustrated if they feel they haven't been reimbursed and it doesn't reflect well on you as a boss either. Expensify will help you manage expenses and automate the entire process.
