15 Must-Have Apps for Business Owners
Business is a term formed from the word “busy”; this means doing something, simply. In the same vein, business owners are people who own a business. To define in a well-structured manner, individuals who form and operate a business that engages in commercial, industrial, or professional activities with the goal of profiting from its successful operations are referred to as “business owners.” With the perpetual improvement of the world, every business owner is making an effort to “package” their businesses and have them well structured. Also, owning a business is already overwhelming and there are ways to simplify the whole pressure into bits. This is why I’ll be sharing with you the must-have apps for business owners in order to get things running in the business as smooth and structured as possible.
Before you go on reading, take a mental note to read the things to do as a business owner so it doesn’t fail.
To get business operations running smoothly, there are different categories that should be handled. And for every category, there are must-have apps for business owners. I’ll share with you apps based on the categories below.
- Project Management
- Invoicing
- Social Media marketing
- Email Marketing
- Bulk SMS
- Storage and Sharing
Project Management Apps
A business owner needs an app that can help handle, arrange, simplify, and note projects. These apps do the job quite well.
1. Trello
This is my favourite. That’s why it is the first. This free platform gives you an excellent user experience and user interface. If you are like me, these are the first two things I check out for in an app. Trello helps arrange projects in lists and boards.
With each project, you can add and check the task progress, customize your workflow to your taste, and even delegate to your team members.
The app can be used freely and if you like the experience, you can decide to upgrade for a more premium package (business class) that costs about $8 for a month. The free version lets you integrate with three tools.
It works smoothly on windows, Android, and iOS, regardless of your screen.
Get it on App Store or Play Store.
2. Asana
This works best for a simple task/project that needs management. It is as simplified as possible so you need not worry about finding your way around the app.
The features aren’t complex and it makes project management as easy as spelling the letter “A”.
It is also free and can be used for a team of 15. Get it on App Store or Play Store.
3. ClickUp
“People love us, and we love them back”. This is indeed true. Northpad Nigeria loves ClickUp because it increases the team’s productivity.
For each person in the team, there’s an excellent experience. It organizes projects and manages tasks effectively. ClickUp can be integrated with over 1,000+ other tools.
It is definitely among the best product management apps. Get it on App Store or Play Store.
Invoicing Apps
The transaction between a business owner and a customer needs a record. These invoicing apps do that for you.
4. Square
This tops the must-have apps for business owners. A business thrives when customers feel close to its product. Square aids this direction. With square, you can check out links, create a customized invoice for customers, gift cards even.
Customers’ e-payment is seamless with square. There’s also the dashboard and analytics part where you can get reports on how your business is doing financially, from any part of the world, and with any device.
Square is the definition of cool. Get started with square here.
5. PayPal
PayPal is an app that allows you to make and send invoices at zero cost. The only fee attached is when your invoice gets paid. Money can be sent in a matter of seconds and your invoice notification is sent real fast.
Check here to download.
6. Zettle
The free invoicing app has an exciting touch to it – it has readily made professional templates that you can choose from in order to create yours. Zettle invoice also sends reminders automatically and is quick to set up.
It also makes tracking payments very easy. However, it has a 2.5% transaction fee but zero monthly fees. You should also know that Zettle is a corporation from PayPal.
Download the Zettle App
Social Media Marketing Apps
Marketing is now mobile. Business owners can do all of this on their mobile devices. That is, you can do this too. The following are effective apps.
7. Hootsuite
This is a social media management/marketing tool that can be used to schedule posts to Youtube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. It is a paid app but can also be enjoyed using the free plan. The free plan allows you to schedule 30 posts and manage 3 social media accounts.
8. Facebook Ads Manager
Just like the Facebook app, this social marketing app is also free. With this app, you can be in total control of your campaigns, create schedules and even track your ads on Instagram and Facebook.
Other worthy mentions are:
Email Marketing Apps
Using the “bcc” feature on Gmail can get the Email Marketing job done. However, there are better apps tailored for actual businesses for the sake of e-mail marketing. Stay with me.
9. Mailchimp
This is no doubt the best app for email marketing. It has grown popular due to its friendly branding. Mailchimp allows you to send emails to 2,000 contacts and around 10,000 sends in a month for the free version. The paid version allows more.
Mailchimp can be automated with Zapier, now that’s interesting.
10. HubSpot
This is also one email marketing app that can be automated with Zapier. It also has a free and paid plan. Whatever you need in email marketing, HubSpot has it.
Other worthy mentions include:
Bulk SMS Apps
Sending mails might seem like a long process to some business owners. It can even be just a short message you want to send to your customers. So long as you have their numbers, bulk SMS is a good way to go.
11. EbulkSMS
This is an Android bulk SMS app in Nigeria. It has impressive features and is very easy to use. It is safe to say it tops the Android bulk SMS apps in Nigeria.
12. Textmagic
The interesting part of Textmagic is how easy it is to set up. Within a few minutes of signing up, you can start sending texts. All you have to do is set up an account with Textmagic, select a prepaid credit card payment and voila, and you can start sending messages in bulk.
This app can also be integrated with Zapier. It has a month free trial after which a $4 fee is asked for.
13. Slicktext
Just like Textmagic, it has an intuitive interface and gets you started ASAP. This app can be used to personalize and also get reports.
Download here.
Storage and Sharing Apps
The rise of working remotely and without papers makes storing and sharing files with apps a necessity:
14. Google Drive
This is, of course, the first and I am sure you already know it. This free storage and sharing app allows you to create and share files and also have access to them on all of your devices. It has offline accessibility and can be linked to other tools. I personally like Google Drive because of the storage space that it allows.
Other Apps like Google Drive include Dropbox and Microsoft Onedrive.
15. Evernote
This app is highly effective as it can be used to store notes, documents, photos, and even audio files. It works well with Windows, Apple, Android, and iOS.
Conclusion
The world is highly evolving in technology. Having just a Facebook page as the only app for the running of your business is not just right. Today, every business owner needs more than one app to be able to fully function as a business.
All of the categories that I mentioned are indeed essential aspects of a business. So, don’t slack! Download these must-have apps for business owners and get your business running smoothly.
On your way out, you can breeze through ways you can get free publicity for your business and tech gadgets that makes your life easier.
Cheers.
