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There are around 31 million entrepreneurs in the United States. Keeping a company on a growth trajectory takes a significant amount of time and effort. This leaves many entrepreneurs wishing for more hours in a day. More hours could lead to better work-life balance while ensuring their company succeeds.
While adding hours to the day isn’t an option, there are still proven techniques to maximize your time. Using the right apps can increase operational efficiency and help you accomplish more. If you’re an entrepreneur, here are some must-have apps, divided into categories.
Productivity
Productivity apps allow you to streamline processes and stay on target when it comes to responsibilities. Apps like Evernote help you take notes, sync files, and create helpful to-do lists. If you also use DropBox, you have a straightforward option for file-sharing.
Then use an app like TMetric to get additional insights into how you spend time. When you’re more aware of your time, you can spot and correct inefficiencies. Plus, you have options for monitoring teams, making it easier to keep your employees on target.
Communication
Being able to communicate with your team is essential if you want your company to thrive. Luckily, there are plenty of apps that make it easy.
Slack, Skype and Microsoft Teams are three of the best-known apps. But don’t rule out options like Asana, Trello, and Airtable that enable task management at the core as well. Each app has unique features and capabilities. Choose one that fits your personal and professional needs.
Almost everybody has Gmail, but did you know Gmail can be effective in communicating with your customers? Prepare 4 VC discusses in this blog post the six steps to a successful email campaign and how to make sure your email will not end up in a customers’ spam folder.
Organization
By keeping your operations organized, you can increase efficiency dramatically. You won’t waste valuable time tracking down a missing document or finding critical information.
One great option for boosting organization is a mobile scanning app. Scan and send documents fast right from your smartphone. This saves you time over using a desktop scanner and keeps critical paperwork secure. Whether you need to capture a receipt, business card, or contract, you can do it all with a mobile scanning app.
If you have a specific need for storing business cards, an app like CamCard is an excellent choice. It scans information and moves it directly into your contacts. This ensures that phone numbers and email addresses are available and accurate.
Is your business plagued by sending multiple PDF documents? Then consider a simple online tool to combine PDFs into a single document, allowing you and your clients to read and easily navigate one PDF. It’s a great way to save both time and money, since you can do this for free.
Adding a password manager like Lastpass is also wise. This app can ensure that login credentials are easy to find while keeping them secure. If you travel for work, use TripIt to track your bookings and schedule. Then use Expensify to log your expenses to ensure you don’t forget anything important.
Branding
Having a strong brand is essential if you want your business to thrive. Use social media to showcase your offerings, connect with consumers, and engage with your target audience.
The apps you want to use vary based on your company’s needs and product or service line. However, it’s usually best to start with Facebook, particularly if you don’t have a separate website for your business.
After that, Instagram and YouTube are both stellar options because they are visual. With Instagram, you can showcase product images with ease, as well as post quick videos. YouTube is exceptional for how-tos. It’s a great choice if your product or service has a bit of a learning curve.
In some cases, you may want to try TikTok. It’s trendy at the moment, allowing you to position your company as tech-savvy and relevant.
Guest Post by Lucy Reed
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