We don’t have to tell you that competition is fierce. Not only are you faced with keeping your name top of mind with prospects and customers, but you also need to out-think and out-execute some of the biggest companies in the world to win consistent business. As a result of these David vs. Goliath battles before you, many successful businesses have out-maneuvered the competition big and small by investing in technology to simplify manual tasks and free up valuable time.
So, what are these businesses using and how can you get your hands on them?
Here are the top 8 apps and tools that help small businesses boost their productivity and efficiency.
Evernote – A handy tool that allows you to clip, store, organize online articles, blogs and content. You can share this content with other users or team members and is a great way to organize information.
Google Drive – A fully featured office suite, it’s also a cloud storage system that allows you to store data (5Gb for free). Fully integrates with other Google office or business apps making it fairly functional.
Smartsheet – Collaborate and create lists and spreadsheets with a few clicks of a button. Stay organized by uploading documents, color coding rows, and assigning alerts.
LocalVox – Publish news, events, deals, and promotions with a click of a button to a number of online channels like social media, websites, local directories, and even email newsletters.
Expensify – This app lets you scan receipts with a click of a button, and also helps you keep track of mileage and other business expenses. It’s a great way to organize your costs of doing business.
Asana – A nice ‘collaborative information manager’ designed to help you keep track of work projects and events.
InDinero – A great app to help you manage cash flow and other business finances. You can sync your bank account and credit cards. The app will even predict future cash flow based on past trend data.
Microsoft To Do – Allows you to keep and manage digital to-do lists. You can even share them between coworkers, set due dates, and create recurring to-dos.
The great thing about the web today is that there are tons of apps – many of them at no cost – that can really help you improve your business efficiency. They can help you shrink the gap between you and your competition, reduce your business operating cost, and help improve cash flow – something we’re pretty keen on here at eCapital.