While we always do our best to share helpful business news, resources and trends, we absolutely love discussing the real tools that we use every day to keep our own business running smoothly.
When we’re not here in the office plugging away on our iMacs, we’re working on the iPad, or on the go with our iPhone… so we rely heavily on mobile apps to keep us connected to our business, clients, and wonderful entrepreneurs like you.
There are certain apps that we swear by, such as Things, AroundMe, Mint, and Scrabble (don’t ask ;-)). But, we decided to see which other iPhone apps, entrepreneurs found most useful for business. The results are in.
Here are 11 iPhone (or iPad) apps for your business, as shared to us by the entrepreneurs below…
1. Gist
This app compiles pertinent information on all of your business contacts, together in one neat profile, to keep you aware of their latest news, status updates and work details.
“I can look up a variety of information on a contact (including recent blog posts and Twitter updates) to get a good idea of what they’ve been up to. It’s particularly handy when I’m on my way to meet with someone I haven’t seen in a while.” –Thursday R. Bram
2. iPocket Coach
This app is perfect for managers and business owners who want ideas on what to say regarding hiring, firing, giving feedback, etc. It offers effective communication tips and suggestions to help you navigate different workplace scenarios.
“The material provides an overview of what you should look for in the subject then sample scenarios and starter scripts. The material cannot cover every possible scenario of course, but it provides just enough to get people pointed in the right direction.” –Tony Deblauwe
3. Woopra
If you’re looking for some serious web analytics, to help you track your website numbers while you’re away from the office… check out this free app.
“I am able to see, in real-time, which customers are on our website, how each customer came in, and which pages each customer is looking at right now. I can also track aggregate information such bounce rate, popular pages, and referral information.” –Jessica Tenaglia
4. Dropbox
This app makes it easy to sync and share your files.
“DropBox is a life saver. Not only does it make it easy to access files remotely, but makes it extremely easy to collaborate with others as well. I have several contractors working for me and with one account you can share files and folders, allow anyone to make edits, and save them in the same DropBox account. There is no need to email files back and forth, they are just there saved in the cloud. Lastly, one of the best parts about the service is that it is free.” -Brent Thomas
5. Square
Get money on the go. This app allows entrepreneurs to accept credit card payments directly from their iPhone or iPad.
“The Square app lets me create invoices, accept credit cards, and issue receipts all in one. It’s also really elegant and easy to use. I can hand it to a customer, they select which teas they want, pay for it themselves, and email themselves a receipt… so I can focus on selling, teaching or explaining my products (tea) to them.” –Jim Schreiber
6. PlacePop
Small business owners can create their own virtual loyalty cards using this app.
“PlacePop lets local business owners set up a mobile rewards program for their location. Instead of handing out paper punchcards to customers, businesses can create a free “virtual” loyalty card at PlacePop.com/business. Customers can then download the free PlacePop app to start tracking their visits and earning loyalty rewards.” –Julia Graham
7. AroundMe
This app allows you to find all of the hot spots nearby…
“I could NOT survive without AroundMe. This app finds places around you, whether its food or gas stations or Staples or you name it, and you can search for key words and find related places near you and then it of course hooks into Google maps and gets you driving directions and phone numbers. I use it pretty much every day, even when I am in my home city of Miami. It is a MUST HAVE in every road warrior’s toolkit.” –Gary Bahadur
8. Tello
Help other business owners improve their service, by rating your experience as their customer.
“Tello lets any consumer rate the service of any employee at a business. Business owners love being able to know what their customers think of the customer service being provided.” –Joe Beninato
9. LimoRes
Booking a car service has never been easier. The LimoRes app allows you to reserve a car in any city, confirm trip details, and pay your fee directly from your iPhone.
“It lets you book a ride instantly anywhere in the world, under one account. It’s a one click tool that shows all car classes near the customer. In addition, in New York City, for all busy people, you can book a car with WiFi and power outlets, and stay connected and online even if you leave the office.” –Jelena Stankovic
10. AllHours
If you work with clients overseas, then you know how difficult it is coordinating meetings at a time that is convenient for everyone on all ends of the globe.
“The AllHours app lets you easily find the ideal time for a call or virtual meeting when everyone is awake and alert, with style and usability to spare. After finding the perfect time, it takes two taps to either send the chosen time out in an email or upload it to your Google Calendar, and if you are using Google Sync the meeting will then appear in your iPhone calendar as well.” –Halle Winkler
11. Mint
This is app gives you access to all the personal finance tools offered by Mint.com.
“I love budgeting. It lets me see exactly where my freelance income is going, and helps me identify areas where I can save money. My favorite budgeting app is Mint, the online budgeting tool from Intuit, because it works in any browser. It also runs on the Android and the iPhone. I can stay on top of my bills and check when a client has deposited money in my bank accounts. I can also tag different deposits with custom categories, quickly allowing me to segregate my freelancing income.” –Joshua Duvauchelle
Since we can talk about cool iPhone apps all day long, here are a few more you should check out…
12. I Am Hungry
Tired of eating at the same restaurants all the time, then let this app help you locate a new place to wine and dine your clients.
13. Hoover’s Near Here
If your business requires b2b sales, you definitely need to check out this app. Hoover’s Near Here helps you find, research and contact companies to lead you to your next customer. It’s an extremely helpful tool for the entrepreneur who spends time prospecting and trying to generate b2b sales.
14. Concur Breeze
The answer to that shoe box full of receipts, is a new mobile app providing a low cost way to easily streamline the otherwise nagging expense reporting process
15. HiFutureSelf
This fun app lets you send alerts and reminders to yourself through text messages. You can use this app to help you remember to knock important things off of your to-do list, or just use it to motivate yourself throughout the day.
Did we miss any? What iPhone or iPad apps are you putting to good use these days? Let us know.
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