As an entrepreneur, you wear many hats in one day.
Before you can scale your business and hire more employees, you’re responsible for marketing, finance, delivering your product or service, and the other 101 things your business needs. Even the most organised person will struggle to juggle all these tasks.
Knowing how to streamline these tasks ensures you get the most out of every day. Thanks to advancing technology on mobile phones, there are several apps that can help you enhance your business’ daily operations.
Use these six low-cost apps to improve your productivity.
1. Keep track of your growing network with Haystack
Networking events play a crucial role in growing your business. They connect you with experienced business owners who are a treasure trove of knowledge and have the potential to be your next business partner.
But with everyone trading physical business cards, it can be easy to lose a few or forget to follow up with them after the event. Keep track of your new connections with the nifty business card scanner app, Haystack.
Haystack lets you scan and store business cards from your new connections. Once you’ve scanned a business card, Haystack searches the web and links their website and social media profiles to their contact card. Haystack uses the business’ logo and brand colours to create the contact. Quickly email your new contact by tapping on their card in the app.
In addition, Haystack allows you to create your own digital business card and link it to your social media profiles and website. Share this with your new connections, even if they don’t have Haystack on their phones.
Cost: Free with the option to upgrade to a paid plan.
2. Strengthen your customer relationships with WhatsApp for Business
In South Africa, 93% of internet users use WhatsApp, making it the ideal place for you to communicate with new and existing customers.
Easily facilitate direct and convenient communication with your customers with WhatsApp for Business. Engage with your customers whether you’re at work, at home or on the go.
Drive them to WhatsApp from other channels such as your website, paid ads or mailing list. Once they’ve opted-in to communicate with you, you can provide personalised support to assist them on their buyer journey.
When customers are ready to pay, send them a payment link. This ensures customers can instantly complete their payment.
Cost: WhatsApp for Business’ pricing is structured around how you converse with your customers. Click here to find out what it would cost your business.
3. Boost your focus and improve your productivity with Toggl Track
With your extensive list of daily tasks, it’s easy to forget precisely what you’ve done each day. Keep track of your time and your tasks with the help of Toggl Track.
Toggl Track provides a simple way to log your tasks. Add details such as the time you spent on the task, what kind of work it is and which project it belongs to. Toggl Track’s dashboard view offers insight into how you spend your time. Use this data to determine which processes need to be improved.
Toggl Track also comes with a handy Pomodoro timer. Use it to set time periods to dive into deep work. Using the timer in full-screen mode prevents you from using other apps, forcing you to focus on the task at hand. It’s particularly beneficial for those who get distracted while doing admin.
Cost: Free with the option to upgrade to various paid plans as your business grows. The free plan is suitable for teams consisting of five people or less.
4. Complete forms on the go with Adobe Acrobat Reader
Adobe is well-known for its suite of tools that are every creative’s dream. On top of this, their PDF software, Adobe Acrobat Reader, has streamlined how we create, review and edit documents, which are part and parcel of doing business.
Their mobile app is no different. When you’re on the road with only your mobile phone and urgently need to sign a document or send off a form, the Adobe Acrobat Reader app can help you in a pinch.
The PDF reader lets you fill in forms and sign your documents from the palm of your hand. Download the app (on iOS or Android), and open the document you need to update.
You’ll also be able to highlight text and add comments if you need to provide feedback on the PDF content for the rest of your team.
Cost: Free with the option to pay for a subscription to use additional features such as editing PDFs or combining documents into one.
5. Catch up on industry trends by saving news articles to Pocket
A great way to improve your business is by keeping up with your industry’s latest news and trends. However, you might not always have the time to read insightful articles when you come across them. Enter Pocket.
Think of Pocket as your own personal library on the internet. It allows you to save content you find online in one place without sending yourself the links.
Pocket can be used as a browser extension or downloaded as an app. The content you save will automatically sync across devices.
The best part? Content saved in the Pocket app is accessible in ‘offline’ mode. This means you can catch up on your saved articles even if you don’t have an internet connection.
Cost: Free
6. Accept payments on the go with the SnapStore app
Tired of waiting for customers to pay you? Turn your phone into a payment device with the SnapStore app.
This snappy payment app lets verified SnapScan businesses collect payments anywhere, anytime. For face-to-face transactions, customers can pay by scanning the onscreen SnapCode (your unique QR code) with their SnapScan or Masterpass app.
Alternatively, send your customers a SnapLink (a payment link) via WhatsApp, SMS, email or social media. When customers click your payment link, they can pay using their SnapScan app, bank card or via instant EFT.
Plus, easily manage your transactions within the app. Get notified when a customer pays or view your transaction history to track, identify and reconcile all your payments.
Cost: Free
Take your business with you.
Equipped with these nifty business tools, there’s no doubt that you can streamline the way you work.
No more losing track of time or waiting to get to a specific destination to complete a task; instead, do business anywhere, anytime.