8 Apps That Help You Run Your Business Like a Boss

We live in an amazing time for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Tools and software that were once only accessible to huge corporations are now free (or very inexpensive) via the web. No IT department needed.

Here is my latest list of applications that can help a consultant or small team act like ‘the big boys.’

• Time tracking for teams – Toggl

  (https://www.toggl.com/features)

  One-click time tracking for projects, with ability to mark billable hours, save data when offline, and share time reports. Free with Pro option for extra features.

• Personal booking page – Meetme

  (http://www.scheduleonce.com/meetme.aspx)

  Simple online appointment setting. Offers multiple meeting times, locations, and time slots, with ability to delegate appointment management to an assistant.

• Group chat, file sharing – Hipchat

  (https://www.hipchat.com)

  Collaborate with your team no matter where they are. Create separate rooms for separate groups of colleagues, share images or files, and create on-the-fly video chats.

• Sales & CRM – Pipedrive

  (http://app.pipedrive.com)

  Visually track your contacts from initial inquiry through paying customer. Graphic pipeline visualization, reporting, reminders, and email integration makes it easy to keep the deals flowing and keep track of next steps.

• Documentation – Genius Scan

  (http://thegrizzlylabs.com/)

  The easiest way to scan documents, receipts, etc., into your phone and then share them. Pull together a stack of pages into a PDF for emailing in a matter of seconds.

• Tutorials, Instructions – ShowHows

  (http://www.showho.ws/)

  Still in private beta, but worth checking out. It’s an easy way to make step-by-step instructions that are beautifully designed and shareable. Include images, screenshots, and text, and then grab the embed code to share it on your website.

• Demos and Screensharing – Zoom & Join.me

  (http://www.zoom.us and http://join.me)

  Instantly set up remote meetings, share your screen, and give a presentation, with audio and/or video. Add notations, record the meeting, and chat with other participants.

And here’s a fun bonus app, in case you find yourself in an environment that’s too quiet:

Coffee shop noises – https://coffitivity.com/

What are your favorite new apps for small business productivity?