Top Apps for Small Business Owners

It’s no secret that small business owners must adapt to the changes in the technological landscape or risk shutting their doors for good. Websites, search engine optimization, social media marketing campaigns — these are all crucial factors in determining small business growth. In fact, entrepreneurs often spend so much time dealing with the tech considerations that it becomes a nearly 24-hour-a-day responsibility. And this can certainly sap a person’s energy.

But there’s no reason the small business owner can’t use technology to make the actual running his or her business easier. And with the smartphone/tablet craze in full effect, there’s no shortage of mobile apps geared towards business proprietors. With that in mind, here are the top apps that can help even the most scatterbrained of business owners save money, achieve efficiency and ultimately grow their organization.

Quicken Online Mobile – free

This mobile app takes the best features of the popular desktop business software program Quicken and places them in the palm of the hand. Business owners can use this app to manage accounts and track day-to-day spending. It also comes with a budgeting feature that predicts future spending by taking into account factors such as rent and utilities. Credit card statements, customer lists and profit and loss reports can also be easily accessed via Quicken Online Mobile.

Credit Card Terminal — $0.99 + $25/mo

Those who want to save money on an expensive credit card verification system can opt for this easy-to-use mobile app for the iPhone. All the user has to do in order to complete a transaction is enter the credit card data and have the customer sign the touch screen. The app then emails a receipt to the customer in PDF format. Credit Card Terminal also has a refund feature.

UPS Mobile – free

While this app certainly allows for shipment tracking, it also provides much, much more. Users can get rate quotes as well as print shipping labels and get UPS branch locations.

FedEx Mobile – free

Like its primary competitor’s app, FedEx mobile allows users to track packages, obtain shipment info, find brick-and-mortar locations and print labels.

HoursTracker — $2.99

In a digital world, paper is slowly going the way of the condor. Small business can now eliminate even more paper clutter while keeping track of employee hours with this virtual time sheet app. The interface is refreshingly simple, with a simple “Clock in/Clock out” function for tracking time on a project. The user inputs an hourly rate for completed jobs and the hours are then exported through email.

Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite – $9.99

The dominant office software suite that is Microsoft Office can now be accessed via smartphone and tablet. Users can create, edit and obtain Office documents right from their handheld devices.

These are just a few of the best apps geared for small business owners currently on the market. Even downloading a fraction of this list will likely result in increased efficiency and a bit of cost savings for any business proprietor. And with all these apps in the arsenal, there’s little reason to ever return to the world of desktop-computer bookkeeping.

Steve Shanahan is the Executive Managing Director at Real Capital Markets, a commercial real estate marketing company that provides cost-effective solutions, such as a virtual deal rooms, Commercial Real Estate Auction, bank REO, non-performing/performing note sales and more.

Post Tags: business proprietors, cost savings, mobile apps, small business owners