Best Apps for Business
Americans are on our mobile devices a solid five hours per day – and a Deloitte study reports that we check our phones around 46 times each day. Multiply that by the number of smart phone users Deloitte estimates across the U.S. (a whopping 185 million), and collectively, we are checking our phones an astounding 8 million times per day. Whelp.
So beyond Candy Crush and Facebook, what mobile apps should you have on your phone that could help you be more productive, both at home and in the office? Here are a handful of my favorite apps. Have others to suggest? Sound off in the blog comments and share!
Hootsuite – If you manage your company’s social media, this must-have app streamlines your posts and makes it easier to stay on top of your different social media channels. Schedule posts on up to 10 social media profiles, engage with your audience through one-click replying, and track your data through easy-to-understand analytics.
Square Cash – Invoicing and collecting payments are key to business success. Offer your customers a new way to pay virtually – no checks or card swiping necessary. Create a “$Cashtag” for your customers to easily find and pay you via the app, and businesses enjoy low transaction fees (personal payments between two individuals are free – bonus for those of us who rarely carry cash!).
MightyMeeting – Paperless meetings for everyone! Upload your presentation to the cloud, then share it across devices. Host online sessions with content sharing, and engage the audience with polling and virtual whiteboards.
Asana – Tracking your team’s progress on a major initiative can almost be as time consuming as the work itself. Using tasks, conversations and dashboards, Asana allows your group to collaborate, communicate and see your collective progress without a single email or meeting.
DocuSign – Get deals signed without being tied to the office. You can prepare and send documents for signature and payment collection, complete in-person signing, and get instant visibility into your document status directly from your smartphone or tablet.
Kathryn Hamilton, CAE, is Vice President for Marketing and Communications at NAIOP Corporate.
