Are there really apps for entrepreneurs? Well, yes, there are! Being an entrepreneur you know the importance of time management. I mean, you have a lot of things to handle, meetings to attend, workers to communicate with daily, receipts to keep at hand, accounts to track, you name it! So do you really need irrelevant apps?
Your plate is full, and you have to do everything in 24 hours!
24 hours is not even enough to begin with because you have to manage your time properly, stay organized, become tech/social media savvy, boost productivity, and also maintain your sanity as well as your personal life because your business will drain you!
So with all that, and very little time, believe me, you do not need Candy Crush, 4 Pics 1 Word, or any other irrelevant app that is not keeping you organised or even helping you.
I am not an entrepreneur yet, but I am conscious of the apps I have because even I need to stay organised and have everything in check as I am also busy sometimes. Candy Crush is an app I can use to unwind when I need a break; but I do not have it because at some point, it can be a distraction.
So, as an entrepreneur, how do you stay organised in order to get work done? Simple! You have to incorporate productivity apps to keep you on track.
Whether it is on your phone or on your laptop (although I use my phone more), after reading this post, go through your apps and do some cleaning. Delete the irrelevant ones and download the ones you really need.
So keep reading to find out what apps you should have in order to help you manage your time and remain productive.
1. Evernote:
As an entrepreneur, innovative ideas can hit you no matter where you are. While most people have jotters where they write down their ideas (I do, sometimes), you cannot go everywhere with the jotter but when it comes to your phone, it goes everywhere with you.
Whether you are on the road, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, at the movies, or anywhere, your phone is almost always in your hand. But in the case of your jotter, when the idea hits you, how will you write it down? This is where Evernote comes in; so toss your jotter!
Evernote is an app that works both online and offline; making it easily accessible. It helps you manage your life by collecting, uploading and sharing your ideas in whatever form, be it as a photo, audio, web clip or document.
It is basically like your offline book where you scribble your thoughts and ideas. I am a writer so often times, ideas come to me when I least expect it. My phone helps me scribble everything down so I can always go back to it later and Evernote has proven to be so helpful in retaining my ideas.
Evernote helps you stay organized on all your devices (phone, laptop, iPad), and you can sync all your files to ensure they are updated on all your devices; enabling you to continue from where you stopped.
You can also clip web pages, create to-do lists, set voice reminders, record memo, edit and scan documents, search for your tasks, and capture photos on the go. What more could you possibly need? It is one of the best business apps for entrepreneurs.
2. Instapaper:
As an entrepreneur, you still want to catch up on everything going on around you. Maybe read about the government’s latest venture on a news site, or read an article, or you found something interesting online; but you are too busy to read it.
You have to rush to the office or quickly fix up something for the kids so you close the page and focus on what you have to do. Well, thanks to Instapaper, you no longer have to close the page. Instapaper is an app that lets you save an article so you can easily read it at a convenient time that suits you.
The best part is that you can save an article, video, song lyrics or whatever you come across on the internet! How cool is that?
I am someone who is always on the internet searching for new things to read; and most times whenever I open an article, I may have to run off to do something or go somewhere.
With Instapaper, I just click and save it then after whatever I was doing, or when i get back home from work especially, I lay down, open Instapaper and read my saved article without having to find the web page in my browser history.
Another amazing thing about this app is that it syncs whatever you save so you can easily read it on all my devices (phone, computer, iPad and Kindle). So no matter where you are, you can read the saved article on your phone/laptop; anywhere and anytime, even offline.
It also enables you highlight a text on an article, like you would on a physical book (with a marker), so you can easily find it, quote and share it if you want to. One of the best apps for entrepreneurs to connect with things outside work.
3. LinkedIn:
Asides the most popular social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Whatsapp), Linkedin is a social network I think you should definitely join, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur.
LinkedIn is one of the best apps for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build business relationships with everyone. It helps you search for jobs, industries, location, people (based on their qualification) and stay in touch with everyone.
In short, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur looking to make connections, LinkedIn is the app you need. It is particularly made for business professionals to connect as it helps you build connections, build a customer base, build partnerships, and basically just put your business out there.
It also enables you share your ideas and grow your brand whilst keeping up with everything relevant to your line of work. One of the best networking apps for entrepreneurs.
4. Buffer:
Sometimes maintaining your online reputation can be difficult, even though it it is necessary. You want your brand to stand out and as such, promoting on social media is very important.
With so many social networks to promote on, handling everything can be a bit overwhelming (I know it is for me). You have to share and promote on all your social networks, which takes up much of your time because you have to create content, use relevant hashtags, respond to comments, alongside other things you have to do.
If it frustrates you as much as it frustrates me then you are in luck, because of Buffer makes everything easier.
Buffer is one of the best productivity apps for entrepreneurs as it enables you plan and schedule social media posts according to whatever time suits you…phew! That is one work load off your shoulder.
It is super helpful because it enables you plan and publish contents on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest ahead of time.
So you can plan all your contents for the week at your convenient time, save them to your draft and schedule all of them to be published at a specific day and time. Your personal social media genie!
You can also track your posts performance, create reports and get recommendations to increase engagement. Social media marketing campaigns just got better!
5. Skype:
As an entrepreneur with staffs and business partners in different locations around the world, you know that communication is important for the growth of your business.
Making calls requires a lot of credit, which also requires a lot of money, and travelling all the time to follow-up on your business dealings is time, energy and money consuming.
Thankfully, you can now keep up with all your business dealings on-the-go (probably how Otedola keeps up with his business; because he is always travelling).
It is simple; you just need Skype! Skype is one the best communication apps for entrepreneurs as it helps you keep in touch with employees and business partners no matter the location. If you are in UK and your partner is in Hong Kong, you no longer need to travel that far to close any dealing; all you need is Skype.
How do you think most of these huge companies with offices around the world operate? Regardless. this is also one of the best apps for small business owners looking to expand and grow their business.
Skype has improved connectivity in the world of business as you no longer have to travel for conferences, business meetings, or to check the affairs of your work in another state. All you have to do is schedule, and communicate with whoever on the go.
Personally for me, I consider Skype a time management and productivity app for entrepreneurs because you no longer have to worry about travelling constantly to handle business dealings.
Now, with Skype, from the comfort of your office, you can message or call clients, business partners, investors or employees around the world, whilst carrying out your normal business activities.
The best part is that you can message/call multiple people all at the same time, with audio/video call, and you can share pictures and videos across; all with a data plan or WIFI. Say “goodbye” to stressful business trips and “hello” to comfortable business.
