Technology impacts business in many ways. We use Basecamp to manage projects and keep in touch with fellow coworkers. We share files via Dropbox. We develop mobile and Apple TV apps to increase brand visibility. We enhance products with sensors and built-in computing systems to generate customer data.
Technology is everywhere. And it’s supposed to drive productivity, right?
Well, it’s not working.
America witnessed its highest economic growth between 1937 and 2000. Back then, the average input per person was estimated at 2.7%. In 2013, it decreased by 1.8%.
Wait, isn’t it the time when mobile, web and automation came to prominence? That’s right. And I can’t help but cite the Nobel prize-winning economist Robert Solow:
“What everyone feels to have been a technological revolution has been accompanied everywhere by a slowdown in productivity growth”.
I’m not speaking against high tech! On the contrary, technology offers incredible opportunities for business growth. It’s just that we don’t know how to use the new tools to improve our performance.
Here’s my list of best mobile and web apps for business owners who want to prosper in the digital era.
The 10 best business apps
Cisco WebEx Meetings. With the Cisco WebEx Meetings application, you can conduct video conferences wherever you are! What makes it different from Skype and TeamView is the option to attach & view files in real time. If you download the trial version of the app, you can add two other people to the conversation. Cisco WebEx Premium 8 and Premium 100 ($ 24 and $ 89 per month, respectively) are designed for up to 100 participants. The app is a perfect choice for businessmen who work with offshore companies or have branch offices across the country;
Dropbox. You probably know everything about Dropbox already, so I won’t bore you with detailed descriptions. Instead, I want to highlight the fact that Dropbox became one of the first companies to address the Cloud security issues. As long as you have a physical YubiCo security key, no hacker can access your business data;
Sunrise smart calendar. Among the daily chaos, it’s quite easy to miss an important meeting or Monday run in the park. The Sunrise Microsoft app integrates with LinkedIn, Meetup, Evernote, Asana, Outlook and other programs for you to make the most of every day;
Scanner Pro. Going paperless is a huge trend. And it’s not only about workflow automation and data accessibility. The fewer documents you print, the more trees are left out there to absorb carbon dioxide. Little things also matter. Use the app to scan your documents and receipts. Scanner Pro automatically converts the images into editable PDF files. You can encourage employees and business partners to download the software and exchange electronic documents. And that’s how you can make a positive difference in the world;
iTranslate. Easily one of the best mobile apps for business owners who often travel abroad and don’t have a personal interpreter. The software supports 80 languages; all you have to do is type a phrase in English and read it (or show it!) to the person you’re talking to. Via in-app purchases you can also enable voice recognition and remove adds;
Airbnb. A suite in a luxury hotel can cost up to $ 15 thousand a night. And that’s why 21st century businessmen (especially millennials) prefer to stay at hostels or rent rooms on Airbnb. The app features hosts’ profiles and photos of available accommodations, so you can choose a great place to stay and find an interesting person to make friends with;
Hopper. Booking flights is certainly the worst (and most expensive!) thing about traveling. The Hopper app analyzes flight prices and finds a cheaper offering in 95% of cases. Using the “Watch a Trip” function, you can monitor a particular direction 24/7 (the app will automatically notify you when the prices go down);
Spark. In 2015, Apple listed Spark among the 25 best iOS apps of the year. And here’s why. The app arranges your emails in groups to make sure you don’t miss an important letter. You can also postpone reading an email, add it to archive or delete the message. Currently the app is available for iOS and Apple Watch;
Level Money. Managing finances is boring as hell very important – especially if you’re a business newcomer and want to cut unnecessary expenses. What makes Level Money one of the best apps for running a business? Once you download the application, you can enter your income, bills and the sum you want to save. Then you need to connect the software to your bank account and credit cards. Level Money monitors all the expenses and tells you how much you can spend every day. According to Jake Fuentes (Level Money CEO), the app’s next goal is finance automation. Does it mean the software will pay bills on our behalf? We’ll have to wait and see;
Pocket. Entrepreneurs surf the Web for business ideas, analytics and latest technology news. How many times you came across a brilliant article, started reading it, got interrupted and never found the webpage again? You can solve the problem with the Pocket app. Download the application to send interesting Tech Crunch, Mashable and Business2Community articles to an archive! Later on, you can read the articles on any device ;
Mint Bills and Money. Isn’t it great to store all your accounts in one place and have a personal assistant who makes sure you pay bills on time? Well, it’s exactly what the Mint Bills and Money app is about. Install the soft, set up your accounts and pay the bills from inside the application!
Honorable mention:
Lumosity. Keeping your mind sharp is as important as tracking finance and organizing your time. The Luminosity app offers 6 brain training games for users to test their memory, improve attention and develop problem-solving skills. The app incorporates gamification features, so you can compare your results to those of other players and stay motivated.
The key reason why more and more people address software vendors and bring their app ideas to life is…making money. And that’s fine – as long as they provide us with great time management and finance planning solutions.
And if you doubt technology can enhance your business, think twice. After all, millennials (the guys who never part with their smartphones) make better workers than Gen Ys and Baby Boomers.
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