Productivity is one of many keys to success! This month we look at those apps which will save you time in the office and make you and your team generally more efficient. Give a couple of the below a whirl, you may never look back!
For a lot of small business owners their day always starts with a long list of tasks. Any.do is making a name for itself amongst the numerous organisational apps out there. The app allows you to easily add tasks to your to-do list and cross them off when they are complete, or you can defer the task to another day. Any.do allows you to move your tasks around so you can fit them in as your schedule changes throughout the day. Available on iOS and Android
Quip
If you are thinking about collaboration software you may want to check out Quip which allows you to collaborate with others on documents. This app allows users to work on drafts and edits in real time and delivers a stream of constant updates as they happen. The app is also designed to cut down on the amount of useless emails that fly around by sending mobile updates as projects develop and evolve...you can even use it offline! Available on iOS and Android
LinkedIn Pulse
LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool if used in the right way. Most people have a profile for their business life and it can be a great place to connect with key people within your industry. LinkedIn Pulse allows you to personalise the content coming in from LinkedIn to help you stay up to date with news to help you run your business. The app allows you to load up stories so you can read them later offline. When you find something of particular interest you can share content with other people within your network. Available on iOS and Android.
ETA
Always late for meetings? ETA is designed to make sure you get where you need to be on time. If you have to drive to an appointment ETA will tell how long that will take in current traffic conditions. It will even give you a map of how to get there. It costs $1.99...I’m already thinking about giving it to several people I know as an early Christmas present! Available on iOS.
Mailtracker
Getting frustrated when your emails remain unanswered for days? One of the biggest obstacles for projects getting completed can be people refusing to read email, which is why Mailtracker comes in handy. The app syncs with the iPhone mailbox and can send you a detailed notification when your email is read, where they read it from etc... that way you will know if someone isn’t pulling their weight. Available on iOS.
Focus Lock
In a connected world where everything is available through or mobile phones distractions can soon mount up. Focus Lock lets you lock certain apps with a timer which will block you using them until the appropriate amount of time has elapsed. You can still have your emails and calls coming in but you can stop those facebook updates of cute fluffy kittens putting you off your work. Available on Android.
HipChat
Like most business professionals you are probably struggling to keep up with your emails and colleagues may be frustrated at your slow response times. HipChat is a cross platform tool which allows your entire team to message each other individually or within a group. There is no server technology to maintain and for small teams (five people or less) it’s free! It’s a great tool for cutting down on internal emails and can be a much more efficient way of communicating. It also works across desktops, mobiles and tablets. Available on iOS and Android.