6 Time-Saving Apps for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners

Scanning and sending documents is a normal daily task for businesses. Fortunately, you no longer need a bulky scanner hooked up to your computer. You can scan and send documents directly from your smartphone, which saves time and helps you keep critical paperwork organized. 

If you have an iPhone, you already have basic scanning capabilities with the Notes app. However, if you need a full-featured app, SwiftScan can be a little pricey, but it offers a variety of capabilities, including clear photo and business card scans. If you do not need these extra features, Office Lens or Adobe Scan are also great choices. Once you have your documents scanned in, it’s helpful to edit PDFs online with a free PDF editor. Having this tool available allows you to fine tune or correct any documents you scan.

2. Your Business Banking App

Nearly everyone uses online banking already, but you can access your business account from your bank app as well. If you haven’t already, download the app for your bank as soon as you start your business journey. You can track payments to vendors and handle everything electronically. If you use the same bank for your personal account, you can access both from the same login. Centralizing your finances helps you stay organized and saves time.

3. Social Media Apps

Every business needs an aggressive social media marketing strategy. You should take advantage of ad programs on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok. Link your business accounts to your phone apps, and create a social media folder on your phone to help you stay organized. Use your business email and logo for every account to streamline communications and promote your brand across every platform. You can also create an email folder that organizes all social media emails in one place.

4. Business Graphic Design App

Every entrepreneur and small business needs a brand, and one of the first elements of creating a brand is designing a logo. There are online tools that make logo design easy with logo templates that you can customize with free images and fonts. You can even use the software to generate social graphics, business cards, and banners with your logo. Download an image to use for your social media profile pictures as well.

5. Invoicing App

If your business bills with invoices, you can download invoicing software directly to your phone or computer. Zoho Invoice is free and offers time and expense tracking, payment acceptance, and a portal for your clients to track their activity. Harvest is a great option for businesses that invoice for hourly services and freelancers who need to keep track of hours on multiple projects. 

6. Payroll App

If you have employees, a payroll app is absolutely necessary for your business. Gusto is relatively inexpensive compared to other apps, and it allows employees to access a portal to track benefits and wages. You’ll want to choose an app that offers options for small business payroll processing. This will make your job as a business owner easier, as well as making things easier for your employees.

Managing a small business requires multitasking, but if you use the proper applications, you can centralize everything to your smartphone or laptop. Being able to work from anywhere is particularly important for freelancers and entrepreneurs, so make sure you’re getting the most out of your apps.

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Adam Taylor and his girlfriend, Sarah Noel, both left corporate jobs to work as freelancers, chasing balance between the work they loved and the life they wanted. Since then, they’ve been on a mission to work on their own terms. They’ve taught themselves how to work smarter, not harder. They’ve committed to separating work and home so that they can enjoy both. Now, with TaylorandNoel.com, they’re sharing their best practices with other freelancers, in hopes they can do the same.