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Essential Apps for Managing Your Own Business
When you manage your own business, the clock never stops. You need to stay on top of appointments, schedules, inventory, and customer needs. Whether you own a brick-and-mortar company or a digital business, this collection of apps is for you.
If your business is based on appointments, make sure that you are always on top of them. These apps can help you be on time and ready to go when your client or customer arrives.
For those who want an appointment manager that lets clients book online.
With Square Appointments, your clients can book online anytime. You will receive an alert and your customers will receive reminders. The app works with Square Register, so you can send invoices and accept payments too. The service also lets you request prepayment online and see multiple schedules if you have employees.
Why we love it
Square Appointments is a great tool for managing appointments booked online with alerts for you and reminders for your customers.
For those who want an appointment manager with marketing and client management tools.
BooksyBiz lets you manage your appointments with ease. View your calendar, manage your clients, generate reports, and take online payments with one simple app. You can also engage with customers and social media with the marketing tools. BooksyBiz is designed for iPhone and subscription-based after the free trial.
Why we love it
For more than just appointment management, BooksyBiz gives you features for marketing, point-of-sale, and client management.
For those who need a shift scheduling app that offers sales data compared to scheduled labor.
HotSchedules offers a ton of features for business owners and their employees. For managers, you can view the schedules, send messages to employees, set up notifications, manage trades and time off requests. The app also provides snapshots of sales and labor data for a comparison with actual schedule. Employees can sync their schedule with their calendar, create notifications, check out open shifts, and contact coworkers.
Why we love it
HotSchedules provides a nice array of features for both manager and employees. Everyone can stay on top of the schedule, time off requests, and communications with others.
For those who need a shift scheduling app that lets you set up an employee time clock.
The When I Work Employee Scheduling app lets you view schedules from anywhere. Create, edit, or cancel shifts, notify employees with emails and alerts, monitor shift trades, and review requests for time off. Your employees can view their schedule, clock in and out of shifts, ask for a day off, and trade shifts with coworkers.
Why we love it
For creating and viewing employee schedules and monitoring trades and time off requests, the When I Work Employee Scheduling app is a handy tool.
If it is products you sell, then keeping a close watch on your inventory is essential. These apps can help you be sure that hottest selling item is in stock.
For those who want an inventory management app with unit pricing and customized filters.
Inventory Now offers a simple way to manage your inventory. The app provides an overview screen with sorting, filtering, and searching options. You can use the unit pricing, barcode scanner, import and export features, and snap photos. The customized filters and helpful reports let you stay on top of your products.
Why we love it
With Inventory Now, you never have to wonder about how much product is in stock. Check the overview screen for a quick snapshot or pop open the report for further detail.
For those who want an inventory management app with PayPal support and minimum stock alerts.
The Inventory & Sales Manager app gives you the features you need to keep your inventory up to date and much more. You can make or receive PayPal payments, import and export data, get minimum stock alerts, and scan product barcodes. In addition, the app offers cost tracking, pricing models, inventory forecasting and optimization.
Why we love it
Inventory & Sales Manager lets you take care of inventory, PayPal payments, customer and supplier history, and more, from your iPhone or iPad.
If you are taking your product on the road, make sure you have a point-of-sale app that works for you. These options are as easy to use as hitting a button on a cash register.
For people who love to use Square as their credit card processing service
This app gives you everything you need to run and grow your business. You can accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards with the free swipe reader, or upgrade to the chip-card reader for even more secure card support. Customers can pay, tip, and sign right on your device, and you can even record gift cards and other forms of tender. Send and track invoices, track your products, and access real-time sales data. It truly is an all-in-one point-of-sale system.
Why we love it
Square revolutionized credit card processing for small businesses, and the company continues to set the bar higher and higher. With support for chip cards and more, Square Point of Sale is an all-in-one system for running your business with ease.
For businesses that want to accept credit card and Apple Pay payments
With PayAnywhere, your small business can easily accept magstripe cards, chip cards, and even NFC payments like Apple Pay. You can track cash and check payments within the app, and the chip card reader is one of the most inexpensive we've seen. For small businesses with a storefront, the free tablet and stand with built-in card reader is an excellent option, offering 1.69% transaction fees for just $12.95 per month.
Why we love it
PayAnywhere gives you lots of options for running your business. You can set up on the go with a free card reader, or pay a bit of money for a fully-functional chip card and NFC reader. For businesses with a storefront, you can get a tablet-based POS system for free and better transaction fees.
When your customers need assistance, be prepared so that they do not have to wait. Customer support apps can keep you in contact with them and make sure the ball is rolling on their request.
For those who want a customer support and ticket app with a service catalog option.
Freshservice is a support and ticket app with push notifications so that agents can stay on top of requests. The app offers the ability to merge tickets, change their priority, or mark items as spam. You can also choose from nine ticket views or create unlimited custom views. Pop in canned responses, attach files, and give requesters access to your service catalog.
Why we love it
With Freshservice, you and your agents can manage requests from anywhere, keeping tickets moving and customers happy.
For those who want a customer support and ticket app with push notifications and different work modes.
Zoho Desk gives you work modes for due time or customer type, a team feed to collaborate quicker, and push notifications with updates and mentions. You can reassign and move tickets and edit them easily with simple swipes. For an all-in-one team tool for assisting customers, Zoho Desk is a good choice.
Why we love it
Manage your customers and give them the support they need with any member of your team using Zoho Desk.
When you need to get an invoice out the door, why wait? Creating invoices on your mobile device when you are on-the-go means that you can get your cash quicker.
For those who use QuickBooks and want an invoicing app with additional accounting options.
The QuickBooks Accounting app lets you take care of your business’s accounting on your mobile device. Send and track your invoices, view your expenses, manage your sales, and review connected bank statements. If you use QuickBooks online, the app is free and is a must-have for business owners.
Why we love it
The QuickBooks Accounting app is the ideal app for sending invoicing and managing finances, especially for existing QuickBooks users.
For those who want an invoicing app with templates and real-time updates.
For a solid invoicing app on your device, Invoice 2go has the features you need. Choose from invoice templates, upload or create a logo, and match your company color scheme. The app provides real-time updates and offers weekly, biweekly, and monthly invoice options to cover your invoicing schedule.
Why we love it
When you need to send an invoice on the go, you need Invoice 2go. The app gives you professional invoice options and real-time updates.
Just like you want to make money from your business, your employees want to be paid for their efforts. Don’t disappoint them, grab an app that keeps you on track with payroll wherever you go.
For those who use ADP for their company’s payroll and time sheet management.
The ADP Mobile Solutions app lets you approve time cards and time off as well as view your team’s calendars. Your employees can view statements, time off requests, clock in and out, manage time sheets, and review benefit information. The app works with ADP products such as Workforce Now, TotalSource, Vantage, and more.
Why we love it
ADP Mobile Solutions is the payroll access app you need if your company uses ADP.
