With mobile devices becoming a weapon of choice for small business owners who are constantly on the go, apps are today essential tools to run your day-to-day business without the need of being in the office.
I’ve included my personal short list here, all created for the iPad with most also iPhone compatible. Most apps listed here are free, and very user friendly. For those savvier SMEs already using CRM, customer service and payment processing tools on their desktop machines, look out for compatible apps as most top softwares are now available in app versions which allows to take your data anywhere with you. The same applies to your banking as most online banking services are now available in app format.
As with all technologies, new versions and updates are being made constantly, so before you go ahead with the download, make sure you read all the details from the most recent version of the app to decide on suitability.
Social media
• Facebook (free) – manage your Facebook business page anywhere and keep on top of potential customer enquiries on your Wall.
• Twitter (free) – tweet while you’re out and about.
• LinkedIn (free) – don’t miss potential networking opportunities and conversions in your groups.
Communication
• Skype (free) – make video/phone calls with your suppliers and customers. The new iPad now features a front facing camera which makes video calls very user friendly.
• Cisco WebEx Meetings (free) – attend WebEx meetings with your iPad.
Documents
• Pages (US$9.99) – create word documents with a choice of many visually appealing templates.
• Keynote (US$9.99) – Apple’s equivalent to PowerPoint, allows you to bring all your presentations to any meeting.
• Numbers (US$9.99) – create and manage spreadsheets.
• GoodReader for iPad ($4.99) – no need to bring printed brochures, show them on your iPad in PDF format with this app.
• Dropbox (free) – a place to sync and share files with other computer.
