By Michelle Poland
Starting and running your own business will be akin to raising a child. Many young entrepreneurs find that getting a start-up off of the ground takes not only a tremendous amount of time, but a great deal of energy; it will be difficult to focus on anything else. It only makes sense to make the most efficient use of your time. By downloading the following apps to your tablet or smartphone, you can work smarter, not harder:
1.Polycom RealPresence Mobile
According to Forbes.com, this is one of the best mobile applications for the entrepreneur. While you can certainly have virtual conferences on your laptop, the app allows you to hold the same conferences no matter where you are. This can be especially useful when working with professionals in different time zones; consider the fact that you can teleconference from your couch at three in the morning if necessary. As a bonus, you can use the app to keep in touch with friends and loved ones as well.
2.Genius Scan
This amazing application will allow you to take a picture of any document, or group of documents, and save them as a PDF or JPEG file. You can then send your documents to any associate with an email address. You can forget having to run to the UPS store or Kinkos each time you need to copy and share a document with someone. Negating the need to purchase an expensive scanner will also allow you to better allocate your funds; when you’re starting out, you’ll know exactly how important it is to save money where you can.
3.Evernote
As a new business owner, you’ll find ideas popping into your head at the most inopportune moments: when you’re driving, when you’re waiting in the checkout line, or when you’re in the shower without access to a pencil and notepad. By downloading the Evernote application, you can record your ideas as quickly as you can grab your smartphone. Evernote ensures that you’ll never wait so long to record a genius moment that you forget what you were thinking.
4.Perch
Part of becoming a successful business owner is knowing what your competition is up to. With the Perch app, you can keep an eye on your competition no matter where you are. Locate your competitions’ presence online, and then keep track of their activity across social media platforms like Yelp, Facebook and Twitter.
5.Facebook
Today, no business will be successful without a presence on the Internet. A Facebook page is the easiest, cheapest way to make sure that people know about your company. Use the social networking app to keep your page updated, track your likes and share information at a moment’s notice. With the Facebook application, you can add to your page from any location in the world; perfect for the frequent traveler or busy entrepreneur.
When you start your own company, it’s important that you concentrate your time and energy on the important things. With these five apps, you can save time where it counts. You’ll not only find that you’re more productive, but that you are, in turn, more successful. Use this list as a starting point and look for more apps that can help you turn your start-up into an empire.
About the author
Michelle Poland writes articles for several education blogs. If you are interested in starting a business, you might consider an MBA degree. Several schools offer MBA degrees with flexible schedules, including executivemba.howard.edu.
