Best free apps for small business owners

Growing a small business 20 years ago compared to now has changed significantly, thanks to always-evolving technology, increased competition in the economy and a faster-paced way of living. Nowadays, business owners have turned to apps, to help with the way they organise to-do lists, invoices and everything in between; saving time and money. In no particular order, here are six free apps that will change the way you conduct your business:  

1. Boomerang

Available on Google Chrome web browser, Google Play

Boomerang, an application that acts as an add-on for Gmail, assists you with the organisation of personal as well as business-orientated emails.

From letting you set a notification pop-up if you haven’t received a reply on an email within a specified amount of time, to letting you ‘boomerang’ messages back to the top of your inbox at the time when you actually need to pay attention to it. But the main feature that makes this app a winner is how you’ll be able to schedule emails to send later on. This feature allows for you to write all your emails on weekends or late at night, and schedule to send it at a more appropriate time.

2. Oneflare for Business

Available on iTunes, Google Play

Gaining exposure to new customers is always at the forefront of any growing and evolving small business. The Oneflare for Business app connects you with customers looking for your expertise; whether that’s pet grooming, plumbing, interior design or everything in between. The app which helps you find work when you want it, utilises a clean, simple layout that suits even the least tech-savvy user. Get notified instantly of available work within your area and respond with a detailed quote and even communicate with potential customers within the application itself. With more than 10,000 new jobs posted on Oneflare each week, it’s the smartest way to connect with customers and build your business even further.

3. Mint

Available on iTunes, Google Play

Mint is your go-to app for managing finances and potentially saving your business some dollars. Whether it be personal or business finances, the app allows you to securely consolidate your accounts, track how much you’re spending, and receive alerts when bills are due. Set reminders and finance goals, tag expenditures by category, and view your financial data as simple charts or Excel spreadsheets in a way that’s easy to digest.

4. Evernote

Available on iTunes, Google Play

Evernote is a one-stop shop for all your personal and professional projects – take notes, create to-do lists, save voice memos, save photos, scan documents and even save sketches – and share it all with coworkers. Best of all, the app synchronises everything between your phone, tablet and computer automatically. Easy!

5. Invoice2Go

Available on iTunes, Google Play

This cloud-based app makes invoicing and quoting a breeze for your small business. Invoice2Go is the ideal invoicing solution for all types of businesses. You can even invoice on the spot: right when you finish a job, email or print your PDF invoice by a click of a button right from the app.

6. Weebly

Available on iTunes, Google Play

It’s the 21st century and your small business basically doesn’t exist without some form of online presence. Weebly makes website creation easy for the less creative-minded, you certainly don’t have to be a web-designer professional to use it! Simply drag and drop images, logos and maps into a chosen template, and add text wherever you wish. Publish your new website quickly and easily right from your tablet.

No one ever said starting your own business was going to be easy. However hard work and dedication can be made easier thanks to the help of a few useful apps.