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The world of entrepreneurship is a competitive one. There are many, many people competing for very few investment dollars.
Many entrepreneurs want to know how they can get a leg up on the competition. If you’re looking to gain that competitive edge, you should look at your phone.
Smartphone technology has put computing power right in the palm of your hand. Some of these apps also make it possible for easy assessment of fundraising activities such as funding for businesses or colleges like the fundraising management with Blackbaud.
Here are a few of the apps that will allow you to take your business or start-up to the next level by.
Harvard Business Review Tips
The Harvard Business Review is one of the most prestigious business publications on Earth and this app gives you a direct line to it. Gain powerful and valuable insight into your industry with daily updates and tips on how to improve your company’s efficiency and bottom line.
Evernote
Evernote’s beauty is in its simplicity. The application acts as a note-taking system where you can enter information about business proposals or to-do lists, then the app syncs that list with your mobile phone, tablet and home computer.
Never again will you have to worry that you lost the napkin that you wrote that great business strategy down on. With Evernote, all of your most important ideas are synced across all of your devices.
eWi-Fi
It is incredible how far technology has come. No one is going to question that. Only 10 years ago, the concept of wireless Internet was on the fringe of technology. Fast forward a decade and things have changed radically.
Intel put a Wi-Fi radio into one of their chips and this promises to change everything over the next 10 years. For now, though, it can still be a little difficult to find a good wireless signal, especially if you’re out of town.
eWi-Fi helps you out by locating all the wireless networks in your area and connecting to the strongest one. This can be a lifesaver if you’re on the road.
Google Docs
This app allows users to perform all the tasks available to users of the normal Google application, but from the comfort of their mobile device. Now you can edit documents in real-time and receive edits from coworkers just as quickly.
Now, next time you want to make a few last-minute edits to that business proposal but your laptop is dead, you’ll be able to pull it up on your phone and make the necessary changes without having to sweat it out while looking for a power outlet.
Mint.com
The cornerstone of any good business is good finance. If you are unable to keep your cash flow in check, it will not take long to lose track of things.
Mint.com keeps track of when your bills are about to be collected and offers tips for how to keep more cash in your accounts.
A truly invaluable app for anyone who is concerned about the state of their company’s finances or just wants a convenient way to check on the company coffers.
QuickBooks Online
This handy little app is perhaps the most efficient way to check on your company’s invoices and contracts on the go.
Intuit’s accounting software runs on the QuickBooks app and allows users to bill contract workers and freelancers by the hour or project. You can create balance sheet reports as well as give information about profits and losses.
Square
Square is the ideal tool for businesses that want to accept credit cards from customers on the go. Square is the perfect tool for exactly that need.
A few months ago, the company set itself apart from the other credit card terminal apps by not requiring an across the board charge.
While most apps require a $.15 charge per transaction in addition to a percentage deduction, Square has dropped that static charge and instead only takes 2.75 percent of each transaction. Their card swiping unit is a sleek white square that plugs into your phone’s headphone jack.
FlightTrack Pro
I was once scheduled to fly out of Denver International at 3 p.m. on a return flight to Texas. The airport employee at the terminal told me my flight was delayed until 3:45 p.m. and that I should take a seat or grab a drink.
I decided to go with the latter, and when I returned, a different employee informed me that my flight had left, as scheduled, at 3 p.m.
I ended up having to spend 7 hours in Denver International, twiddling my thumbs. None of this would have been an issue if I had an iPhone with FlightTrack Pro.
This app allows you to track your flights and hooks up to the FAA database to alert you of any delays or changes to your flights. You can also confirm your gate number and your aircraft, itinerary and details about the flight like altitude and traveling speed.