Ways of working more productively by doing less

Whether you’re starting up a new business or are the owner of an SME, you’ll be aware off the truth to the old adage that ‘time is money.’ Unfortunately, you’ll also have discovered that there is more to running your business than simply running your business. There’s accounts to be done, sales opportunities to chase, networking events to attend, tasks to prioritize and even staff to track. 

While these may all be important to ensuring that your business runs smoothly, how can your business run at all if you can’t dedicate the time you need to run it? Let’s have a look at the five best apps that will help you be more productive, whilst doing less:

1) QuickBooks Mobile. This app is released by Intuit and anyone familiar with the QuickBooks software will know just how valuable it is. In essence, it’s like having a virtual accountant on call at any time and wherever you happen to be. QuickBooks Mobile offers all the standard features of its software counterpart, allowing you to manage your accounts, create and send invoices, make payments and stay on top of all your accounting commitments. Perfect for entrepreneurs and SME owners – especially as Intuit are providing it for free.

2) Square. This app helps turn encounters into opportunities. Many SME owners lose sales by not being able to take on the spot payment. Square turns your mobile phone or tablet into a virtual card reader. It works just the same as the ones you find in the shops; all your client has to do is key in their security details and the transaction is authorized. Receipts and invoices are issued instantly and can be sent to your accounting software, meaning you never have to be off-duty or miss an opportunity.

3) Momentem is a very useful app for those who lose a lot of time due to poor organizational skills. Momentem can integrate your calendar and address book to help you prioritize tasks and meetings. In addition, because it’s an app, you have access to all that information wherever you happen to be; you can even set alarms and alerts to keep you ahead of your own plans.

4) Google Latitude is great for SMEs with employees out on the road. Whether it’s salesmen or a fleet of taxis, Google Latitude acts as a GPS tracker, allowing you to see exactly where your employees are at any given time; perfect for those instances where your employee is having trouble finding a particular place at a particular time. Late arrivals might not be completely avoidable, but you may be able to mitigate someone’s tardiness using this app.

5) Gist turns your Google mail account into a networking facility. Instead of just being able to send and receive emails, Gist allows you to exploit the contact you have in your address book and, much in the way LinkedIn works, help you discover further contacts that might be of use to you. In many ways, this app is as useful as a marketing campaign, without all the cost and manpower that you need to launch at traditional one.