5 Must-Have Apps for Running a Business
Running a business is hard. There are a million things we think we need to do each day, and we all know the hours of 8-5 are a joke once you are self-employed. You’re the most ambitious boss you’ve ever had, but it doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming.
Here are a few apps that have made running a business much more manageable - and even enjoyable. I’ve been using some of these apps since I launched my business in 2011, and some I just discovered recently, but all of them are essentials to me. Here’s to working smarter, not harder.
Honeybook - for proposals, managing client interaction, and invoicing. I just started using this program in July, and honestly, I’m not sure what I was waiting for! The setup time was a bit cumbersome since I was having to transfer information from previous apps, but once I had everything set up and my forms and proposals built, it was seamless to implement. I’ve even been able to make more money since it allows me to set prices for add-ons to my packages and easily pass those along to my clients (something I used to just toss in for free because I hated the invoicing process I was using.) Click here to use my referral code, which will save you 50% off your first year.
Box – for storing all of my files. I chose Box over Dropbox because it was more affordable ($60/month) for the amount of storage that I knew I would need over the years. I needed to be able to offer members of the media access to public press kits and clients access to password-protected design files and designers access to asset folders, and I can do all of that and more. I have unlimited storage and it’s all triple backed up!
Slack – for communicating with my team without having to blow up people’s phones. I use the free version. I highly recommend creating channels for different groups, projects or teams so people don’t get bombarded with messages that aren’t related to them.
Zoom – for hosting video and phone conference calls with my team and clients. I have the Pro Account ($14.99/mo) so that I can host meetings for unlimited minutes and up to 100 users. The free account allows you to host calls up to 40 minutes long, so it’s a good starting point if you’re not sure how long your group meetings and calls will go.
3 Minute Mindfulness – I know what you’re thinking – what does this app have to do with running a business? As someone who once suffered from severe burnout when trying to run 3 businesses simultaneously, nothing is more important to my business than my mental health. Mindfulness has a fun feature where you can set reminders for yourself at set times of the day. For example, at 3:00 every day, the app reminds me to “Breathe and Smile.” You can also set it to remind you to go for a short walk, stretch, reflect, and many other great mental health checks. I use the free version.
Bonus: Sunsama - The app that is helping me feel more fulfilled, calm, and focused as I move through my workday! Sunsama takes all of my tasks in Asana, Slack, Google Calendar, and combines them so I can truly see what I have on tap for the day and make adjustments as I see fit. (Also works with Trello, ClickUp, iCal, and more!) It also allows me to declare my weekly goals, plan my days with a lovely Daily Ritual prompt, and share my wins directly to my team via Slack at the end of each day.
These apps and programs help me work smarter, not harder. Did I miss your favorite one? Share in the comments down below or message me over on Instagram @TiffanyNapper. I love connecting with you and hearing what works for you!
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Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this blog post, which means we may receive commissions for purchases made through these links. We wouldn’t recommend them if we didn’t personally believe in them and use them for our business. Thank you in advance for your support and we hope you find our suggestions valuable as you grow your business!