Entrepreneurs are notorious for putting in long hours to make their business a success. A survey shows the average entrepreneur puts in 52 hours a week, which is 63 percent longer than the average worker.
To get the most out of these long days, entrepreneurs should turn to technology for help. An increasing number of business apps are hitting the market. Apple’s app store saw a 210 percent increase in the number of business apps last year, which can help entrepreneurs maximize their long days at the office.
Here are seven mobile apps that entrepreneurs shouldn’t be without:
1. Elevatr
Category: Productivity
Elevatr offers a creative and organized way to share business ideas. It encourages entrepreneurs to breakdown the idea into an elevator pitch and then focus on different aspects of the idea, like what market it caters to. Ideas can be saved and shared.
Cost: $4.99
2. RescueTime
Category: Time management
Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done? RescueTime can track your digital movements throughout the day and help you see exactly how you’re spending your time. Using this tool, you can block distracting websites, and get alerts when you’ve spent a certain amount of time on one activity.
Cost: Free for basic features; $72 a year for the premium package.
3. Toggl
Category: Time management
Time lost is money lost. If you’re not tracking your billable hours, your business will suffer. Use Toggle, a time management tool with easy stop-and-start buttons, to keep track of your time. Teams can use it to track time spent on a project, CEOs can use it to track time spent in meetings – the options are endless. Easy-to-read reports can also be generated from the app.
Cost: Free for basic account; pro package starts at $9/month/active user.
4. Wunderlist
Category: Organization
Every entrepreneur has a to-do list that’s seven miles long. There’s no possible way to keep a mental checklist running. Instead, use Wunderlist. This list-making app keeps you organized and can send you alerts to complete tasks. It has a team feature too, so you can create lists for your entire company to participate in.
Cost: Free for basic features; $4.99/month for added features.
5. Pocket
Category: Organization
Staying up-to-date with current business trends is always important, but reading articles and eBooks is time consuming. Rather than reading something as soon as you find it online, put it in your Pocket for later. The save-now-read-later app has great compatibility on the web, offers sharing features and is well reviewed by entrepreneurs.
Cost: Free
6. Slack
Category: Communication
Slack is a hot new communication tool that helps businesses communicate through an instant message platform. You can have public or private conversations with people, and drop and drag files into the conversation. The app is said to drastically cut down on company emails and improve productivity.
Cost: Free for basic account; standard plan starts at $8/month/active user.
7. Wave
Category: Accounting
Entrepreneurs often wear many hats, especially when they’re first starting out. For entrepreneurs that handle accounting, Wave is an easy-to-use app that can manage invoices, track expenses, pay employees and generate reports.
Cost: Free for basic features; advanced package starts at $19/month.
