8 Best Apps for Your Business in 2020
A guide to learning more about what these tools can offer and how they can skyrocket your output.
Written By: Jonny Parker
COVID-19 has created a new awareness of how we conduct business. Our communities are having to think on their feet, adjusting their businesses to accommodate a shift to the digital space. Luckily, technology has gifted business owners with apps that can help grow and keep their business running from afar.
Running a business — no matter the size — involves wearing a lot of hats. These 8 apps will help increase productivity and organization, which will make your life as an entrepreneur much easier, whether at home or in the office.
Here’s to more productive days to come!
Payments and POS
Square
This POS business has tremendously changed how business owners can process credit card transactions and sales.
If you are looking for a new POS system or mobile POS system with a card swiper for your small business, Square should be one of your top options. They offer multiple software solutions depending on your business needs, and you should be able to find one that will improve your business process immediately.
Pricing: Recently, Square just moved all of its existing merchants to a new pricing structure. New sign-ups will incur the new pricing: 2.6% + $0.10 for any in-person payment that is accepted.
PayPal Here
Just like Square, this is another POS system business app that allows you to process checks, invoices, and credit cards on your phone.
While Square offers more features like order management and inventory, Paypal Here provides quick and easy solutions for accepting mobile payments.
One thing to note: PayPal Here only works through your PayPal account, not your bank account. Your apps will need to be synched for this PayPal Here business function.
So, if you are looking for a simplistic invoice processor, PayPal Here will work just fine for you.
Pricing: They charge 2.9% + $0.30 per invoice payment through the app and an additional 1.5% above the usual fee for international payments.
Quickbooks GoPayment
Quickbooks GoPayment allows you to swipe a card, scan it with your phone camera, or manually enter specific details from customers to accept payment.
If you want analytics out of your POS system, Quickbooks GoPayment will be the best option for you. You can review your analytical data, review your best selling items on the app which can aid you in providing the best service for your customer base.
Quickbooks GoPayment belongs to Intuit, so it integrates seamlessly with Quickbooks, TurboTax, and Mint.
Pricing: For payment processing: 2.4% + $0.25 and for in-person payments: 3.4% + $0.25.
Read more like this in The Money & Power Issue of our Journal
From learning when to scale back your budget to visualizing federal reparations, the Money & Power Issue tells the real story of Black wealth (or lack thereof) and reimagines a Black existence in America that imbues us with agency and perspective.
Project Management
Trello
Trello is a card-based system that lets you create, assign, monitor, update, and complete various tasks. If you are managing more than a few employees and want to ease the processes for yourself, this app will do that.
Trello will give you visibility on your employee’s productivity and will help them become more efficient. This app also integrates with other great apps like Slack and Evernote, which I will cover below.
Whether you are at home, at the office, or on the go, Trello can be used on a desktop or on your mobile device.
Pricing: Trello has three pricing plans: Free, Business Class, and Enterprise. See here for more details.
Asana
Asana is a workflow management app that is a checklist and text-heavy rather than a card-based system like Trello.
Projects and tracks are easily prioritized within its flexible interface. It provides you a dashboard chart that can track progress visually. You can assign due dates, attach documents and files, and communicate with team members amongst given tasks.
Just like Trello, Asana will provide you the ability to use computers and mobile devices. Asana impressively integrates with several apps like Wordpress, Zendesk, MailChimp, Slack, Google Drive, and more.
Pricing: Asana’s basic version is free for up to 15 users, which is pleasing to small businesses on a tight budget. You can purchase a premium version at $10.99, and move up to Business and Enterprise packages if needed.
Productivity and Organization
Evernote
Evernote is a great simplistic note-taking and thought organization app. If your thoughts are always flying off the walls, Evernote can help you contain and retain them.
You can also clip bits of information from the web and tag them for easy searching. Evernote is best used for note-taking, journaling, and to-do lists. It is perfect for the entrepreneurs that are always on the go and want to keep their thoughts and ideas in one place.
Pricing: You can use Evernote for free in the basic version. The premium version (most popular) will run you at $7.99 a month, while the business version $14.99
Communication
Slack
Slack is a productivity app that’s very user and work-friendly. If you are not a meeting or phone call type of person, you can just coordinate with your employees through messaging and receive quick responses.
Slack is available on desktop and mobile devices, which makes it a great communication app for on the go.
Slack allows filtering and searching to make your life easy. You can create channels for any conversation type and theme. One of my favorite features of the app is that you can customize the notifications, which is useful if you want to stay in or out of the loop of employee conversations.
Pricing: Slack offers a free basic version for an unlimited amount of users, which is awesome. For more advanced features, you will need to upgrade to the standard version, which is $6.67 monthly. If you are a larger business with admin needs, you will want to look into the plus version for $12.50 a month.
Skype For Business & Microsoft teams
Skype is still one of the most popular video-chatting apps in the world. Skype for Business offers meetings with up to 250 people and is fully integrated with Microsoft Office, chat, and more.
You can easily send messages, share files, and display screens with employees during presentations.
Microsoft now offers Microsoft Teams which has replaced Skype For Business. It is more business-specific and provides a better all-around collaborative platform. Skype for Business has now become like a niche tool, while Microsoft Teams will complete the collaborative environment your company needs.
Pricing: Microsoft offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans with greater and advanced features if desired.
