You launch your dream business, but soon find that your small team is overwhelmed with a huge number of responsibilities, including payroll, marketing, human resources, and more.
Luckily for your team, you can take some of the pressure off. Business apps help you stay organized and automate many daily tasks, like tracking expenses and onboarding collaborators. Here's a look at the benefits of using business apps and the top apps companies use to save time and stay competitive.
Three benefits of using business apps
Small business owners typically play a variety of roles within an organization. Apps can simplify business processes, especially when they are too distributed. Other benefits of business apps include:
1. Efficiency
In today's fast-paced world, you can accomplish more by simplifying your workflow. Business apps automate time-consuming processes, allowing you to focus on more pressing tasks.
For example, an accountant may be manually entering receipts. An app that scans receipts and automatically enters amounts can save you time and allow you to focus on important tasks that require human intervention, like budgeting and forecasting.
2. Organization
It's common for small business owners to have multiple plates spinning at once, but struggling to stay organized can lead to missed deadlines and errors. Apps like Asana allow you to break down projects into incremental steps and collaborate with your team. Project management tools allow you to assign tasks to specific employees, track updates in real-time, and get a bird's-eye view of progress. Plus, many apps integrate seamlessly with your mobile device, so you can check in on your projects on the go.
3. Cost reduction
Business apps can automate processes that previously required human intervention. It can also help you analyze your current system and make sure you're spending your money in the best way possible. For example, a marketing app might be showing you that investing in one strategy over another can lead to a better return on investment and higher profits.
How to choose the right business app
There are several variables that determine which type of app is best for you.
budget. Based on your budget, you can choose apps that lighten your workload and empower your team members. Some are free, while others have a monthly fee structure that increases as your organization grows. Integration. To minimize disruption to your team, look for apps that seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, such as Google Workspace or Shopify. Scalability. Successful small businesses become mid-sized businesses, so it's important to have tools that can scale with them. If you have an app that can handle the high volume of operations you have now and in the future, it's hard to beat. Ease of use. An app is only good if you can use it. Try the app to determine if your organization can handle the learning curve or if it's more trouble than it's worth.
top business apps
With so many business tools available, it can be overwhelming to sift through them all. This list of best business apps includes key features that can improve your business operations.
shop
A one-stop shop for running your business, Shop is a marketplace where your customers can easily buy from your store, browse similar products, and track their packages from their desktop or mobile device.
Shop is also one of the best marketing automation apps that lets you launch product campaigns and track their performance. With a comprehensive suite of features, you can also accept credit card payments directly from the app.
Price: Free, compatible with Shopify stores.
Gust
If you're struggling to track your team's billable hours, Gusto may be just what you need to handle payroll and organize time tracking. Gusto is not only a full-service payroll application, but also includes human resources features such as employee benefits management, simplified recruiting and onboarding, and employee performance reporting capabilities.
Pricing: Plans start at $40 per month.
slack
Slack is a tool that can enhance communication and streamline internal workflows within individual teams and across organizations. Slack integrates with other apps like Google Docs and Workday.
You can create themed channels, send direct messages to individual team members, and make video calls directly within the app. Additionally, Slack can be easily downloaded to multiple devices and offers desktop and mobile apps.
Price: There is a free version that is sufficient for startups and small teams. For advanced features (like group video calling), there are paid plans starting at $7.25 per active user per month.
Shopify POS
If you don't have a point of sale to track inventory changes and sales metrics, Shopify POS is the solution. Not only can you accept credit card payments both in-store and digitally, but you can also monitor inventory management in real-time. You can also save customer profiles and shipping information for future orders.
Pricing: Shopify POS offers multiple paid plans. The starter tier is $5 per month plus a 5% card fee and allows one login. The Retail tier is designed for in-person stores, allows multiple logins, and costs $89 per month plus a 2.6% card fee.
quickbooks online
One of the leading accounting apps for e-commerce and small businesses, QuickBooks Online boasts robust accounting software that helps you manage cash flow and automatically pay taxes. QuickBooks also offers invoicing and expense tracking features.
Pricing: Plans start at $17.50 per month.
buffer
When it comes to social media management and marketing strategy, Buffer is a valuable tool for creating content calendars and aggregating engagement analytics across multiple social accounts.
Pricing: Buffer is free for small businesses that have up to three social channels and want to schedule 10 posts per channel at a time. Plans for analytics and customer engagement tools start at $6 per month.
Brevo
When it comes to customer relationship management, Brevo is one of the best small business apps that lets you respond to customer inquiries, create branded email and SMS content, and gain valuable insights into customer sentiment. can. Interact with customers in real-time and save conversations across email, voice, social media, and SMS to analyze and improve your CX workflows.
Pricing: Brevo is a free service that allows one user to have unlimited conversations via the chat feature. Paid plans start at $9 per month.
Asana
Asana helps simplify tedious task management. Easily create, assign, and track tasks. Collaboration is at the heart of Asana, and your entire team can see progress in lists, boards, and calendar views. Additionally, you can track key performance indicators throughout the year.
Pricing: Personal level is free for 10 teammates. Paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month.
tresolit
Companies collect vast amounts of data from website visits and transactions. Tresorit is a business software that provides secure data management and robust security measures. Build trust with your consumer base by storing customer data securely with Tresorit. Robust security features include encrypted storage, device syncing, and data loss prevention, all within legal compliance.
Pricing: Business plans start at $19 per user per month when billed annually.
Frequently asked questions about business apps
What app is best for your business?
With so many business apps available, finding the best one will depend on your needs, ease of integration with your workflow, and budget.
What apps should I use to start my small business?
To start your small business, you may find it beneficial to use a POS app like Shopify POS or a bookkeeping app like QuickBooks Online to start selling and organize your finances. From there, you can try out apps to support your marketing efforts and internal communications.
Does Shopify offer business apps?
yes. Browse a wide range of small business apps and explore different features within the Shopify App Store.
