When it comes to running your business, you love every aspect of your role. From hiring the right people and getting all the right legal documents signed to finding the perfect free online logo creator and creating a beautiful website, you’re always busy, and you’re always having fun. But lately, you’ve realized that you might be too busy–whether it’s your doctor telling you, or your family at home asking for more time, you’re looking for new ways to cut back on time without having to cut back on the responsibilities.
Luckily, there are some great apps out there for busy business leaders. So if you want to be more effective and have more time, check these out:
1. Classpass
Did you know that exercising for only 20 minutes benefits your mood for the next 12 hours? That’s sure to make you not only more productive at work, but happier in general, too. But an ordinary gym membership, with scheduled classes, isn’t going to cut it. Half the time you’re across town, meeting with potential clients, so how are you going to make time to get back to the gym, shower, and have a wholesome dinner, too?
Luckily, Classpass totally simplifies this. By getting a membership, you can schedule classes on the very day through this app in almost any gym in your city. It’s perfect for someone with a busy schedule, and the variety of options will keep you from getting bored with gym routines.
2. Slack
If you want to stay in touch with your team on the go–especially if some of your team is remote–then you should be using Slack. You can use this app online, on your desktop, and, most importantly, on your phone. You can have different channels for different aspects of your business, private chats, and the service is designed so it’s easy to share files and integrate services such as Google docs. For example, if your company is writing ad copy for a company like Juul e-cigarettes, you can easily share docs from writers with editors.
50,000 people use this service every day, and even Slack uses Slack. So it’s a great communications system for any business.
3. Gusto
Lack of cash is one of the main reasons small businesses fail, which is why it’s always been so important for you to keep track of spending in the company. But as your company grows and you hire more employees, it can be tricky to juggle different aspects such as payroll and taxes.
According to NerdWallet, “Gusto automatically reports new hires to the government, handles all local, state and federal tax filings, automates deductions for benefits and workers’ comp payments, and emails digital pay stubs to employees.” All that time you’ve been spending with these responsibilities? Suddenly, you’ve got it back with this app.
4. Flipboard
When it comes to being caught up in current events regarding your industry, you’ve already subscribed to several podcasts, blogs, and email newsletters. But recently your inbox has gotten clogged, and you’ve had to delete some of them, your heart sinking each time you do, wondering what information you’re missing. When a colleague forwards you something to read, you aren’t sure if you have time to read it, either. The average American spends over 4 hours a day on their phone, but the only time you have to spend on it reading what you want is in the elevator between meetings.
Luckily, with Flipboard, this entire process is simplified. According to iOffice, “The tool prompts users to “subscribe” to topics of interest, including business, technology, travel, sports and more. Then, it displays the latest articles, blog posts, stories and videos in an interactive, magazine-like format. This app is perfect for the busy executive who must find unconventional times to catch up with his or her industry, hobbies and interests.”
5. CamScanner
In today’s world, where most of us relate to movies like The Social Network and People You May Know, and the average American spends 50 minutes a day on Facebook, it can be shocking when we stumble across something from the 90s or 00s in the workplace. But it happens. Sometimes, you have a document you need to scan, such as a contract with a client. But who has a scanner anymore, especially with the popularity of coworking spaces and traveling for work?
That’s where CamScanner comes in. This app for your phone allows you to take a picture with it, and then automatically converts the jpeg file into a PDF. It’s a free app–but if you choose to pay for the premium version, according to Entrepeneur.com you’ll get great features such as doc collages, 10 G of cloud space, multiple collaborators on each document, and more.
So maybe you’re busy, and you love being busy–but for those days when you need to slow down, whether it’s to take some time for yourself or think about new business ideas, these apps will make all the difference.
Do you have any apps you’d recommend to busy business leaders?