Small businesses are on the rise. In fact, according to some statistics , by 2020, 60% of American jobs will be created by small businesses. What this means for you as a new or existing business owner is that you need to start thinking about online apps for small business owners. There are a variety of different apps out there that will help you save time and money. Some of these apps can help keep your business running smoothly and on track while others can grow your audience and ensure that you have more clients that see your brand as trustworthy – which is essential these days if you want to be seen as a reputable company of individuals doing great work.
So, let’s take a look at these apps.
Accounting
With careful bookkeeping and good accounting software, you can access information about your business’s revenue, profit margins and overall financial health. It can also help you answer important questions, like, “How much can I afford to spend on marketing this month?”
QuickBooks Online
Cost: $25 and up (50% off for first three months).
Why we like it: Because QuickBooks is the industry leader for small-business accounting software, it’s easy to find an accountant or bookkeeper who will support it. Its multiple tiers of service can easily scale with your company, too. QuickBooks Online, the cloud-based version, can also be accessed anywhere. Read the full review.
| QuickBooks OnlineSHOP NOWon QuickBooks’s website |
Xero
Cost: $11 and up per month (50% off for first two months).
Why we like it: Xero is easy to use, rich with features and also widely supported by bookkeepers and accountants. Unlike some competitors, it doesn’t place any limit on the number of users you can add. Read the full review.
FreshBooks
Cost: $4.50 per month and up (billed annually).
Why we like it: With FreshBooks’ mobile app, you can complete basic accounting functions and send messages to clients to remind them about invoices or late payments. It’s a helpful feature for entrepreneurs on the go. Read the full review.
| FreshBooks AccountingSHOP NOWon FreshBooks’s website |
Wave
Cost: Free (Wave makes money through payment processing).
Why we like it: Unlike its competitors, Wave’s accounting software is completely free. With it, you can add unlimited users and unlimited bank and credit card connections. It’s also possible to run multiple businesses from the same account. Read the full review.
Zoho Books
Cost: $10 per month and up (with discounts for annual billing).
Why we like it: Zoho Books offers plenty of useful features at an affordable price. It also gives you the option to set up automated workflows, for example, if you want to send email notifications to yourself when a bill the business receives exceeds a certain amount. Read the full review. Back to top
Point-of-sale
Point-of-sale software allows you to ring up customers and complete sales and can be customized to fit your business needs. Restaurants, for example, need POS systems that allow for table management and coordination. Retail shops, meanwhile, require robust inventory management features.
Square
Software cost: Free and up. (Additional hardware and payment processing are additional costs.)
Why we like it: Square features transparent pricing, live support and easy-to-use flows. It’s also mobile-friendly and works on iPhones, iPads and Androids. For small businesses that don’t need advanced functionality, there’s also a free plan. Read the full review.
| Square POSSHOP NOWon Square’s website |
Toast
Software cost: Free and up. (Additional hardware and payment processing are additional costs.)
Why we like it: Toast’s restaurant-specific design prioritizes features that make the back-of-house and front-of-house operate smoothly. You can manage menus and tables easily, get useful reporting and analytics and accept orders from multiple platforms. Read the full review.
Lightspeed
Software cost: $69 per month (billed annually) and up. (Hardware and payment processing are additional costs.)
Why we like it: Lightspeed’s inventory management system sets it apart from the competition. That makes it an ideal choice for large businesses with complicated inventory management needs — for example, businesses with inventory in multiple locations, with various discount rules or tax classes. Read the full review.
Shopify
Software cost: $29 per month and up. (Hardware and payment processing are additional costs.)
Why we like it: Shopify makes it possible to almost instantly set up and run an e-commerce store. It also offers helpful features, such as a way to email shoppers who abandon their virtual shopping carts. It also offers software and hardware for accepting payments in store.
| Shopify EcommerceSHOP NOWon Shopify’s website |
Vend
Software cost: $99 per month (billed annually) and up. (Hardware and payment processing are additional costs.)
Why we like it: Vend is a retail-specific POS that allows you to set sales targets for your team, manage inventory easily and forecast purchasing trends. It also doesn’t come bundled with hardware and payment processing services; you can select these separately from a variety of compatible options. Back to top
Payroll
Paying your employees is a must, and good payroll software can make it easier to manage and track wages, withholdings and tax filings. Many programs also give employees access to a portal so they can view their pay history.
Gusto
Cost: $39 per month plus $6 per person for the basic package, which includes tax filings and payments.
Why we like it: Gusto gives employees access to self-service portals for payroll- and benefit-related information that’s accessible even after they leave a company, unlike most competitors. It also administers full-service payroll across 50 states and offers phone support. Read the full review.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) lets you port files among PCs, tablets, and smartphones. The standard package comes with 30 GB of online storage per user with options to upgrade to unlimited. And it allows you to create docs, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, and more.
Key Features:
- Offers a popular set of intelligent business apps
- Stops the need to use different apps for basic business functions
- Provides professional and ad-free business email experience.
Price: Plans start as low as $6 per user per month.
Related: How to Sign up for G Suite in Your DreamHost Panel
ShipStation
If you sell and ship products online, you need a time-saving e-commerce solution to streamline your shipping. Cloud-based ShipStation is simple to use and allows you to process online orders, get order alerts, print shipping labels, track shipments, and more.
Key Features:
- Works with most e-commerce platforms, including WooCommerce and Shopify
- Streamline the order processing system to fit your business’s needs
- Create custom shipping labels that show off your brand
Price: Plans start at $9 per month
The Host with the Most
We don’t just know a lot about the best apps for small business owners. We’re also really great at helping businesses improve their bottom line.Learn More
SurveyMonkey
Stop guessing what your customers want, and ask them yourself. With SurveyMonkey, you can create surveys to measure user engagement and get anonymous customer feedback on your products, pricing, website, and any unmet needs of your target market. Build simple or more complex surveys, and find tips on the SurveyMonkey website about question types and how to word them. Survey creation is collaborative, and results and reports can be viewed by different team members without sharing login information.
Key Features:
- Create surveys from a template and brand with your own business colors and logos
- Review survey results as they come in from any device
- Send your surveys out into the world via your website, email, social media accounts, and more
Price: Freemium, with advanced packages starting at $32 per month (there are discounts for students and educators)
FreshBooks
This cloud accounting software will make your invoicing (and more!) quick and simple. With FreshBooks, you can create and personalize invoices, and set up automatic billing. You can also track business expenses — and create a minute-by-minute record of how you spend your time for a real eye-opening accounting of your productivity.
Key Features:
- Accessible from any and all of your screens
- Accept credit cards on your mobile device
- Converts estimates into invoices
Price: $15/month for five clients; Free Invoice Template downloads
Dropbox Business
Dropbox Business is a cloud computing app that allows you to sync files and folders across various platforms. The mobile app gives you access to all your files on the go and offers plans for really small businesses — we’re talking just three users.
Key Features:
- Offers cloud storage of all important files
- Prevents lost files
- Provides flexible storage plans
Price: Starts at $12.50/month for 3+ users
Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive allows cloud storage and file sharing through synced folders. You can view and edit OneDrive files from any smartphone or tablet with the OneDrive mobile app. Though it works for both Macs and PCs, additional services like settings backup and automatic photo upload are reserved for Windows 8 and Windows Phone users.
Key Features:
- Offers convenient file sharing
- Stops lost folders and files
- Provides easy collaboration tools
Price: Starts at $5/month per user
Related: How to Choose the Best Cloud Applications
Unifyle
Unifyle is a cloud storage management solution that pairs with other storage services like DropBox, SugarSync, Access Box, and more. It also organizes email from different providers, allowing you to view, send, and search across accounts.
Key Features:
- Pairs with top-of-the-line apps
- Stops security breaches
- Provides virtual file management
Price: Free
Evernote
Evernote can help you capture and remember all the brilliant ideas you come up with while on the move. It’s available on multiple platforms and allows you to store your ideas by voice, text, or photo. You can search your notes by keywords and tags.
Key Features:
- Offers quick Google sign-in
- Stops you from losing your best ideas
- Provides on-the-go note taking
Price: Free for basic plan; upgrade to a business account for $14.99 per user per month
DocuSign
DocuSign allows you to easily collect signatures online or via a mobile device. This is the perfect tool for collecting necessary information from clients and remote employees.
Key Features:
- Offers rapid app development
- Stops inconvenience of collecting signatures in person
- Provides powerful integrations with Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, and more
Price: Starts at $10/month
Polaris Office
Polaris Office is a good mobile alternative to Apple’s iWork suite or Microsoft’s Office Suite for spreadsheets and docs. It allows you to read and edit docs via the mobile app.
Key Features:
- Offers outstanding compatibility to view and edit all documents
- Stops increase on costs related to purchasing an office suite
- Provides mobile and desktop access
Price: Pro plans start at $5/month
SOS Online Backup
SOS Online Backup automatically backs up your files online and provides military-grade encryption.
Key Features:
- Offers secure online backup
- Stops loss of files
- Provides 100%privacy
Price: Starting at $4.99/month
Cloud Computing apps truly are the way of the future when it comes to making sure your team has secure access to the right information.
Communication Apps
Whether you’ve got a team of part-time workers or remote freelancers, it’s vital to have a way to stay connected. Here are some of the top tools to make virtual communication easy.
12. Slack
Slack is one of the most popular communication apps on the market. With Slack, you can create different communication channels, send group messages, and even break off into one-off meetings within a slack channel.
Key Features:
- Offers easy communication between teams
- Stops confusion among team members
- Provides targeted channel communications
Price: Freemium
Fuze
Fuze is a great communication app for times when a simple chat isn’t enough. Fuze is a video conferencing tool that works across all platforms and devices. No matter where anyone is on your team, they can hop on Fuze and make it to your meeting on time.
Key Features:
- Offers user training and materials
- Stops remote employees from missing meetings
- Provides “go-live” transition support
Price: Varies per plan — contact Fuze for more information
Skype
Skype is a trusty app for simplifying team communication. Skype allows you to chat with team members from any location. And since the app is so popular, you can rest assured that your team members and clients will know how to use it.
Key Features:
- Offers trustworthy calling, chatting, and video conferencing
- Stops loss of easy collaboration
- Provides free calls to friends
Price: Freemium
Of course, you could just pick up the phone to sync with your team members and clients, but if you really want to stay connected, these platforms make it easy to build open communication right into your workflow.
Related: 6 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs to Get Online
Finance Apps
As a small business, the last thing you want to do come tax time is scramble around looking for crumpled receipts. Make sure you invest in one of the following finance apps. You’ll be glad you did come April 15.
Quickbooks
Quickbooks connects to your business bank account, PayPal, and Square (plus thousands more) and uploads real-time data to help you keep tabs on your company’s financial well-being. You can even use this accounting app to track expenses and upload pictures of receipts from your phone — a definite boon when tax season rolls around.
Key Features:
- View profit and loss reports
- Track unpaid invoices
- Pay employees
Price: Starts at $7.50/month for freelancer plan
Expensify
There are plenty of expense trackers out there, and Expensify is one of the simplest. It keeps track of expenses and mileage via multiple platforms. Receipts can be scanned and uploaded. Expenses can be submitted to employers by a click of a button. It can also read and import expenses from a linked bank account or credit card.
Key Features:
- Offers top-notch integrations
- Stops confusion at tax time
- Provides help with expense tracking across several industries
Price: Contact Expensify for more information
Abukai Expenses
With Abukai Expenses, you just snap a photo of your receipts with a smartphone, and the info gets entered into the tracking app’s interface. You can also take a photo of a map or itinerary to calculate and report mileage.
Key Features:
- Offers easy record-keeping of receipts
- Stops messy receipt tracking
- Provides multiple expense tracking at one time
Price: Freemium
InDinero
InDinero syncs with bank accounts and credit cards to predict future cash flow based on current trends and past expenses.
Key Features:
- Offers excellent bookkeeping services
- Stops the need to invest big in bookkeepers
- Provides tax services for small businesses
Price: Starts at $300/month
Time Doctor
This time tracking app records billable hours, workers’ time on the clock and on projects. The app estimates that it can increase your workplace productivity by 22%.
Key Features:
- Offers screenshot monitoring
- Stops payroll confusions
- Provides powerful reporting tools
Price: $10/user per month
If it’s your goal to get your finances in order before Uncle Sam comes calling next April, these apps can help.
Travel and On-the-Go Networking Apps
As a small business owner, chances are you find yourself on the road (or up in the air) more often than you imagined when you first started your business. Travel is expensive, and it can be difficult to stay on top of all the details. Unless you have the right scheduling app to help you, that is.
TripIt
TripIt allows travelers to keep business trip arrangements, itineraries, and information together all in one location, including meeting times and flights details. It also corrals weather forecasts, maps, and directions.
Key Features:
- Offers a master itinerary for every trip
- Stops travel hiccups
- Provides access plans from anywhere on any device
Price: Freemium
Inigo
No more carrying stacks of business cards. Inigo is a networking app that allows you to create and share a virtual business card by tapping your smartphone with someone else’s.
Key Features:
- Offers easy sharing of business cards
- Stops business cards from getting lost
- Provides a real-time networking solution
Price: Freemium
When it comes to business travel and networking on-the-go, you can either fly by the seat of your pants or download these apps. We know which option we’d prefer.
Operations Apps
Do you find you need help with daily business operations? You’ll be happy to know there are several apps on the market to help automate your processes and stay organized.
Upward
As a small business owner, you’ve got your hands full with a long to-do list — and Upward sets out to make one of those tasks less painless: hiring. Whether your hiring needs are constant or sporadic, this app makes it quick and easy to post job listings, sort through applicants, and save and search resumes.
Key Features:
- Post your listings on 100+ job platforms with a single click
- Communicate directly with applicants via Upward’s messaging platform
- Manage and rate candidates all in one place
Price: Starts at $50/job listing
Related: How to Make a Professional Resume Website (In 7 Easy Steps)
Vivial
Vivial is a business marketing app. Vivial allows users to build online branding through social media, websites, local directories, and email newsletters. The service also automatically updates the Google Places listings for brick-and-mortar business users.
Key Features:
- Offers easy website optimization
- Provides local search optimization
Price: Contact Vivial for more information
Asana
Asana is a collaborative information manager that’s way easier to use than standard — and more complex — project management software. It allows app users to manage both work and personal projects in one intuitive interface.
Key Features:
- Offers easy collaboration
- Stops miscommunication on task due dates
- Provides project management tools
Price: Freemium
Related: 36 Brilliant Blogging Tools to Help You Write Better, Publish More, and Increase Traffic
Square
Square allows businesses to take credit card payments through mobile devices and charges no start-up or monthly fees. Instead, it simply takes a percentage of each transaction.
Key Features:
- Offers credit card processing from anywhere
- Stops the need for cash-only
- Provides free card reader
Price: Starts at 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
LogMeIn Pro
LogMeIn Pro is an Android app that allows you to log in remotely to perform administrative functions on other PCs. There’s also a Mac version: LogMeIn for iOS.
Key Features:
- Offers 1 TB file storage
- Stops loss of administrative functions
- Provides remote printing
Price: $30/month for two computers
KoolSpan TrustCall
KoolSpan TrustCall is a smartphone app that encrypts phone calls and text messages without the need to buy custom devices.
Key Features:
- Offers encrypted phone calls
- Stops security breaches
- Provides encrypted messaging
Price: Contact KoolSpan for more information
Podium
Podium is a marketing tool that can help you collect online reviews and testimonials through text messaging. After all, the more people who are talking positively about your business, the more customers will come your way.
Key Features:
- Offers easy Google review collection tool
- Stops disruptions in review collection methods
- Provides access to leaving reviews through text messaging
Price: Contact Podium for more information
Don’t let your operations slip through the cracks. Instead, invest in the right tools to keep your business on the track.
Email Apps
Email marketing yields the highest return on investment of any other marketing effort. In fact, some reports indicate a $44 return for every $1 spent on email marketing. As such, it’s important to make sure you have the right tools for the job.
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor is an email marketing tool that will help you build your subscriber list, create beautiful email templates, and automate your marketing messages. Campaign Monitor also integrates with other business software like SalesForce and GetFeedback.
Key Features:
- Offers email automation
- Stops gaps in data collection with excellent reporting
- Provides proven template design
Price: Freemium
MailChimp
MailChimp is similar to Campaign Monitor in that it helps you easily boost your subscriber list, send out messages, automate your email campaigns, and create beautiful newsletters. MailChimp also has excellent e-commerce platform integrations like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and more.
Key Features:
- Offers drag-and-drop email building
- Stops companies from losing touch with subscribers
- Provides email marketing automation
Price: Freemium
Conclusion
Small businesses need to make the most of their repetoire when it comes to making new connections and showcasing their goods and services. Below we reveal some of the best free apps for small businesses that’ll help you get a hold of a competitive edge.