7 Mobile Apps For The Connected Entrepreneur With just a few taps of a mobile app, entrepreneurs can access a wealth of information and do everything from managing financials to tracking team progress.
By Shaun Haase
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The life of an entrepreneur isn't easy. Entrepreneurs are always on the go -- running from meeting to meeting -- and constantly juggling many different aspects of their business. Luckily, enterprise software has evolved to keep nomadic entrepreneurs connected, no matter where they are. With just a few taps of a mobile app, entrepreneurs can access a wealth of information and do everything from managing financials to tracking team progress.
Here, we'll cover some of the most useful mobile tools that can help keep entrepreneurs productive, organized and informed.
Project Management - Wrike (iOS/Android)
Wrike is a project management tool that can help you manage a multitude of projects. It allows for real-time project collaboration with your team and provides a detailed overview of all pending items to help you stay updated on all your various projects.
You can assign tasks to specific members or teams and set firm deadlines right from the app. Wrike also lets you track hot projects and receive updates through a simple dashboard so you never miss important developments, even when you're not behind a computer.
Dashboard (iOS/Android)
Google Analytics provides robust information about your website's performance, but it can be hard to extract and analyze the information you need on a smartphone. With Dashboard, you can customize various in-app tools to instantly pull information from Google Analytics into an easily customizable format for your smartphone.
All you need to do is set specific KPIs across a range of factors (eg: daily visitors) and the app will automatically provide an updated score in real-time. Enhanced reports allow you to break down your data even further and analyze additional data points that can track bounce rates, online sales and other key metrics to more precisely monitor your website's performance.
Xero (iOS/Android)
Xero is a cloud-based accounting/financial management software that provides instant access to your finances. If you so desire, you can reconcile bank accounts, send invoices and analyze your P&L on the go. This digital ledger will manage and track all of your bank accounts, invoices, bills, expense claims and much more from the convenience of your mobile device.
Xero serves as the financial hub for your entire business. There are over 500 apps across a wide variety of business functions from inventory management to eCommerce that can be integrated with Xero.
Hootsuite (iOS/Android)
Hootsuite allows you to easily manage all your social media accounts through one single platform. You'll be able to interact with people and see what others are saying about your business through a live dashboard. If someone posts a question or concern, or anything that warrants a response, you can assign it to a team member from your phone.
Hootsuite will also track and notify you of relevant social activity, so you can create and share timely and engaging content that appeals to your audience.
ProsperWorks (iOS/Android)
ProsperWorks is a zero-input CRM built specifically for Google Apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Documents. With the ProsperWorks mobile app, you can track sales progress, view your sales forecast and history, make updates and send out reminders to your team. The app also logs customer calls and emails so your data is always up to date, regardless of where the interaction took place.
Best of all, the mobile app is always synced -- if a potential customer contacts you while you're out, you can easily access critical information such as past interactions, potential deal size and deal progress.
Zoom.us (iOS/Android)
Zoom enables high-quality video conferencing on any device. The app gives you the ability to participate in meetings anywhere in the world and share/present information directly from your mobile phone. Even if meeting members don't have the Zoom app, it can connect users through other popular video conferencing platforms such as Skype. Zoom.us will automatically send out reminders to meeting-goers, so that dates and times don't slip their minds.
Slack (iOS/Android)
Slack is a messaging platform that allows you to create multiple lines of communications with both individuals and teams. It allows you to stay in close contact with internal and external teams. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Slack offers robust features that allow you to easily share documents, create posts and streamline your communications, creating a communications channel that's more versatile and direct than emails.