Smartphones have changed the way that people do business. Today, you have to stay connected at all times if you want to move your career ahead.
These five iOS apps will help you stay ahead of competitors and make the most of every business opportunity:
1. Vigil.
Image via App Store
Price: In-app purchases vary from $20 to $250
About half of small businesses use websites to interact customers and sell products online. Without functional websites, those small companies would go out of business. Unfortunately, websites can go down, leaving your customers without a way to buy from your store or even contact you about the problem. The Vigil app monitors your websites and alerts you when it goes down. You even get a graph that summarizes your site’s performance over the last 30 days.
Small business owners can spend as little as $20 on Vigil. Larger businesses with multiple websites may need to more powerful subscriptions that cost up to $250. That may seem like a lot, but it’s nothing compared to the money you can lose while your site’s down.
2. Evernote.
Price: Free download, but full version requires in-app purchases
Checklists are crucial for successful entrepreneurs and business managers who need to make sure they reach daily goals. With Evernote, you can make and edit checklists right on your smartphone. The app also offers plenty of other features business leaders will find useful. You can use it to organize pictures, online articles, and other documents. Instead of searching for them again, you keep all of your research organized in one place. If your colleagues use Evernote, you can discuss work and present ideas through the app.
Most of these features work best on the large screen of the iPhone 6 Plus. It’s just too difficult trying to follow a conversation or read articles on smaller phones, but the iPhone 6 Plus’ 5.5-inch screen with Retina HD display alleviates this issue. With a larger screen, you spend less time squinting and more time getting work done.
3. Roambi Analytics.
Price: Membership plans range from $10 to $59 per month
You need good data to run a business. If you don’t track your customers’ interests and behaviors then you will miss opportunities to earn money. Roambi Analytics lets you to present this important data in ways that anyone can easily understand. The app is completely mobile, so you can share graphs with colleagues no matter where they are. You also get offline access to your data, so you can prepare for presentations even when you don’t have Internet access.
You probably have some data already stored in spreadsheets, databases, or online services like Salesforce.com. Roambi Analytics can take that information and turn it into visually appealing graphs. Within seconds, you can make complex data easier to understand and manipulate.
4. Microsoft Remote Desktop.
Price: Free
With Microsoft Remote Desktop, you always have access to the files on your desktop computer. If you forget to bring an important document to a meeting, you can use the app to grab the file from your office computer. This isn’t an app that you’ll need to use very often, but it’s a lifesaver on those rare occasions when you find yourself unprepared for a presentation or meeting.
5. CamCard.
Price: $0.99
Business is all about networking. CamCard makes it simple for you to organize all of your contacts in one place. When someone gives you a business card, you use your mobile device’s camera to take a picture and store it in the app. You can also use it to exchange e-cards.
Perhaps the best thing about CamCard is that you can keep notes on each contact. This is really helpful for salespeople who need to form personal relationships with a lot of people. You probably can’t trust your brain to remember that your next client’s husband is named Bob and that her interests include fishing and Scrabble. With CamCard, you write those notes down so you can recall them before the meeting.
Do you have experience using any of these five iOS apps? Which ones would you recommend to other people who want to get more out of their smartphones?
