Guest Post: Four Time-Saving Applications for Entrepreneurs

by Sean Mallean

We can all agree that time is a rare commodity, and no group knows this better than entrepreneurs. For you, finding a moment to think about what to have for lunch is as close as it gets to having free time. Running your business has so many demands that you’re often looking for ways to clone yourself just to catch up. Since we’re a long way from cloning, here are four tips and tools to help you save time and streamline your business operations.

Can you list every task on your current to-do list? If you’re struggling to answer that question, chances are you could greatly benefit from an app that manages your tasks. Todo is an award-winning app that helps you organize your list and manage your tasks on a daily, weekly and even monthly basis. Todo has another helpful feature, which allows you to geotag your to-do items. So if you need to go to the office supply store to buy a printer, stop at FedEx to send out a package, or pick up your suit from the drycleaners for your big meeting tomorrow, Todo will ping you when you’re near the locations. You can even prioritize your tasks by your route, and since it syncs to all of your devices, you’re less likely to forget your list. Now that’s taking efficiency to a whole new level.

One of the most tedious yet vital aspects of running your own business is managing and maintaining your company’s finances. Accounting software can be your best friend when it comes to cutting down the time spent on this rigorous process. The right software will allow you to quickly create and send custom invoices to customers globally. You’ll also want to be able to run reports to manage your balance sheet, P&Ls and vendor lists. Expenses play a key role in your business finances and it’s an area the IRS pays particular attention to. Keeping track of your expenses and maintaining records and receipts can make all the difference should you find yourself in an audit. If you don’t have a system in place already, you could benefit from an expense tracking tool such as Expensify, which operates on mobile and desktop. Expensify allows you to keep track of spending habits and has “Smartscan” which lets you photograph and categorize receipts for expense reports. If your business requires that you commute a lot to see clients or vendors, you may particularly appreciate the “Track Distance” function that lets you monitor how far you travel by car so you can bill or expense your travel time. Trust me, any time or money spent keeping your finances in order is well worth it, because it could mean all the difference in the future of your business.

Did you know that nearly 1.7 billion people are active on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? Having a social media strategy is as important to your business as having a well-defined product or service. It can play an integral role in your sales, PR, marketing and customer service initiatives. And if you’re like many business owners, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the various social media platforms and the nuances of managing and creating content for each. The good news is there are easy to use, time-saving tools to help you manage your social media efforts. Buffer is a great example. It will take the content you’d like to promote and schedule it to be posted for you so you can drive traffic to your site or increase engagement while working on the other aspects of your business, like finishing a client project or closing your next big order. Multi-tasking at it’s best.

If you told business owners ten years ago that the cloud would be their organization’s best friend, they would have probably dismissed you for a babbling fool. How could a fluffy white puff of condensation possibly be of any use? Of course, times have changed and most people are now familiar with the term “cloud” especially when it comes to offsite digital storage for files. Using the cloud to store and share important documentation will provide you with greater accessibility to your files from anywhere, allow you to organize or modify your filing system with a few clicks and eliminate your dependency on your computer or clunky filing cabinets. All of these attributes translate into saving time and money to focus on the business of running your business. There are many options available such as a system like Dropbox that will keep everything in one secure place. The system allows you to keep files synced to create consistency on your computer, tablet or phone, and it even gives you the ability to edit presentations with your team whether they are right next door or across the country. Now instead of having to go back to the office to find or send a file, your files can follow you.

If running your business has you feeling overwhelmed, why not take the time to look into some time-saving applications? The time saved will not only help you check a few more items off your to-do list, but also allow you to focus on the things that need your undivided attention like your sales forecast, new patent idea, or your family and friends. Remember them? It’s your time, use it wisely.