50 Must-Have Small Business iPhone and iPad Apps
Posted By Shara Karasic On February 20, 2011 @ 12:46 pm In Technology Trends | 39 Comments
Editor’s Note: Last year one of our most popular articles of the year was written by Shara Karasic, who pointed out 10 small-business apps for the iPhone. The response was so enthusiastic, that we invited Shara back for an even bigger and better roundup of apps for entrepreneurs and small-business execs this year. And who better than Shara to contribute this article — she lives, breathes, sleeps and eats apps in her role with Appolicious, a community review site for mobile apps. Here in 2011 we are delighted to bring you Shara’s much bigger list of iPhone and iPad apps, organized by type of activity.
Since I listed 10 great small business apps in 2010 [1], the use of iPhones and iPads for SMB’s has exploded in areas from business travel to communication to productivity. The office has become truly mobile. Here are must-have apps for those running and operating businesses in 2011:
1. Travel for Business Like a True Road Warrior
Prepare for your trip and navigate like a true road warrior using your iPhone! Kayak PRO [2] lets you find a flight or a hotel; TripIt – Travel Organizer [3] keeps your travel itinerary always handy in your pocket,; FlightTrack Pro – Live Flight Status Tracker [4] gives you real-time flight updates and helps you find alternate flights (and works seamlessly with TripIt); GateGuru [5] will guide you to the nearest ATM, post office, or luggage store in the airport. Once you arrive, Taxi! [6] makes it easy to find a cab 24/7 anywhere in the U.S. Don’t forget your Kindle [7] app so you can read on the plane or in the taxi.
2. Business Communications that Join Virtual Teams
Make free phone calls with Viber [8], Truphone [9], or Skype [10], which has entered 2011 with the ability to make video calls over both Wi-Fi and 3G. Stay connected to your team with Free Conference Call [11], which lets you hold conferences and even offers free recording. Or try Callvine [12], with one-click group calls, or Calliflower [13], which displays a dashboard of conference participants. Send group text messages for free with Beluga [14]. Join online meetings via your iPhone with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center [15]. If you have an iPad, you can attend online meetings with WebEx for iPad [16] or GoToMeeting [17].
3. Payment Processing Wherever Your Customers Are
Whether you are selling at a swap meet, garage sale, or art gallery, accept credit card payments right from your iPhone with Square [18] or Intuit GoPayment Credit Card Terminal [19].
4. Expenses Tracked on the Go
Scan your receipts on the go to make generating expense reports a snap with Shoeboxed Receipt Tracker and Receipt Reader [20]. Or use Expensify [21], which imports your credit card’s purchase history and automatically creates expense reports which it emails from your iPhone.
5. Business Networking for Super Connectors
Be prepared to work a room and cultivate new contacts. Use LinkedIn [22] to check out new connections, card reader app WorldCard Mobile [23] to scan business cards and CardManager [24] to manage them. Or just use Bump [25] to exchange contact info. Gist [26] creates rich business profiles of people you meet, and Calvetica Calendar [27] lets you easily schedule events with them. Once you have new contacts in your iPhone, use Dialvetica [28] to access them quickly.
6. Document Access & Management Across Platforms
View and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint docs wherever you are with Documents To Go – Office Suite [29] or QuickOffice Connect [30]. Share files across computers and mobile devices with Dropbox [31]. Access your desktop remotely with Wyse PocketCloud Pro – RDP / VNC / View (Remote Desktop) [32] or Mocha VNC [33]. Scan with Genius Scan [34] and print documents from your iPhone or iPad with PrinterShare [35].
7. Business Presentations that Get Your Message Across
Roambi – Visualizer [36] lets you turn your numbers into beautiful charts and graphs and is compatible with Excel and Salesforce data. An iPad with Keynote [37] will have you presentation-ready at any meeting.
8. Invoicing & Time Tracking on the Go
MiniBooks for FreshBooks [38] lets you send invoices, time your work, and record payments on the go. Or track your time with iPunchclock [39].
9. Mobile CRM to Amp Your Sales Prospects
Salesforce Mobile [40] gives you access to your Salesforce info from your iPhone. Kinito Lite [41] lets you quickly access your SugarCRM records.
10. Business Productivity 24/7
Manage tasks with OmniFocus [42], dictate with Dragon Dictation [43], and jot down or record notes on the fly with Evernote [44],
11. Manage Finances and Payroll Wherever You Are
Track and budget your money with Mint.com [45] and PageOnce Pro [46]. Or use SurePayroll [47] or RUN Powered by ADP Mobile Payroll [48] to pay employees 24/7.
12. Customer Loyalty Programs to Increase Repeat Business
With PlacePop [49], you can create virtual loyalty cards to reward your best customers, and with WeReward [50], customers can earn points when they check-in to your business.
13. Source B2B Products
HKTDC Mobile [51] from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council provides mobile access to 120,000 suppliers around the world as well as a list of trade fairs.
Find more business apps at Appolicious using our new business & finance app directory [52]. Or browse user-submitted lists of the best business apps [53]. Have another business app that you find invaluable? Add it in the comments, and make sure to let the Appolicious community know about it.
Article printed from Small Business Trends: http://smallbiztrends.com
URL to article: http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/02/50-must-have-small-business-iphone-ipad-apps.html
URLs in this post:
[1] 10 great small business apps in 2010: http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/01/10-must-have-small-business-iphone-apps-for-a-productive-2010.html
[2] Kayak PRO: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/112855-kayak-pro-flights-hotels-flight-tracker-kayak-com
[3] TripIt – Travel Organizer: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/56042-tripit-travel-organizer-tripit
[4] FlightTrack Pro – Live Flight Status Tracker: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/55841-flighttrack-pro-live-flight-status-tracker-by-mobiata-ben-kazez
[5] GateGuru: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/117618-gateguru-featuring-airport-maps-mobility-apps-llc
[6] Taxi!: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/43641-taxi-matthew-pease/
[7] Kindle: http://www.appolicious.com/book-news/apps/6101-kindle-amazon-com
[8] Viber: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/463393-viber-free-phone-calls-viber-media-inc
[9] Truphone: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/50720-truphone-truphone
[10] Skype: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/51019-skype-skype-software-s-a-r-l
[11] Free Conference Call: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/164833-free-conference-call-freeconferencecall-com
[12] Callvine: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/280097-group-call-text-by-callvine-callvine-inc
[13] Calliflower: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/9305-calliflower-iotum-inc
[14] Beluga: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/441714-beluga-beluga-inc
[15] Cisco WebEx Meeting Center: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/9279-cisco-webex-meeting-center-cisco
[16] WebEx for iPad: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/201183-webex-for-ipad-cisco
[17] GoToMeeting: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/201687-gotomeeting-citrix-systems-inc
[18] Square: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/204265-square-square-inc
[19] Intuit GoPayment Credit Card Terminal: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/62898-intuit-gopayment-credit-card-terminal-intuit-inc
[20] Shoeboxed Receipt Tracker and Receipt Reader: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/97042-shoeboxed-receipt-tracker-and-receipt-reader-shoeboxed-com
[21] Expensify: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/22920-expensify-expense-reports-expensify
[22] LinkedIn: http://www.appolicious.com/searches/site?term=linkedin
[23] WorldCard Mobile: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/101009-worldcard-mobile-business-card-reader-business-card-scanner-penpower-technology-ltd
[24] CardManager: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/450847-cardmanager-business-card-management-tool-appsholic
[25] Bump: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/50927-bump-bump-technologies-llc
[26] Gist: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/89208-gist-gist
[27] Calvetica Calendar: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/339645-calvetica-calendar-mysterious-trousers-llc
[28] Dialvetica: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/466288-dialvetica-contacts-mysterious-trousers-llc
[29] Documents To Go – Office Suite: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/47088-documents-to-go-office-suite-dataviz-inc
[30] QuickOffice Connect: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/8168-quickoffice-connect-mobile-suite-quickoffice-inc
[31] Dropbox: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/88066-dropbox-dropbox
[32] Wyse PocketCloud Pro – RDP / VNC / View (Remote Desktop): http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/71910-wyse-pocketcloud-pro-rdp-vnc-view-remote-desktop-wyse-technology-inc
[33] Mocha VNC: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/9671-mocha-vnc-mochasoft
[34] Genius Scan: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/253297-genius-scan-grizzly-software
[35] PrinterShare: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/58734-printershare-print-from-iphone-to-anywhere-dynamix-software
[36] Roambi – Visualizer: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/8753-roambi-visualizer-mellmo-inc
[37] Keynote: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/200969-keynote-apple-inc
[38] MiniBooks for FreshBooks: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/8359-minibooks-for-freshbooks-groovy-squared
[39] iPunchclock: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/8277-ipunchclock-epiphone-coders-guild
[40] Salesforce Mobile: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/9308-salesforce-mobile-salesforce-com
[41] Kinito Lite: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/9379-kinito-lite-for-sugarcrm-pramati-technologies
[42] OmniFocus: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/46932-omnifocus-the-omni-group
[43] Dragon Dictation: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/119108-dragon-dictation-nuance-communications
[44] Evernote: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/48164-evernote-evernote
[45] Mint.com: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/23024-mint-com-personal-finance-mint-com
[46] PageOnce Pro: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/46518-pageonce-pro-money-bills-pageonce-inc
[47] SurePayroll: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/110426-surepayroll-mobile-payroll-surepayroll-inc
[48] RUN Powered by ADP Mobile Payroll: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/373785-run-powered-by-adp-mobile-payroll-adp-inc
[49] PlacePop: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/151743-placepop-placepop
[50] WeReward: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/apps/236618-wereward-izea
[51] HKTDC Mobile: http://www.appolicious.com/finance/apps/89209-hktdc-mobile-hong-kong-trade-development-council
[52] business & finance app directory: http://www.appolicious.com/categories/20-business-finance
[53] lists of the best business apps: http://www.appolicious.com/curated-apps?curated_term=business
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