There are thousands of mobile apps available for your phones but which ones will help you do your job better and increase efficiency and productivity even when you aren’t in the office? Aside from the Gmail app which, let’s face it, can be a blessing and a curse, here are a few mobile apps that we have come to rely on and a few that we will most likely adopt very soon.
An actual image of my browser with 4 of these programs open...proof of how vital these are to work and why their apps are so appreciated!
1. Basecamp
Basecamp is one of the programs that we cannot live without in the Stratus Office. For those unfamiliar with Basecamp, it is a project management software that allows you to keep all of a project’s information in one place with to-do lists, text documents, discussions, email forwarding, a calendar to track progress and milestones and storage space to upload important documents. Even if we aren’t in the office, we can access our project management lifeline with Basecamp's iPhone app. If you don’t have an iPhone, the site also works with your phone’s web browser.
2. HubSpot
Another program that is always open in our browsers at work is HubSpot, the all-in-one marketing software. With capabilities for email campaigns, social media, lead nurturing, keywords, blogs, in-depth metrics and so much more, it is no surprise that almost everyone at Stratus also has the HubSpot app on their phone for those times when we just can’t get to a computer.
3. Tick
With so many clients and projects being executed simultaneously, we need to track the time we spend on each task so we know how long things take and we can accurately bill our clients. Tick is the perfect tool to do that. And their app is great for those of us who “forget” to enter their time at work…I won’t mention any names but you know who you are. Luckily, Mimi is really good with keeping track of Tick time and reminding people to keep their timecards up to date…to all of our entertainment, her reminders are sometimes reminiscent of some scenes from Office Space.
4. GoToMeeting
GoToMeetings make it so easy for us to connect with our clients who aren’t local or to share our work and collaborate when a trip is not necessary. With back to back meetings some off-site and some virtual, the app lets you attend, start and/or view a meeting remotely.
5. Google Drive
Google Drive makes creating and sharing documents, presentations and Excel sheets together easy. Their app makes it possible to access your Google Drive files from anywhere.
6. Dropbox
Similar to Google Drive, Dropbox makes it possible to take your files anywhere. Dropbox is especially helpful for larger files, which comes in handy for our designers and programmers.
7. DocuSign Ink
Ever needed to sign an important document or contract on the go and been forced to sign and take a picture of the document until you can get to computer to send the pdf? Admittedly, guilty. DocuSign Ink allows you to sign and send documents on your phone or tablet. The app even has push notifications that inform you when a document has been signed or when a document is awaiting a signature so you never forget when you are on the go.
8. Quickbooks
We had to throw in a mobile app for the accountants and finance people out there, you’re welcome Mimi! The Quickbooks app keeps your accounting and financial records at your fingertips wherever you are! You can view customer information, send invoices, accept electronic signatures, review expense reports and profit/loss statements all from your phone or tablet. A life saver for those times when the accountant goes on vacation and (unfortunately) needs to access the books from the beach.
9. Tempo
This smart calendar app has showed up on our radar lately with raving reviews on how it organizes your life (we certainly need that). We’ve all been there…you’re in the conference room all ready for your meeting when you realize you don’t have the conference number and you need to quickly go through your emails to find the info….no more with Tempo! Tempo finds and congregates everything you need for a calendar event: pertinent emails, directions to the location, files needed to reference, contact information, etc.
10. CamCard
For the salespeople out there tired of sitting there for hours updating your rolodex…okay so it’s probably more like updating your contact list on your phone today but the fact remains that it is definitely tedious. CamCard reads business cards and saves them instantly to you phone contacts. It also allows you to sync the contacts to your tablet, computer and their web app. Talk about making it easy to remember a lead’s name/number/title/fill-in-the-blank!
11. CamScanner
Who says you need to carry around a scanner in your briefcase to create pdfs? CamScanner certainly doesn’t. This app turns any Smartphone or tablet into a scanner and allows you to scan, sync, edit, share and manage documents even when you are away from your trusty scanner.
Mobile Apps…making it easier to do business from anywhere, even at home in your PJs on your couch. Not that you ever do that of course but have no fear, you will never have an unproductive day away from the office again with these mobile apps.