There are plenty of apps out there that let you track your jogging route, decipher the constellations above you, and catapult cute, flightless birds toward armies of pigs… but what about the apps that help you become better employees or coworkers in the process? That’s what we’re here to find out.
There are hundreds of thousands of viable apps to explore, but what are some of the top business apps that keep your production level at its peak?
Expensify
Have you ever wished there was an efficient, effective way to tackle expense reporting without pulling your hair out? That’s what Expensify does. The app allows you to simplify your expense reporting in a way that makes sense, allowing you to streamline your reports, the way your expenses are approved, and they way in which you export them.
There’s also a ton of beneficial services to choose from, including Expenses, Receipts, Administration, Compliance, Mobile, and Third-party Integrations. And it couldn’t be easier. You can sync your credit card or bank account to your Expensify allowing you to transfer expenses directly, log your mileage, and automate your recurring spending. You can even upload receipts right from your phone, or create reports up to 10k and reimburse right into your employee’s bank account. That’s huge. Your accountant can rest easy too, knowing you can import your expense categories and create policies for all of your reports—all with Quickbook integration. What’s not to like?
Evernote
Obviously, we aren’t going to write a blog about business apps without including Evernote, because it’s awesome. Literally, figuratively, all of the above. I know you’ve probably heard of this app before. You might have even downloaded it to see what the fuss was about. But have you ever used it tactically, or practically? When you get on a roll and fully dive into the possibilities this wonderful little app can offer, you’ll have a hard time letting go.
Evernote syncs your information between devices, meaning your notes, documents, pictures, and other files are all available on your devices. That’s big when your running around from meeting to meeting, or in instances where you need to access something you were working on fast. You can even peruse a website and cut out clips of information to save for later. It’s very handy.
Evernote is also perfect for research, as you’re able to put all of your different notes, clips, and pictures into the same “note.” Planning big events, managing accounts, and organizing your travel itineraries has never been easier. There’s a lot to be had here, but it takes some exploration to discover which bells and whistles are right for you. Take the time and give Evernote another go if you aren’t already addicted to it.
Dragon Dictation
Recording important conference calls and meetings works wonders for going back and working through comments or conversations… but what if you just wanted a printed out copy of everything that was said? We’re getting closer to that reality with Dragon Dictation.
Dragon Dictation transcribes spoken words at super fast speeds (the company claims 5x the typing speed of the average writer) allowing you to speak and instantly see your words written out in front of your eyes. And you can use it for many different situations, whether you’re taking notes, writing an email, or posting about your day on Facebook.
Sometimes you need to get your thoughts down, and don’t have the time to type. And other times, you’re on a call and the client is going through things they wanted change. Dragon Dictation makes it that much easier to transcribe the information so you can email it, or scan it without having to listen to out-of-context audio recordings. It saves you time, which saves you money, so it’s something you should consider next time you’ve got time to spare before a big meeting.
Omnifocus
Omnifocus is a organization app that allows you to group to-do’s by context, not just categories. It’s for the over-planners in your office that need every aspect of their schedule funneled through their calendar, and it lets you do more than you’d ever want or need to. As the company says, “it’s for the little things, the everyday things, and the once-in-a-lifetime things” in your life.
Because Omnifocus is synched across your devices, you’re able to access your lists from anywhere, bringing supreme task management right to your fingers. You can track tasks by categories like project, place, person, or date. You can also customize your projects using contexts to make more effective use of completion tracks. You can even check your tasks from your web browser if you’re away from one of your synched devices. But one of my favorite features? That has to be being able to map out your to-do’s via a map for those days when traveling is it’s own task in itself. And if you need to change something, just tell Siri. She’ll access Omnifocus for you.
There are countless apps out there that can help boost your productivity and get you focused to complete the tasks at hand, and each one’s relevance depends on your industry, and what you do on a daily basis. Are there any apps you use on a daily basis that you couldn’t live without? Let us know in the comments below.