Startups always feature a tough and hectic ride that requires working around-the-clock, stressful schedules and multitasking. The success of startups depends mainly on hard-work, determination and patience and, needless to say, many fail to retain these for long.
Statistics suggest that 50% of startups fail in the first five years, whereas in the case of tech startups, merely 10% go beyond that. However, for determined entrepreneurs, there is no dearth of tools and techniques and all that is needed is the intellect to grab the appropriate ones that could lead to the desired goal. A prominent segment among them are the innovative apps that, if used wisely, could prove to be immensely beneficial for startups.
Developers have already flooded the app stores with apps that assist businesses in some way or other like creating brand awareness, scheduling meetings, handling transactions, tracking receipts and many more. Among the plethora of apps, some have really proved their worth in startups by easing multiple tasks and have become the favourites of entrepreneurs.
Here’s a list of 10 must-have apps for startups that could make the rough journey a little smoother and easier
#1. Slack
Slack is an amazing messaging app that allows internal chat among team members, without the use of email threads, for quick discussions. You can also create private messaging groups for circulating confidential information. Multi-channel chats can also be created for separate groups like different ones for sales, marketing and support teams. Slack reduces meeting times and has a powerful search and archiving that make finding file information easy. It has several integration apps and services and has configurable notifications for desktops and mobiles.
#2. ExpenseBot
ExpenseBot is another useful app that tracks mileage logs and receipts. Photos of paper receipts can be taken and the app adds the name, date and amount to it. The app also offers time logs to manage billable hours and productivity. The app can assist you in reimbursement processes, tracking expenses and many more related tasks, replacing your outdated expense management software that makes the job sluggish and complicated.
#3. Trello
Trello is a great app for work planning and project management. It can be used to create boards and invite co-workers for interaction, editing of documents, customisation of workflow and addition and assignment of tasks. Uploading photos and videos, attaching files and adding editable checklists are very convenient with Trello. You can also attach files from Dropbox and Google Drive. The app has a simple user interface along with flexible and powerful features.
#4. Nuzzel
Nuzzel helps you to find interesting news and stories from your Twitter and Facebook feeds. The app integrates both the social profiles and presents you with the information that it thinks might interest you. It is great tool for staying updated about current industry news. It also allows you to search top news on a specific topic and get personalised news alerts.
#5. GrowthGeeks
This is an excellent app which allows you to manage tasks like marketing, content, social,
#6. Tiny Scanner
Tiny Scanner helps you avoid the tedious job of paper management by converting documents to PDFs. You can convert all your official files, supplier letters, tax documents and other pieces of information into electronic documents and keep them organised in your computer for quick and easy search whenever required. The app basically converts your device into a portable documents scanner. It functions too fast and is designed for both mobile phones and tablets.
#7. Mint and Zoho
Tracking finances is one of the most important tasks of any startup, especially for owners who provide funds for their own company. Mint is a great and one of the most popular personal finance platform which integrates multiple accounts. Zoho is another app which is explicitly business-oriented and offers features like invoicing, office time tracking, expense management options and many more. It has a user-friendly interface designed for business owners who aren’t well-versed with accounting.
#8. Rescue Time
Rescue Time helps you manage your time efficiently by tracking your activities. It runs in the background of mobile devices or computer and tracks activity on applications and websites. The app sends a report at the end of each day along with a snapshot revealing how much time was spent on which activity. This helps the entrepreneurs to manage their time and days better, knowing which activities are consuming how much time.
#9. Humin
Networking is a top priority of entrepreneurs as it is one of the most essential requisites of a growing business. However, while meeting so many people, it often becomes difficult to remember the details of every person. Here comes the role of Humin app which combines your mobile contacts and social media accounts with your email, calendar and voicemail, providing context to the contacts. When all the information are assembled, the user can find the appropriate contact by using a Google-like search feature.
#10. Todo
Todo is an ideal app for collaborative work. It offers editable and shareable to-do lists with colour coded tags, location details, time, space for additional notes and Siri integration. It is a great tool for accomplishing tasks with a team based approach and encourages productivity throughout the organisation.
Summing Up
These apps not only ease the jobs of entrepreneurs but also save their time and money. Technology has served too many tools for managing multiple tasks, be it in a startup or an established business. However, to stay ahead in the tech game you got to choose the ones which ease and coordinate your works efficiently. Based on the company infrastructure, one can also have custom apps that suit a specific working style. There are companies like E2logy that develop such apps based on specific requirements, with the sole aim of enhancing workflow and productivity. Today, technology offers innumerable conveniences. You just have to be smart enough to grab the right one.
Image: Author’s Own
