Although games such as Pokemon GO, Minecraft and Power Rangers monopolise the top of the most-downloaded app lists, look hard enough and you'll find a growing number of apps for business that can benefit the output of your 9 to 5. Check out this pick of the top 20 apps for business:
Productivity
1. Evernote
Evernote allows you to take notes in the form of text, photos, sketches, audio, video, PDF and web clippings. We love it because it functions as a digital notepad that we can store our ideas on as they come, and it syncs automatically with all devices.
2. Roambi Analytics
Roambi Analytics makes data friendly to use and easy to understand. The app turns business data into analytics in the form of interactive charts and graphs designed for mobile use. Roambi Analytics can be used for customer interactions, data-rich presentations and field reporting.
3. Pocket
When you find something you want to view later, put it in Pocket. This app allows you to easily save links directly from your web browser, email or over 1,500 apps. It saves you time and avoids cluttering your bookmarks bar.
4. PocketScan
PocketScan is a pocket-sized device with which you can scan anything of any size – articles, documents, drawings, images or texts. You simply run the small scanner over whatever you're scanning and it shows up immediately on the installed app on your phone.
Business trips can become complicated with flights, reservations, hotels, meetings and schedules. Send all that information to TripIt and it organises everything for you into a neat agenda.
6. Uber
No travel app list would be complete without it. Uber for Business is practical for companies of all sizes. You can easily expense rides without the hassle of signing up an entire team, and use the app for employee travel, client meetings, commuting and more.
7. uGoMyWay
uGoMyWay was recently launched in Cape Town and will soon extend country-wide. It is an app that connects drivers and passengers to carpool, thereby decreasing congestion in cities where traffic is not only soul-destroying but also terrible for the environment.
Time Tracking is of the essence.
8. Toggl
Toggl tracks what you do with every second of your time, making it ideal for anyone who needs to keep accurate track of time or log billable hours. The app enables you to track projects and clients, view colourful graphs, export timesheets and sync with several project management apps.
9. Eternity Time Log
Eternity Time Log recognises that time extends beyond office hours. This app breaks it down into three sections for us: work, play and sleep. Eternity is an excellent tool for getting an overview of where you spend most of your time.
Project Management - reaching goals one step at a time.
10. Basecamp
Basecamp enables users to keep up-to-date with each other and stay on top of projects. We love it because it's intuitive and easy to use, and easily organises and manages projects in one place while allowing users to communicate within projects.
11. Trello
Trello uses boards, lists and cards to organise and prioritise projects. Trello is highly visual, making it easy to understand. You can quickly grasp how to attach files to boards, create checklists and assign colleagues to projects.
12. Asana
Asana is a shared task list and project management tool for teamwork. You can create projects, assign tasks and keep track of team productivity.
Communication: the art of communication is the language of leadership.
13. Skype
Skype is our go-to. It offers communication of all forms from video to instant messaging, international calls, sharing of photos and files instantaneously, screen sharing and it works on all devices.
14. Slack
Slack is a cloud-based team collaboration tool that aims to eventually replace email. With its chatroom-like interface, Slack allows communities and teams to communicate instantly and at scale.
Hit the jackpot with these apps.
15. Expensify
Expensify provides easy scanning of receipts and categorising of trips with a clean and intuitive UI. It's another useful app for business travel and has several features available, especially when companies sign up for one corporate account.
16. Square
Square allows individuals and businesses to pay on their mobiles. The device works immediately once plugged in and accepts cash, credit and debit cards, gift cards and even cheques.
Security: mind your own business
17. Box
Box is an uncomplicated app that enables users to store files in the cloud, safely and securely. You can share documents with colleagues, edit files on other apps and access your files from any device.
18. Last Pass
Last Pass recognises the danger of using one password for every account and the risk of leaving sticky notes everywhere with all your login details. This app stores all your passwords and keeps them absolutely secured with 2FA (two-factor authentication).
Networking is not what you know, it's who you know.
19. LinkedIn
If you're on one social media platform for your business, it should be LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows users to create profiles and connect with like-minded professionals, join and create groups relevant to their industry or interest, and allows businesses to create company pages and sponsored advertisements while establishing themselves as leaders in their field in front of their specific audience.
20. Yammer
Finally, something that makes group work easy. Yammer is a work-group chat app that has several features allowing colleagues to chat, share files and photos, track projects and much more.
You may not need all 20, but a thought out selection of the above apps can increase your productivity, punctuality and professionalism. If it's business critical insights you're looking for, however, consider Executive Alerts, Meltwater's latest media intelligence offering designed for professionals looking to stay on top of the most critical daily insights about their business, competitors and industry.