You launch your dream business, but you soon realize your small team is drowning under the sheer number of responsibilities: payroll, marketing, human resources, and more.
Luckily for your team, you can relieve some of the pressure. Business apps can automate many mundane daily tasks, like tracking expenses and onboarding collaborators, and keep you organized. Here, we share the benefits of using business apps and the top apps businesses use to save time and stay competitive.
3 benefits of using business apps
As a small business owner, it’s common to wear numerous hats within your organization. Apps can simplify business processes, particularly if you’re spread too thin. Here are a few other benefits of business apps:
1. Efficiency
In today’s fast-paced world, simplifying workflows can help you achieve more. Business apps can automate processes that are time-consuming, freeing you up for more pressing tasks.
For example, say your accountant is manually inputting receipts. An app that scans receipts and automatically populates the amounts can save them time, enabling them to focus their attention on important tasks that require a human touch, like budgeting and forecasting.
2. Organization
Spinning multiple plates at once is common for small business owners, but if you struggle with organization, this can lead to missed deadlines and errors. Apps like Asana let you break down projects into incremental steps and collaborate with your team. With a project management tool, you can assign tasks to specific employees, track updates in real time, and get a bird’s-eye view of your progress. Plus, many apps integrate seamlessly with mobile devices, so you can check in on projects on the go.
3. Cost savings
Business apps can automate processes that previously required human labor. It can also help you analyze your current systems and ensure you’re spending your money in the best way possible. For example, a marketing app might show you that you can get a better bang for your buck by investing in one strategy over another, increasing your return on investment.
How to choose the right business apps
There are a few variables that will determine what kind of apps work best for you:
- Budget. Based on your budget, you can select apps that lower your workload and empower your team members. Some are free, while others have a monthly pricing structure that will increase as your organization grows.
- Integration. Look for apps that provide seamless integration to your existing systems, like Google Workspace or Shopify, to minimize disruptions to your team.
- Scalability. Successful small businesses go on to become medium-sized businesses, so having tools that can scale with you is important. If you find apps capable of handling current and future volumes of operations, then you won’t outgrow them.
- Ease of use. An app is only good if you can use it. Try out apps to determine whether your organization can handle the learning curve or if it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
Top business apps
With so many business tools available, it can seem daunting to sift through them all. This list of best business apps includes the key features that can improve your business operations.
Shop
A one-stop shop for business operations, Shop is a marketplace that lets customers easily purchase from your store, browse similar products, and track parcels via desktop and mobile devices.
Shop is also one of the best marketing automation apps, enabling you to launch product campaigns and track performance. The comprehensive suite of features also allows you to accept credit card payments directly from the app.
Pricing: Free and compatible with Shopify stores.
Gusto
If you’re having a tough time tracking billable hours for your team, Gusto may be just what you need to handle payroll management and organize your time tracking. Not just a full-service payroll application, Gusto also boasts human resources features including employee benefits management, hiring and onboarding simplification, and employee performance reporting capabilities.
Pricing: Plans start at $40 a month.
Slack
Enhancing communication within individual teams and whole organizations, Slack is a tool that can streamline your internal workflows. Slack integrates with other apps like Google Docs and Workday.
You can create themed channels, send direct messages to individual team members, and even video call peers directly in the app. Plus, Slack is easily downloadable on multiple devices, offering a desktop and mobile app.
Pricing: There’s a free version that might be enough for startups and small teams. For advanced features (like group video calls), there are paid plans that start at $7.25 per active user per month.
Shopify POS
If you don’t have a point of sale that tracks inventory changes and sales metrics, Shopify POS can be your solution. Not only can you accept credit card payments from both in person and digital storefronts, but you can keep tabs on inventory management in real time. You can also store customer profiles and shipping information for future orders.
Pricing: Shopify POS offers multiple paid plans. The Starter tier is $5 a month plus a 5% card fee, which provides one login. The Retail tier is designed for in-person stores and allows multiple logins, priced at $89 a month plus a 2.6% card fee.
QuickBooks Online
One of the leading accounting apps for ecommerce and small businesses, QuickBooks Online boasts robust accounting software that assists in managing cash flow and automated tax payments. QuickBooks also provides invoicing capabilities and expense tracking.
Pricing: Plans start at $17.50 per month.
Buffer
When it comes to social media management and marketing strategy, Buffer is a valuable tool for creating a content calendar and aggregating engagement analytics for multiple social accounts.
Pricing: Buffer is free for small businesses with up to three social channels looking to schedule 10 posts per channel at a time. For analytics and customer engagement tools, plans start at $6 a month.
Brevo
When it comes to customer relationship management, Brevo is one of the best small business apps, letting you respond to customer inquiries, create branded email and SMS content, and gain valuable insights into customer sentiment. Interact with customers in real time and store email, voice, social media, and SMS conversations to analyze and improve CX workflows.
Pricing: Brevo is free for one user to engage in unlimited conversations via the chat function. Paid plans start at $9 per month.
Asana
Asana can simplify tedious task management. You can create, assign, and track tasks with ease. Collaboration is at the heart of Asana, and your entire team can see progress in list, board, or calendar views. Plus, you can even track key performance indicators throughout the year.
Pricing: The Personal tier is free for 10 teammates. Paid plans start at $10.99 per user, monthly.
Tresorit
Businesses collect an overwhelming amount of data from website visits and transactions. Tresorit is business software that provides secure data management and robust security measures. Build trust with your consumer base by using Tresorit to safely store customer data. Robust security features include encrypted storage, device syncing, and data loss prevention—all within the parameters of legal compliance.
Pricing: Business plans start at $19 per user per month when billed annually.
Business apps FAQ
What is the best app for your business?
With so many business apps available, finding the best app depends on your needs, how easily it integrates with your workflow, and your budget.
What apps should I use to start a small business?
To start a small business, you may find it beneficial to start with a point-of-sale app like Shopify POS and a bookkeeping app like QuickBooks Online to make sales and keep your finances organized. From there, you can try apps that support marketing efforts and internal communication.
Does Shopify offer business apps?
Yes. You can browse a wide array of small business apps or search for various functions within the Shopify App Store.
