Does technology have all the answers? These days, it sure feels like it. For small businesses and growing entrepreneurs, being able to manage your business in real-time has been one of the most iconic shifts in business management.
Technology levels the playing field. It means that anybody with a cellphone, internet connection and basic online literacy can participate in making their business better. And that’s what we’re all about.
Small business owners need all the support they can get, which is why we decided to put together a list of our favourite apps that'll help you handle your day-to-day affairs.
Project Management
1. Trello
Trello is a fantastic workflow management system that you can use on your desktop and mobile device (which is the case for all of these apps, actually). The quirky interface makes looming projects a little less daunting, but that’s not all.
Trello is organised into cards and boards that can outline almost any project. In just a few clicks, you can manage your business by creating boards for different projects or teams and add personal cards where you can:
- Assign tasks
- Add comments
- Track progress
This way, you can see who’s working on what. It’s a great platform to dump all of your necessary files to give team members easy access.
The free version is good enough for small teams of up to 10. After that, you may want to consider the paid packages for more advanced timeline features and unlimited storage space.
A big plus is that you can sync all the platforms and calendars you already use, like Google or Microsoft.
2. Asana
This easy-to-use interface is a simple way to manage your business by getting your team on track. It’s similar to Trello but it’s more focused on setting company objectives, monitoring timelines, and prioritising tasks.
You can opt for different board styles to suit your team and include information on how to get things done. Plus, the cool confetti that bursts across the screen for completed jobs is enough to make the spirit soar.
An app like Asana can reduce meetings while allowing people to work remotely without losing connection. You can use a free version of the platform, or you can opt for a paid version.
Transaction Management
Are you feeling overwhelmed from trying to manage receipts, invoices, and sales history? If you are, you aren’t alone. Running a business is hard – but it doesn’t always have to be.
3. The iKhokha App
The free iKhokha App is exclusive to our iK Tribe (the people who use our low-transaction-rent-free mobile card machines) and opens up a ton of insight into your transaction history.
With the iKhokha App, managing your business has never been easier.
Transactions are, at the end of it all, what keeps your business afloat. It’s a smart move to keep an eye on them. With the iKhokha App, you can review your sales and send customers digital receipts via email or SMS. The app keeps down-to-the-minute detail on all the money that moves in and out of your business, plus you can filter them for precise insights.
When you have your transactions history laid out for you, you save time and money that would have been wasted trying to do this manually. The iKhokha App pulls everything together for you so that you can make smarter, well-informed decisions.
Read more: Digital vs Paper Receipts - Which Should You Be Using in Your Business?
Point of Sale Management
Point of sale systems these days need to be seamlessly integrated for excellent customer service and transaction transparency. Additionally, they need to move when and where you do.
Cue, Poster Boss.
4. Poster Boss
Poster is one of our partners who help business owners manage their business from anywhere in the world. A next-generation POS system makes a world of difference for store merchants, restaurant owners, hairdressers, or anybody who handles card and cash transactions.
Poster Boss is a free app that connects with a Poster POS system to let you track your business anytime, anywhere. This POS solution takes the tension out of growing and scaling your small business, and it can be altered to suit your sector. POS offerings range between Retail, Enterprise, and Hospitality – it caters just as well to a small artisan bakery as it does to a bustling hotel restaurant.
Poster Boss holds the key to everything that’s going on inside your business, including:
- Menu and catalogue set up
- Automatic backups three times a day (you know how important that one is)
- Checking sales, receipts, average order values, profit, and stock levels in real-time. You can even check out how many guests are in your store when you’re not there.
- Total stock and inventory count.
Did you know: Poster integrates and works seamlessly with leading iKhokha card machines, so you can continue to use the tools you know and love.
Account Management
Public Service Announcement: Business owners don’t necessarily have to be number crunchers. Getting your business off the ground is tough when you’re not a financial expert, and hiring an accountant may be a bit out of budget for your first few quarters.
5. QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks is "seriously easy accounting for small businesses." QuickBooks (only now recently available in South Africa) can help you send professional, customised invoices and keep photo records of all your receipts, protected by secure cloud storage.
Your receipt history lets you track all your expenses so that taxes are a little less painful next time. You’ll also be able to access great reports that you can filter to your needs. For example, you can keep an eye on expenses by suppliers, profit and loss, budget vs. actuals, and your balances.
Social Media Management
Social media – the jack of all trades. And without the right management tool, you may just be the master of none. Social media and managing your business go hand in hand - it’s a facet of business you can’t afford to miss. Posting content on social media all comes down to timing, planning, and reporting. That’s where our next suggestion comes in.
6. Hootsuite
Social media is not a one-person job.
Especially since it’s turned into a tidal wave of marketing opportunities. But there may be times where it has to be a one-person job – and that’s where you’ll need a helping hand.
Hootsuite isn’t free; their most basic plan is R290 per month. However, it’s worthwhile considering that Hootsuite is one of the major resource hubs for all things digital marketing. They have designed a platform that lets you:
- Schedule your posts across 10 different accounts
- Manage your content rollout by getting approval from your team on shared cloud files
- Track your social media return on investment against owned and paid media, website conversion, and in-depth reporting.
Read this next: Building an A-Grade Social Media Team from the Inside Out
Ready, set, manage!
One of the most exciting things about being an entrepreneur or business owner is that you get to be exposed to all these fantastic innovations. Innovations that are designed to manage your business are better for you.
These top 6 money management apps will undoubtedly give you clarity and insight on the essential touchpoints throughout your brand. Manage your business the smart way.
Stay on top of things, stay connected, and most importantly, stay on the hustle.
