Apps Technology

5 Free Apps to Make Your Small Business More Productive

Written by BizCover

Time is money, and you can’t afford to be time poor when it comes to running your small business, especially in the early days.

There’s a lot going on from managing appointments, organising customer information to scheduling social media posts, project management and don’t forget to spell check it all!

Fear not there’s an app for that…well several actually, and best of all they are FREE!

Starting a small business is a lot about working smarter, not harder, so we have sourced some of the best free apps that will help to make your business more productive and all at the click of a button!

Start downloading with…

1. Grammarly

When it comes to writing,first impressions count, that’s why it’s essential to create error-free content that represents your small business professionally. We can’t all be wordsmith’s, so this app is ideal for those who may not have a way with words and need a helping hand.

Grammarly has two options with a free version and a paid Pro version subscription available (approximately $140 AUD a year).

The free version allows you to check spelling and grammar of all your writing, and even allows for documents to be uploaded for checking. Its online accessibility means you can check your writing anywhere, anytime.

Link: Grammarly

2. Hootsuite

There’s a good chance you have more than one social media account for your business, and at times it may feel overwhelming trying post at the right time to the right channel.

Enter Hootsuite.

The free version of this program is ideal for a small business structure allowing up to three social media accounts to be connected. You can also schedule up to 30 messages across the platforms for future date posts for free.

Unsure of what is the best time to share a post? Hootsuite has a great free feature which will schedule your post for the optimum time and day of the week to post.

Link: Hootsuite

3. Dropbox

The online file sharing program is ideal for when you need to access and share files online. Popular among small businesses for storing and sharing photos, the app is also a great way to have a secure online backup of your photos and files.

Once your file is uploaded, you can create a shareable link to the file with the recipient’s email address, perfect for when you may be out away from the office and on the road.

The free version of Dropbox will give you 2GB of free data, with paid, pay-by-the-month subscriptions also available if you require an upgrade to more storage.

Link: Dropbox

4. Feedly

Do you find it hard to stay on top of the news and what’s going in your industry? Feedly is a one-stop shop for keeping up to date with all the latest published online news, all in one place.

It’s easy to organise your different subscribed channels too, with folders available for different categories to save articles in that can then be shared with co-workers.

Feedly is not only a great way to stay in touch with current affairs but is a great way to source content and conduct research, especially within sales and marketing. A paid version is also available.

Link: Feedly

5. Evernote

Evernote is not only one of the best free apps to help you stay organised but it is a great tool to share and collaborate with other staff members. Given its organisation features, Evernote is the perfect way to declutter your online workspace in the blink of an eye.

Operating a bit like Pinterest for the office, Evernote has a plugin button that allows you to save and share online publications, clip images and web pages with the web-clipper, it even allows for you to search for text inside images.

Stay organised with online boards for projects where you can even share notes and chat with fellow collaborators. It is an excellent app for project management especially when several collaborators may be working remotely on the same project.

Link: Evernote

Keeping your small business organised and productive doesn’t need to cost a small fortune with these free apps, all designed to save you time, so you can focus on the things that matter most- like growing your business!

Have you got a free app that helps your small business stay productive? We’d love to hear from you, share your advice here

“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."

About the author

BizCover

BizCover is Australia’s number one online business insurance service. With years of experience behind us, we knew that many businesses, especially small businesses, needed a faster, simpler insurance experience. We help you compare and buy the right cover – at the right price – from some of Australia’s leading insurance companies.