Many businesses rely on technology, from computers to databases; most companies would cease to function if it were not for computers.
Small businesses can gain a significant competitive edge, too, by making use of apps that are available for free or a small fee on your browser, your computer, and your phone. This article will look at three of the best apps available for small business owners on Android devices.
The Best Android Apps for Small Business Owners
Mindnode
MindNode is a great app for creativity. It can help you to generate ideas but also solve complex problems.
It is also an excellent tool for recording and tracking your relevant thoughts and designing the flow and steps involved in a project.
It can also help you to reverse engineer your competitor’s strategies, which is always helpful.
An app is a mindmap tool. A mindmap is simple; you could do it with a pen and paper if you wanted to. Pick an idea or a topic, write it out in the middle of the page, draw lines coming off it and add relevant ideas and subsections around the outside of the page.
For example, you could create a mindmap for the android and put “android phone” in the middle of the page. You could then draw lines off from the center to the outside of the page, with different sections that describe the functions of the phone, such as “business tool,” “organizer,” “phone,” “messaging,” and so on.
A mindmap can also be used instead of scripts for speeches and videos. You can just put the major topics around the outside, or you could use it to create a new tool or some sort by mind-mapping all the problems with existing tools.
There are several mind mapping apps available, but MindNode is touted as the easiest to use and the most professional. With MindNode, the interface is well designed, and you can easily rearrange your mind maps. For example, you can easily tap and drag items to different levels or parts of the mind map. You can also add notes, collapse nodes; you can also use it on other devices.
The quick input is also significant if you want to get ideas out of your head and onto your phone. Just tap the lightning icon, and quickly outline your ideas and add notes. It will take your outline and turn it into a mindmap template.
Evernote
Evernote is an excellent app on any device. You can import handwritten notes onto your phone very quickly and then add documents to those notes. You can also search all of your notes for keywords.
The app is quite different from the desktop or laptop computer version. Once you install the app, click on the menu icon (the three small horizontal lines) and check out your account settings.
In there, it will tell you how much data you have left in your account for the next 30 days. You get 60MB per 30 days for free.
You can use the dark theme if you are worried about eye strain or too much blue light. You can also use the chat function to talk to colleagues or associates. This is great when you are working together on specific projects.
A “notebook” is a bit like a school notebook, and “notes” are a bit like the pages of a notebook. Just click the notebook with the plus (+) symbol to create a new notebook. You can use the search/magnifying glass icon to search through your notebooks. To the right of each notebook, you should see three dots. Click the dots, and you will be given a list of options, one of which will allow you to share and email a notebook to a specific recipient.
Moneypenny Phone Answering
Research suggests that distractions such as unwanted spam calls waste a lot of time, cause errors, and increase anxiety levels. Unfortunately, business owners can’t ignore phone calls either, as a missed call can often mean a missed customer and a poor first impression of your business.
A phone answering app such as Moneypenny’s can provide your virtual switchboard without having to invest in any hardware. Your mobile phone becomes your business phone.
You can decide where you want your phone calls to go. You can set the app so that your calls go to your mobile phone, then after a few rings, go to your Moneypenny receptionist. You can also set the app so that calls go to one of your colleagues for a set amount of time or even straight to voicemail.
If you manage a team, you can also choose where calls to individual phone numbers are directed. You also have access to a log of the calls that are received. You can also make outbound calls that show up as a landline or business number from your mobile phone.
You also have the option to designate specific numbers as “VIPs” so that you know to answer the calls in a particular way to your most important clients, for example.
Conclusion
Whether you need to brainstorm ideas, store notes instantly and share them, or make use of a highly effective and affordable business phone system, your android phone can help. Other small business apps to look out for on android include Quickbooks and Salesforce.
