It’s one thing to focus this article on the mobile entrepreneur in the title.
However, the fact is that all entrepreneurs need to stay mobile these days if they wish to keep their business competitive and stay in the know.
It’s a fact that the majority of business owners are always on the go—meeting with clients, business partners, sourcing leads, attending conferences, and traveling for business.
So staying connected to your business is a must when you’re not physically in the office conducting business from your computer.
As a mobile business owner myself, I highly recommend these five Must-have tools for business owners who want to remain connected to the day-to-day business operations and organized and efficient on the go.
Here are five must-have tools.
Messaging App
I really could not do business effectively and inexpensively without a messaging app.
Not only do these apps handle messaging and audio/video calling, but they also let me communicate with clients, office staff, freelancers, and business partners.
There are many of these apps out there like Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Skype, Cisco WebEx, etc.
My preferred option is Microsoft Teams because it’s much more useful than just a messaging app.
Yes, you can still chat and meet with other people, but it also lets you collaborate on documents which is awesome!
Most messaging apps have a free option, but you might want to go for the paid version depending on how you will use it.
These apps are great, especially if you have clients or employees worldwide that you want to communicate with without incurring any pesky cellphone charges.
You can conduct free messaging, virtual meetings, video conferencing, video calls right from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop from absolutely anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
Note-Taking App
One of my other favorite tools to have as a business owner on the go is a note-taking app.
As a business owner, you have a million things on your mind, and there are times where an idea strikes you randomly.
You don’t have your laptop everywhere you go, but you most likely have your phone, and by having a note-taking app, you can quickly jot down your ideas to review later.
What other tool can capture all of your ingenious ideas at the most inopportune times?
For instance, on a mid-morning run when you have no pen or paper handy.
That’s why note-taking apps are my mobile business life-saver!
It lets me jot down reminders, appointments, to-dos, client meetings, and a bit of inspiration when a thought of brilliance happens to strike.
There are many note-taking apps available to use, so find one that works for you. I know many people just the iPhone default note app, but I would rather have something more organized and cross-platform.
I recommend checking out Microsoft OneNote and EverNote.
Note-taking apps save your ideas and plans for later and sync them across all of your mobile devices (i.e., iPhone, iPad, laptop, desktop, etc.).
Let’s face it, those paper business cards are a thing of the past.
Today, everyone uses electronic business card readers to exchange information and an iPhone credit card reader for taking mobile payments on the go.
We live in a world where paper bits are lost easily in the mix, and electronic records are swapped via tools like the LinkedIn app.
I use this app for daily business connections, things like connecting with client and partner prospects, swapping contact information with potential clients and industry colleagues, and also as a source for directing my professional connections to LinkedIn to read my businesses profile (it’s like a resume).
LinkedIn is a great way to grow your business and collaborate with like-minded professionals!
Password Manager
Without my password manager, I’d be a mess, and so would my business!
I can honestly say that I depend on my password manager immensely due to the number of different passwords I have.
As a business owner, you probably have a lot of accounts on different platforms (especially if you run an online business), which can be a real pain to keep track of.
There are many password managers out there, so look into which one will work best for you.
Yes, there is the Apple Keychain and Google Passwords, but I would rather use one that can work across different platforms like LastPass or RoboForm.
It’s so much easier remembering just one password than 100’s!
Plus, as a business owner, your passwords should always be different and complex, so you don’t get hacked, and these complex and unique passwords are hard to remember, so let a password manager do it for you.
Google Drive
Google Drive offers a super convenient and secure way to share documents across your enterprise.
It is a cloud-based tool that you can use to upload all of your business files, including e-brochures, corporate videos, presentations, documents, spreadsheets, ideas, meeting notes, and more.
The tool saves them in one central spot to access them whenever needed and from any device.
You can also share your Drive folders with coworkers, business partners, and clients, and you’ll never be without your elevator pitch when you need it most!
Google Drive is an amazing storage platform where you can store all your important files in an organized way and collaborate on documents.
Conclusion
There are many great tools for business owners, and these are five must-have tools for business owners on the go!
These apps will help you get organized as a business owner so you can work more effectively and more efficiently.
Check out these apps for your business right now! I honestly can’t live without these types of tools as a business owner on the go.
About the Author: Michael Outar is the owner of Savebly, a personal finance blog dedicated to helping others improve their finances and live life on their own terms.
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