using-appsMany small business owners are traveling for business, or running around town meeting with clients and vendors. One thing we probably always have with us is our smartphone. You probably use apps personally, but are you using them to help your business?

Carol shares some of her favorites in “5 Key Apps for Your Business,” a recent post on the Nextiva blog. She begins:

“Watching your small business grow is one of the most enjoyable rewards for your efforts, but frustration can set in when you lack the resources that allow your larger competitors to move forward effortlessly.

As long as you have computers and wireless devices, you and your hard-working staff can now have tools to help level the playing field to look and play like championship teams. Better yet, they allow you and your staff to be mobile and still be efficient.

The following 5 recommendations can help get you started on your quest.

#1. Make calls from your business phone from anywhere

Mobility is a virtual requirement for small business owners and their staff. But, when they use personal devices, business clients and vendor Caller ID should never reveal their personal phone numbers.

These days, hard-wired phone systems are beyond old-school. They virtually force mobile workers to use their cell phones and they encumber the ability for businesses to stay connected. The cloud comes to the rescue by providing tools like the Nextiva App, which is part of the affordable Nextiva Office system.

The app lets everyone make calls from the office phone number, no matter where they are. The full system keeps employees well-connected, while providing an affordable and reliable company phone system that manages local and remote calls without requiring an advanced degree in telecommunications.

#2. Track business receipts on the go

It’s impossible to discuss mobility without considering the myriad costs of working on the road. Business lunches need to be tracked, along with office supply and other expenses made on the fly daily. Countless tiny receipts and other paperwork end up stuffed in pockets, purses and brief cases.”

You can read the rest of the post here.