For many small business owners, time is money. There is so much to do and not enough hours in the day.
The good news is there are many great apps that can help you work smarter and more efficiently. Here are our top five picks.
1. Collaborate with your team on Slack
Slack is a communication tool that helps team members work together anywhere and anytime and on any device. Slack lets you set up a collaborative workspace for your small business. There you can create public or private channels – think of them as folders – where you can share messages and files. You can also direct message individuals or up to nine people at once.
2. Streamline your finances with Xero
Keeping track of your finances is a vital part of running a business. Xero helps you manage it in one place through its mobile and desktop app. With Xero, you can easily send online invoices, pay bills, and do payroll. The app can also automate GST calculations, which speeds up the process of lodging your tax return.
3. Organise staff schedules with Deputy
Deputy saves you time in organising schedules for employees. You can create and share rosters, send messages to your team, and remind staff when they’re working via email, SMS and push notifications. Deputy can also integrate with your existing payroll, point of sale, and HR systems, which lets you focus on more important work.
4. Manage social media channels with Hootsuite
Hootsuite serves as a one-stop solution for staying on top of your social media channels. It lets you seamlessly share and schedule posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you opt for a paid plan, you can see how your posts perform in real-time using the analytics tool.
5. Create graphic designs with Canva
Can’t afford an in-house graphic designer? With Canva, you can do it all yourself. The design app lets you create a variety of creative assets such as social media posts, posters and logos. You don’t have to start from scratch, as there are hundreds of design templates to choose from and an expansive image library.
