Mobile apps can simplify life for business users
There are various new mobile apps that work great for any users but which are specifically useful for small businesses with the ability to track expenses, convert business cards into actionable contacts and keep groups connected regardless what mobile device they are using.
Card2Contact
Canadian-made Card2Contact is a free Android and BlackBerry application that uses cameras in smartphones to capture business cards. More than this, it takes all that valuable contact information and converts that data into actionable and relevant information through Card2Contact’s cloud service.
To scan a card, a user simply presses the camera icon and takes a photo of the card in well-lit conditions. This is then uploaded and marked as Pending for Conversion. An actual human then transcribes the information from the card and submits it for the user’s approval. Users also have the option of typing in short notes as well as connecting the contact to a specific event (i.e. seminar, cocktail party).
Card2Contact synchronizes all contact and calendar data, as well as followup reminders with a secure cloud-based server. Users can download Card2Contact to any Android smart- phone and access their data via a secured connection.
Expensify
One of the hassles of running a business is having to keep, sort and itemize expenses for collectible expense reports. Since many of these are paid outof-pocket for future reimbursement it is important to store and manage all this information safely.
Expensify is an amazing and useful expense tracker that incorporates a mobile app, cloud computing and an intuitive user interface to enable the easy recording, sorting and annotating of expenses while producing expense reports.
By simply using the app to take a picture of receipts, and mark down mileage, it makes it possible to create expense reports on-the-fly right on your iOS or An- droid device. The result is you collect and scan expenses as you go along and then have a full report to submit once you hit the office. Expensify is particularly useful for tracking travel expenses. So far, 1.7 million users and 250,000 companies swear by this app.
WhatsApp Messenger
Staying connected while on the go can cost a lot of money, especially for small businesses. Thankfully there’s a cross platform mobile messaging app. WhatsApp Messenger can handle person-to-person or even group-based messaging. The beauty of WhatsApp is it uses your phone’s data or Wi-Fi networks to send messages, so it’s cheaper than text messaging. WhatsApp also allows for the sending of images and short voice messages.
While not specifically made for businesses, WhatsApp has proven to be a versatile (and free) service for users running on iOS, Android, BlackBerry. Symbian and Windows Phone. This means even if members of a group are using different mobile devices or are invested in mobile platforms, they can easily keep in touch with each other.
Installing the app is easy and it is tied into a specific phone number (so if you switch devices, your contacts move with you provided you keep your number). WhatsApp also allows a group chat which can accept up to 50 participants which is a powerful tool for small business applications.
There are currently more than 350 million users of WhatsApp messenger, making it the leading messaging platform on mobile.