Best Business Apps for iPad, iPhone and Mobile Businesses

With the latest mobile business solutions you really can re-enact one of the cheesy stock images of beach bound business people.

Here we have listed a collection of web based Business Solutions and Mobile Apps that enable you to run a business without needing desktop software or Networks.

• No Application/Desktop Support Require
• Zero Maintenance Costs
• Cloud/Web based
• Automated Backup and Safe Storage of Data

We use all of the following Mobile Business Apps listed below because they integrate well together with all the other solutions listed here.

Batchbooks – Social CRM

We played with about 8 other solutions in our first year of business before coming back to Batchbooks.  This solution is ideal for most Small to Medium Businesses.

This was billed as the first “Social” Customer Relationship Management Solution (CRM) because of it’s integration of the social networks into your customer records and contacts.

The beauty of Batchbooks is that the company behind it are a Small Business themselves and as such have a great understanding of what is needed and how things should work.  Batchbooks is intuitive and instantly usable unlike many CRM solutions that are massively complicated, clunky, and complicated to use.

NEW VERSION COMING IMMINENTLY!!!

Features/Benefits:
Contact Management Social Media Monitoring Communications Tracking To-Do List and Task Management Google Calendar Integration Very affordable $30/month for 5 users	Leads and Sales Management Great Freshbooks Integration (so you can see money invoiced and received) Integrated with everything else on this page

Freshbooks – Invoicing

Freshbooks is awesome.  There, I said it.  Not a great deal else to write.  We have received many compliments from customers on our invoicing process and unfortunately we can not take any credit for it.

Personally I really struggle with financial administration but Freshbooks somehow makes it easy and even enjoyable.

Features/Benefits:
Fast and Simple to Use Handles Online Payments Hassle-Free Automatic Invoice Follow-ups	Also Integrates with Xero (full accountancy package) Makes you look highly professional and organised than you really are

Google Docs – Mail, Office Apps

GMail

One of the best things about the Gmail service is the fact it can be connected to all your other web/mobile based business solutions.  All of the solutions provided in this article have a Gmail integration.

You can log in anywhere to use it and if you trash your computer, you haven’t lost the last few years or archived emails and your entire contact list.  Not too mention that you do not need a Microsoft Exchange Server.  Cost savings are massive.

Google Docs

OK so the programs in Google Docs are not as advanced as MS Office, yet.  However, I urge you to consider just how advanced you need your office software.   If you have individuals that are high end users of office software then Google Docs is not for them but they can still share their docs with everyone in your team and company.

Features/Benefits
No need for an office network Data always backed up	Reduce cost of full IT support Cooperatively and Simultaneously working on the same docs is a joy

Evernote – Note Taking, Moment Grabbing, Action Planning

Evernote has an almost cult like following. On the surfice it does not provide anything that is not covered by Gmail or Google Docs.  However once you start using it to take on-the-fly notes, voice notes, snapshots of whiteboards and brainstorming sessions a world of possibilities opens up.

Evernote is beginning to create communities ranging from Food Lovers to Project managers.

It is available on every browser, pc or mac, and nearly every mobile device.  The free version is excellent so there’s no excuse.

It is also integrated with most of the other solutions on this page.

Features/Benefits
Syncs all your devices Laptop, Web App and Mobile Remember things you like e.g. bottle of wine, advert on bill board, presentation Save webpages with browser plugin Take your notes everywhere	Share notes and work collaboratively with workmates Project Manage Possibilities are endless

MailChimp – Email Marketing Solution

Mailchimp is the hip’n'cool major player of the few Email Marketing Solutions that really stand out in this industry. Their free version is excellent and their paid versions are very affordable for any startup or SME.

Contacts can easily be captured from your website and Mailchimp will automatically synchronise your lists with your Batchbooks CRM whilst the Gmail plugin will tell you how engaged your audience is when they reply back to you.

Features/Benefits
Integrate with your website and CRM Email Templates Personalisation of emails very easy Generate emails from your Blogs RSS automatically Social Network Integration	Social Statistics A/B Split Testing Autoresponders Mobile App

Zen Desk – Customer/Community Support

Zen Desk give you mind boggling control and connectivity over your Customer Services. It can pull in support requests from every form of digital media including turning twitter mentions and email enquiries into support tickets which are converted into customer profiles which are then automatically converted into full contacts that are passed back into your Batchbooks CRM system.

Features/Benefits
Connect with your customers anywhere, email, phone, Twitter, forums, Facebook Realtime Monitoring and Responding Community Driven Feature Requests	Support your customers in 40 Languages Mobile App

WordPress – Website Content Management System & Digital Marketing

Ahhh the beloved WordPress.  It’s a really difficult to recommend anything else to 90% of businesses.  It give’s you absolute control of your content online and because of it has the largest community of internet savvy supporters and developers there are plugins and integrations to meet anything you could possibly need.

Not only are there established integrations with every service on this page but it also has a very nice mobile app for the android and iphone.

Features/Benefits
Great for SEO Helps you to see the internet as a Social Network Most Powerful Social media Tool You’ll Have Constantly Updated – As Future Proof as you can get Open Source and Free	Has 1,000,000+ Plugins to do anything like Apps on your Smart Phone Huge Internet Savvy Community Support Integrates with everything on this page Cures Technophobia Improves your sex life

Yodelay Search and Social Monitor – Digital Marketing

Coming soon to an App Store near you.

 

What do you think of this list?

If we’ve missed any good mobile combo’s off please leave a comment.