Business Plan & Start Your Business (iOS)
One of the most important and critical aspects of starting a business is writing an effective and deliverable business plan. Not only for external usage, the business plan can act as a map and guide entrepreneurs on what their steps should be to achieve their goal. Although starting one can be difficult, the Business Plan & Start Your Business app helps to make this process more manageable and less daunting by breaking down the plan into specific parts so that users are not overwhelmed. By providing various templates of business plans for different industries, business plans can quickly be created with ease. Furthermore, each section is explained in detail so that entrepreneurs are well equipped to fill in the information such as in finance, marketing, and projections. If a particular section is difficult or confusing, the app also links to external sources of information such as videos and resources. One of the best features of the app is that it also acts as a collaboration platform for multiple people so that cofounders are able to edit a single business plan together at the same time on different devices, making it a highly recommended tool.
Logo Maker Plus (Android)
One of the more fun and interesting aspects of starting a business is creating the logo. While this may have been expensive as a result of hiring professionals in the past, the realm of mobile apps is able to significantly reduce the cost as well as skill set needed to create a logo. Logo Maker Plus is an app which empowers nearly any entrepreneur to create their logo without the need of special skills or software. With drag-and-drop simplicity as well as a high degree of customization, users can easily make a personalized logo. For example, the background, images, text, color, font, and even shapes can be easily manipulated. Furthermore, Logo Maker Plus makes it extremely easy to get branded material with the logo that is created by being able to also create business cards, T-shirts, and other goods with the logo on it. Through this, it is one of the most streamlined solutions for new business owners who are looking to increase their brand awareness and recognition through a logo.
MindNode 4
As an entrepreneur, brainstorming is a creative process that can help to generate ideas for new products or help to organize existing ideas. As a task that is generally messy with several different topics occurring at once, keeping them organized is extremely important, especially if they are to be referred to later. MindNode4 is an app which helps to simplify this process without requiring a whiteboard. As a mind map tool, business owners are able to get all of their ideas in a centralized location that is easy to understand. For example, if an entrepreneur is focused on the financials, a mind map can be created with profit as the centralized theme while branches of the map indicate factors that are affecting it. Furthermore, this can also be used for different topics given the versatility of the app. MindNode 4 also allows multiple users to edit a mind map as well as color code different branches to ensure the greatest degree of understanding, making it highly recommended for entrepreneurs of any industry.
Square Point of Sale – POS System (iOS, Android)
For those who are just starting out their business, accepting different forms of payment can be expensive with traditional point of sale systems (POS). Although necessary to make sales, the fee on transactions as well as rental of the system itself can significantly cut into the profitability of the business. With Square, users are able to accept various forms of credit and debit payment right from their phone with extremely low fees. At only 2.75% per charge, the app offers one of the lowest costs in terms of POS where payment is only necessary when there is business. Furthermore, the app comes with a free reader that connects to the phone where the cards can be swiped. As Square continues to innovate, even newer forms of payment can be accepted to include chip readers and Apple Pay. Through this, new business owners will then be able to accept all forms of payment at significantly reduced costs, making Square one of the best apps for smaller businesses.
ScanBizCards Lite Business Card Scanner + Reader (iOS, Android)
When starting a new business, networking is a key component in expanding the potential reach of the business as well as various opportunities. For this reason, the process of networking as well as keeping in contact with these connections is extremely vital. ScanBizCards is a highly recommended app to organize the business cards that a person receives. Instead of simply organizing the cards, the app also acts intelligently by being able to identify different information automatically. For example, the name, organization, phone number, and email can all be automatically categorized right in the app so that it is easier to refer to later. The input required to achieve these results is also simple with ScanBizCards as all that is required from the user is to take a picture of the card. With all of these features, the app is an extremely useful tool for simplifying the process of collecting, categorizing, and organizing business notes in a streamlined way.
As starting a business is typically filled with excitement and stress, many tools have been devised to increase the efficiency at which these tasks are done. For those who are starting a business, the apps listed in this article are able to perform a wide range of functions from creating logos to business plans which does not require any previous business knowledge.
