“There’s an app for that” has become more than a catchphrase – it is a way of life for busy professionals on the go. Staying up to date on new apps can be challenging. As such, I was excited to see Shane Robinson’s recent Forbes column, “Free Mobile Apps Every Entrepreneur Should Use,” highlighting Shane’s picks of the most useful apps for business people (specifically, entrepreneurs).
Out of Shane’s list, I immediately identified my five personal favorites. They are as follows:
- Skype – Skype is an excellent, universal way to keep in touch. If you are communicating internationally, you are able to use your phone’s WiFi connectivity to access Skype, which can save you huge expenditures on international calls. Furthermore, with the mobile app you will receive real-time Skype messages—so you are always available.
- Dropbox – Dropbox is an easy and free (up to a certain disk-space amount) way to store files in the cloud. Some people back all their files up on Dropbox; I only keep certain items I always need. However you use the software, the Dropbox app allows you access your Dropbox files from your phone, and share them with any recipient.
- Genius Scan – Shane’s list was the first time I heard of Genius Scan, and I immediately downloaded it. The app uses your phones camera to “scan” documents and then send them to a recipient as a single PDF file. This app might be useful if you forget to make a soft copy of a contract or if you want a virtual copy of something for later.
- Splashtop – Splashtop allows mobile access to your computer, from your phone. This app is excellent if you did not back up your files on Dropbox, and need to access them, or need access to your machine for some other reason.
- MobileDay – Like Genius Scan, I had not heard of this app until reading this list, but it immediately appealed to me. At Communiqué, we frequently are scheduling and participating in conference calls with clients, press and analysts. This app searches all calendars synced with your mobile phone (personal, professional and otherwise) and reminds you when you have upcoming scheduled events. The best feature of this app is that you can input dial-in information at your convenience, so that when you go to make the call, you can just press one button, and you’re in—perfect if you are on the go and don’t want the trouble of searching through your calendar for a set of phone numbers and access codes.
Check out Shane’s full list here.
- For more on professional mobile apps, check out: Best Mobile Apps For Busy Professionals — InformationWeek
- For more on professional tools from Communiqué, take a look at the following:
What is your most used app? Has your work day been impacted by a specific app or tool?