It’s 2018, and many professionals are working smarter than ever before. The reason for this trend is not far-fetched – Information Technology has revolutionised every aspect of our work lives, making it easier and more efficient. As far back as 2014, an article on Vodafone’s website detailed the many ways that IT enables employees to work flexibly and improve their working lives which in turn boosts productivity. Since 2014, there has been a lot of improvement in the quality and efficiency of available mobile apps for business professionals. Little wonder many people can now not only work remotely but also work smartly even while on the move. Chances are you already have some of these business mobile apps on your phone. In case you do not, below are the top ten apps professionals should endeavour to get on their smartphones.
1. BamhooHR
For HR managers hoping to hire and retain the best talents for their organisations, BamhooHR is definitely one of the mobile apps to have! The app, which has been downloaded more than one hundred million times on Google Play store alone, enables users to do so much with it; including tracking applicants, reviewing staffers’ performances and awarding benefits.
The BamhooHR app also provides users with express access to their companies’ directories such as phone numbers, necessary emails, titles of employees, etc. In the same vein, you can see your colleagues’ information, and call/email them with just a tap of the finger.
The app is owned by BamhooHR, a Utah-based technology company. You can get it on Google Play Store for $ 7, approximately some ₦ 2,140.
2. Deputy
This is yet another mobile app that was designed specifically for human resource management. Deputy is arguably one of the best apps for scheduling employees’ shifts right from the comfort of your phone. Best fit for big companies where employees work in shifts, the app enables HR executives to plan out work roasters in a matter of minutes and notify staff via SMS, emails and push notifications. Deputy will also automatically notify staff members when their shifts are scheduled. The app can also enable employees to clock in and out on their phones and even make leave requests without writing letters.
Indeed, Deputy offers a smart way for managing employees’ work roaster, among other benefits. All the benefits that the app offers can be enjoyed at a token, depending on how much of its functions you want to have access to. Download Deputy on Google Play Store.
3. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is one of Zoho Corporation’s many apps for businesses. It is an analytical tool designed for those in sales and marketing. Below are some of the app’s key functions-
- It helps salespeople to manage their end-to-end sales activities, giving them access to inventory, contact persons, leads, potential customers and accounts etc.
- You can use the app to access or modify customers’ information when you are offline and then the changes will sync once you are online.
- The app can also give insights into sales metrics.
- It will notify you when you receive emails from customers.
- Schedule and track events, etc.
To get Zoho CRM on your phone, it will cost you ₦ 3,660 or $12. Get it on either on the company website or from Google Play Store.
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SurveyMonkey
In business, surveys are important for several reasons, including measuring customers’ satisfaction, measuring product success in the market, and sampling opinions about a new product launch, etc. To do this, therefore, more marketing professionals are using SurveyMonkey, a mobile app that enables users to create surveys, monitor same and analyse the results all on their phones.
Going by the many glowing remarks left by some of the twenty-five million professionals that have downloaded the app worldwide, it is indeed what you need right now if your job entails taking polls and analysing same. You can get the app on Google Play Store, or your phone’s store at just $25/₦7,620.
Sprout Social
Social media has become indispensable in the world of business, providing endless opportunities for companies to connect with their customers, market products and services to them, and make profits in the process. It is in this regard, therefore, that many businesses make it a priority to come up with social media strategies that work for them. Sprout Social can assist you with choosing the strategy that works best for you. Below are some of the things you can accomplish with it:
- You can manage all your social feeds from one intuitive application.
- You can complete social and brand monitoring from anywhere.
- You can send updates to all of your social networks on the go.
- You can schedule messages to send at a later time.
- View reach, clicks and retweets of sent messages.
- Assign personal or team tasks for follow-up.
The app will also provide you with the best social media analytic tools you can access right on your mobile with all the functionalities intact. Sprout Social will also enable you to access social media influencers nearest to you and engage them.
To get the app for $99.00 (₦ 30, 175) visit the iOS or Google Play Store.
Citrix ShareFile
As a professional, you can agree that file sharing (both within and outside of your company) is inevitable. It is also very important to ensure the security of all files shared. It is to serve these two purposes that the Citrix ShareFile was invented. It offers an excellent file-management/sharing system, as well as the security for all files shared. In specific terms, below are some of the ways the app can be useful to you:
- You can use it to access files and folders that are in your ShareFile account.
- You can download files from your Sharefile account directly to your phone in order to access them later when offline.
- You can also sync every file in your Sharefile account from your devices and share with multiple devices.
- You can request files and provide secure links for your colleagues to accept files from you.
- You can customise access permissions to files for all users.
- You can also remotely lock or wipe out your account with all the files on it in case of a compromise, etc.
To download the Citrix ShareFile on your Android, iOS or Windows phone at $16 (₦4,875), visit your play store today.
ClickMeeting
In the business world, meetings are indispensable. It is either that you are meeting with customers, partners or even interviewing potential employees. But what happens when there is need to fast-track meetings or when one party cannot be physically available due to uncontrollable circumstances? ClickMeeting comes to the rescue! Out of all the available apps to serve similar functions, ClickMeeting is the one most suitable for business professionals in 2018. This is because the app avails users more enhanced functionalities such as scheduling meetings, streaming audio/videos, screen sharing and recording a whole event. All of these and more can be done with your phone, and all you need to do is download the app on your Apple, Android or even Blackberry phone for $30/₦9,140.
Acumatica
For most accounting professionals, Acumatica is the must-have software. Interestingly, there is now an app for it which you can download either on your iOS or Android phones. With the app, you can perform different accounting functions including- enter purchase orders, enter time cards, run expense reports, etc. The app will cost you $1,000 (i.e., some ₦ 304, 7000). You can purchase it from your play store or from Acumatica’s website on www.acumatica.com.
Evernote Scannable
Mobile scanning apps are the in-thing for most professionals, especially those who are constantly on the move. The app avails its users of many features, including automatic scanning of documents, meeting notes and even business cards all on your smartphone. The app is free on Google Play.
MailChimp
Email marketing is still an important way to reach market audiences and communicate brand benefits to them. And to do this, MailChimp plays an important role. For just $10 (some ₦ 3000), you can get the MailChimp app on your phone and use it to market your products and services to your targeted audience.
