Posted on February 22nd, 2010The iPhone has been used in business environments since its launch, with a wide selection of free and paid programs available for any aspect of a business, from checking email to managing finances and exchanging business cards. Hundreds of new programs are being written and published every month, with the iPhone being the most widely adopted platform; almost all major social and affiliate networks (Facebook, Twitter, Neverblue and many more) have an application available. Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android and other mobile OS’es will have to wait a few years before they get any apps from them, if ever.
If you want to be a more organized person and manage your business better, but don’t want to carry a lot of stuff on you or remember the passwords and usernames to tens of accounts, having an iPhone loaded with a few of the best and most useful apps is an excellent solution. Here’s the top list of software you may need:
- 1. EasyTaskManager. This free application will allow you to create, organize and prioritize your tasks on-the-go and sync them with any calendar software on either Mac or Windows once you get back to your home or office. If you are a fan of the Getting Things Done system, you’ll be happy to know that EasyTaskManger supports it, too.
- 2. SurePayroll. Manage your employees’ salaries, keep track of payroll deadlines, submit payroll forms to the government and approve and run your payroll in one click with this little free tool (though you’ll have to get a SurePayroll account to get full access).
- 3. Contractor, Freelancer, Small Business Tax Calculator. As its rather long name implies, this app will help you calculate the taxes you owe to the IRS (or other government agency) based on the amount entered. If you just registered an S Corporation or LLC, or are just working as a freelancer/contractor from home, this utility can make it very easy for you to know the exact amount of money you’re paid monthly, weekly or daily and how much you have to pay to the government at the end of the year.
- 4. SalesForce Mobile. If you have a SalesForce account, you can now have its full power in your pocket. Manage your current and prospective customers, create and convert leads while on the road and get all the information (like Opportunities, Events, Cases, Products, etc.) from your SalesForce account to your iPhone.
- 5. LinkedIn iPhone app. The official application for the most popular business and professionals network. Now you can look up details, connect with other individuals and companies, get and post the latest status updates on LinkedIn.com directly from your iPhone.
- 6. Minibooks. If you use the online Freshbooks service to manage your interactions with your customers, you will definitely benefit from this application. It will allow you to track the time you spend working on clients’ projects (even if your iPhone is turned off) and then bill them later. All while being away from a computer, of course.
- 7. Roambi-Visualiser. This free, visually beautiful iPhone app will help you generate graphs that will make all the numbers you need for a business easier to analyse. The free version is also compatible with Excel spreadsheets and Salesforce.com, while the Enterprise version adds support for SAP Business Objects and SAP Crystal Reports.
Of course, there are many more apps that you can use, but the above are practically everything you’ll need to conveniently manage your time and business from anywhere, anytime you want. And probably the best thing is that they are constantly updated with new features, so you can bet that in half a year you could work remotely all year round.