5 Essential Apps That Every Entrepreneur Should Have

We are in the midst of a second Internet revolution; your life happens on your phone, your pets have Facebook profiles and even your Nan seems to have her own website selling knitwear. You may already have an online business or you may just be one of the millions with an organism of an idea waiting to explode. Sir Richard Branson, never short of a few ideas himself has said, “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” Make sure your “bus” is going in the right direction with the iPhone apps that every man, woman or child that considers themselves an entrepreneur should have.

1. Google Mobile App – Updated: 10 January 2011, Developer: Google Mobile, Price: Free

While Apple is the undisputed king of new technology Google is the king of connection. No man is an island and for a business to flourish connection is crucial. This is where the free Google App package comes in very handy for any budding entrepreneur starting off on a limited budget. With a Google account and the Google App you will never be more than a second away from your contacts, customers or business plan.
What You Get:

• Gmail: the undisputed king of email providers
• Google Calendar: runs through your Gmail account and is perfect for setting reminders and dates.
• Google Docs: allowing you to view any important work documents that are in PDF form on the go.
• Google Talk: Google’s answer to Skype allowing you to connect to your contacts via video, VOIP phone calls, and Google chat for instant conversations.
• Google Reader / Google Buzz / Google Tasks: Google Reader allows you to monitor key topics concerning your business or your competition via keywords. You can then use Google Buzz to share and comment on this information with a select group of associates and finally Google Tasks to set an agenda on how to capitalize on what’s going on around you – Just like that – Veni, Vidi, Vici.

The Google App offers a lot more but this is just a starter course on what is a crucial App and best of all it’s free.

2. Omnifocus – Updated: 24 February 2011, Developer: The Omni Group, Price: £11.99

There are a lot of Apps that are fun, a lot of apps that are moderately useful but very few that can literally change the way you live your life. Omnifocus is a pocket sized professional-grade personal task tool which equates to having a miniature personal assistant in your pocket and if used correctly it will become the most important asset in your arsenal. The App won the Best iPhone Application for productivity in 2008 and since then has grown from strength to strength, which despite its price attest to its 4/5 star rating on iTunes from 873 reviewers. Long story short this is a must have app for every entrepreneur that wants to be as productive as possible while still having a life and its features justify the price tag. From categorizing and updating tasks in a seamlessly designed system to deadline reminders, picture storage and best of all using the iPhone’s location awareness a tool that allows you to know what to do next based on where you are. The App features a lot more so to get the skinny on how it can help you turn ideas into actions check out the Omnifocus page on iTunes and start turning dreams into reality.

3. Dictamus – Dictate and Send – Updated: 10 November 2010, Developer: JOTOMI GmbH, Price: £5.99

Life moves fast, way too fast, and our brains can only retain so much if you are an idea a minute kind of entrepreneur that’s where Dictamus – Dictate and Send comes in. The app can be used for every important meeting, brainstorming, a passing thought that if you could just remember… would make you millions and it is a powerful tool when it comes to storing and formatting your ideas. What we like about Dictamus is currently the most accurate dictation tool available on the iPhone with a simple interface and easy share options including the all important option to send to email. It also allows users the ability to rewind, re-record and edit their recordings at any time during the dictation process and it has a nifty voice activation recording feature that cuts out during silence and reactivates the second you start speaking again. If Dictamus has a con it is it’s price which at £5.99 GBP makes it one of the more expensive dictating tools in the app store. However, if you want a perfect tool to keep track of the little details you can’t go wrong with Dictamus.

4. BAM Analytics Pro – Updated: 18 November 2010, Developer: Blast Advanced Media, Price: £1.19

If you’re an entrepreneur you know the importance of getting online and that monitoring, maintaining and altering your website is a staple for success. Google analytics hasn’t launched an iPhone app yet but until they do we have the fantastic BAM Analytics Pro which does the job perfectly. This App features all of the features you will find in your Google Analytics account and allows you to keep track of what’s selling, what’s driving or losing you traffic, goals, visitor trending and a lot more while on the move. Don’t have an online business? Then check out the Oracle Business Indicators App which gives you a real time comprehensive business overview from the ground up for free.

5. Facebook – Updated: 19 December 2010, Developer: Facebook, Price: Free   Twitter – Updated: 9 March 2011, Developer: Twitter. Inc. Price: Free

Like it or not Zuckerberg and Dorsey have changed the way we live our lives and this onslaught that is the social media revolution isn’t going away anytime soon. These websites can also be great business tools and a fantastic way to connect and receive constructive feedback from your customers, build new contacts and to find out what socially is setting the agenda for your business as it happens. Download both of the free apps and ride the social wave to your millions. If you don’t have a business or an idea yet Social Media is a great place to get started as these websites are indicators of what the people want.