ChooseWhat’s Top 7 iPhone and Smartphone Apps for Small Business

Read about ChooseWhat’s favaorite desktop and iPhone applications that boost productivity and help small business owners effectively manage their businesses.  We at ChooseWhat have used all of these applications at one time or another and highly recommend them to any small business, start-up or entrepreneur.

Security

Last Pass:  Last Pass is a great application for storing your passwords and log-ins securely.  You can use the desktop version to access all of your passwords online, simply by entering a master password.  You can also download the browser plug-in that allows you to auto-fill password fields on any website.  The iPhone app is a nice complement to the desktop version, offering mobility and security for business owners on the go.

Productivity

Documents To Go:  Documents To Go lets you create and edit files for MS Word and MS Excel.  You can also view Adobe PDFs, MS Power Point files, Apple iWork files and more.  The editing tool allows you to cut, copy, paste, select, delete and align with ease.  Sync it with your desktop application or email files to/from your mobile app.  You can also create folders for quick organization.  The best thing about this app is that it’s available to so many phone brands—Blackberry, iPhone, Palm OS, Windows Mobile, Maemo, Android and Symbian. 

Project Management

Basecamp:  Basecamp is one of the most highly rated project management tools for small businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurs.  There are several iPhone apps that have been created for accessing Basecamp: Insight, Outpost, Minivan, Groundwork, BC Files, Cheiftent, Sherpa and Projects.  They each give you access to specific functions, such as time-tracking, creating and deleting projects and to-dos and posting comments and messages. 

Social Networking

Ping.fm:  Ping.fm posts to all of your social networking sites with the click of a button.  Easily set up your account to post to networks like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Tumblr and many more.  It’s the cheapest (and hippest) way to market your business!  Send coupons, updates, sales, contest info and whatever you like to all your customers, from your smartphone or desktop.  

Onlywire:  Much like Ping.fm, Onlywire lets you auto-syndicate content with a click of a button.  Share information on dozens of sites, like Digg, FriendFeed, Multiply and Slashdot.  You can download the browser plug-in to help you auto-submit your content, or you can download the iPhone app that makes mobile communication a breeze.

Communication

RingCentral:  RingCentral offers a suite of cloud communication tools, such as internet fax and hosted PBX services.  If you sign up for RingCentral’s hosted PBX service, you’ll be able to manage your office desktop phone via their iPhone app.  The coolest thing about the app is that you can set your caller ID number to show your office phone line, instead of your personal phone number.  You can also check voicemails and create away messages, as well as set up call forwarding. 

ConstantContact:   ConstantContact is one of the leading email marketing services used by small businesses.  ConstantContact’s FREE email marketing app allows you to add contacts, manage your email campaigns and contact lists and check stats for any of your email campaigns while you’re away from your computer.—perfect for small business owners who network frequently!  Let’s say that you’re at an event and you’ve just met someone who’s interested in your business, product or service.  Add that person’s email address and contact info directly to your email marketing list via your iPhone, and send him/her your next email newsletter or promotion.  It’s quick, painless and oh-so-savvy. 

Hope you liked our list.  Feel free to comment with your personal favorite applications that help you run your business.  We’ll be giving you our reviews of the top email marketing apps on Email-Marketing-Options.com very soon.  So, keep reading!

Jen Udan
ChooseWhat.com