SUMMARY
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Editor’s note: CommuniCart features stories for and about MSMEs. It’s a space where small businesses can advertise at friendlier rates and also find helpful resources they can use to grow their brand. Work with us by emailing CommuniCart@rappler.com.
Starting out with your small business? Odds are you’re running the operation solo, or you’re getting help from a lean team of a few friends or family members. Either way, the beginning of any entrepreneurial venture would likely require you to wear multiple hats.
Thankfully, 21st century technology has provided small business owners with a variety of powerhouse tools to help lighten the load. From project management to social media marketing to bookkeeping, these free apps can help you increase your productivity even with a team of just “me, myself, and I.”
For project management
Tick Tick
Tick Tick is a great daily partner, as it provides the nudges you need to stay on track. This management app allows you to list down tasks and create separate lists to categorize them – perfect for a multi-hyphenate solo-preneur. Tick Tick’s features include having various calendar views for your work errands, the ability to share your lists with collaborators, priority sorters that let you view tasks via an Eisenhower Matrix, and even a Pomodoro timer to help you focus on the job at hand.
Notion
Every business needs its headquarters, and Notion can be your all-in-one digital info hub. This powerful app allows you to track work tasks and events in Kanban view, write and keep all of your meeting notes, and access a number of business templates from workflow roadmaps to content calendars. The app also allows for an extremely customizable interface, so you can design your work dashboard with all the emojis and motivational dog memes your heart desires.
For finance tracking
Peddlr
Peddlr is a homegrown Point of Sale (POS) system that lets small business owners record transactions as they happen. This POS app can be your mobile cashier, as it functions like the checkout machines you’d see at a grocery or a fast food store. You can even connect the app to external printers to produce a physical receipt. Through the app’s smart functions, business owners can record sales, track expenses, keep inventory, and even create an online store that lets customers check out seamlessly – all with a couple of clicks.
Lista
Another locally developed app is Lista, a bookkeeping system designed specifically for small and micro businesses. With this app, business owners can say goodbye to their stacks of manual ledger notebooks. The app tracks your business’ cash flow and provides daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly reports of your expenses. You can also track your customers’ credit balance through the app’s Utang tab, which can even send free payment reminders via SMS or online messaging. For entrepreneurs with multiple projects, Lista can also create digital ledgers for numerous businesses, all in one app.
For social media content
Later
Later is a social media planner that lets you schedule posts and find relevant industry content for resharing in a jiffy. The app’s free version allows you to connect your business Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest accounts for post scheduling. Later also curates shareable content for you by monitoring your chosen Instagram hashtags, profiles, and even relevant stock photos.
Inshot
Want to hop on the TikTok or Instagram Reels marketing train? You’ll want Inshot in your pocket to easily edit your mobile video content. This jam packed tool has video editing essentials like trimming or adjusting clip speeds, along with a number of filters, transitions, vlog music, animated text, and stickers to jazz up your content.
As challenging as starting a new business can be, there are a lot of powerful tools available online at zero cost. To augment these tools, you can also educate yourself through a plethora of free resources online, from money management tips to branding basics. With these apps in your arsenal, you can focus better on growing your business. – Rappler.com
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