If you are reading this, we’re guessing you are planning to launch a business or already have a startup. In either case, you absolutely need to read this blog series. Here, we’ll tell you about 10 must-have apps to boost your business and make your productivity shoot through the roof. So, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride!
- A Productivity Suite
When discussing business app ideas, the first thing that pops up is a productivity suite. A productivity suite is basically a collection of software applications designed to help you with a whole bunch of tasks.
Things like creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, managing emails, and maintaining the daily roster become easy with a productivity suite as your copilot. When used effectively, a productivity suite can genuinely streamline your workflow, helping you breathe easy as an entrepreneur.
Here’s a list of the most popular productivity suites:
1.1. Microsoft 365 (no points for guessing!)
Components: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Teams, and more.
Strong Points:
- Widely Used: Industry-standard with extensive compatibility.
- Collaboration: Real-time collaboration and sharing.
- Integration: Seamless integration with Windows and other Microsoft services.
1.2. Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite and as potent as MS 365)
Components: Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet, and more.
Strong Points:
- Cloud-Based: Access and edit files from any device with the internet.
- Collaboration: Excellent real-time collaboration features.
- Integration: Integrates well with other Google services and third-party apps.
1.3. Apple iWork (a fan-favorite among Apple users)
Components: Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Mail, Calendar, and more.
Strong Points:
- Design: Beautiful, user-friendly interface with powerful design tools.
- Integration: Excellent integration with macOS and iOS devices.
- Cost: Free with Apple devices, offering great value for Apple users.
- A Graphic Design App
“Oh, come on! I am no graphic designer!” Yes, yes. We understand your frustration but hear us out. Since the earliest days of trade and commerce, businesses have relied on brand promotion for outreach. But you know that already. What you must heed without further ado is that in the modern business landscape, you cannot move an inch without a solid marketing plan. And a good marketing plan centers around creatives.
A good graphic design app helps you establish:
- Professionalism: Establishes a polished brand image for trust and credibility.
- Consistency: Maintains brand identity across all materials for recognition.
- Engagement: Captures attention and engages audiences effectively.
- Efficiency: Streamlines design processes, saving time and resources.
- Competitive Edge: Sets the brand apart with unique and creative visuals.
So, what do we think are the hottest graphic design app ideas for your startup? Here goes:
2.1. Canva
Strongpoints:
- Ease of Use: A peach of an interface with drag-and-drop functionality, good for beginners and pros alike.
- Templates: A vast library of customizable templates for everything, including social media posts, presentations, logos, and what have you. The paid version is extremely affordable with a bigger library, so we suggest you try it.
- Collaboration: Allows real-time collaborations between individual designers and teams.
2.2. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
Strongpoints:
- Feature-rich: Packs in the punches with powerful tools for photo retouching, image editing, and graphic design.
- Open Source: GIMP is FREE! And it’s open-source software, meaning it’s accessible to bootstrapped startups.
- Community Support: Active community and extensive documentation for learning and troubleshooting.
2.3. Inkscape
Strongpoints:
- Vector Graphics: Perfect for creating vector graphics for logos, icons, illustrations, and more!
- Scalability: Good for producing high-quality, scalable graphics for all sorts of campaigns.
- Compatibility: Supports various file formats like SVG, AI, EPS, and PDF, making the design portable.
- A Website Builder Facilitating E-commerce
Can we stop talking about the importance of having a dedicated website for your business? No! A website is a must if you are planning to enter the ring and lock horns with the competition. Period. And what’s a company website that doesn’t promote and sell products? So, you need a website builder that facilitates E-commerce.
Here’s a list of the top website builders that also facilitate e-commerce:
3.1. WordPress (with WooCommerce plugin): This app here is by far the most popular website builder currently and for all the right reasons.
Strongpoints:
- Flexibility: Combined with the WooCommerce plugin, WordPress can help create highly customizable e-commerce websites for all sorts of businesses.
- Scalability: Startup, mid-sized business, or an absolute behemoth – WordPress caters to all kinds of businesses.
- Community Support: Large and active community of developers and users provide extensive resources, tutorials, and support.
3.2. Shopify
Strongpoints:
- E-commerce Focus: Specifically designed for e-commerce, offering a wide range of features tailored to online stores.
- Customization: Provides customizable templates and themes, allowing businesses to create unique and branded online storefronts.
- Payment Integration: Seamless integration with various payment gateways, simplifying the checkout process for customers.
3.3. Wix
Strongpoints:
- Drag-and-Drop Interface: User-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for startups to build and customize their e-commerce websites without coding.
- App Market: Offers an extensive app market with e-commerce plugins and extensions for enhancing functionality, such as inventory management and marketing tools.
- Mobile Optimization: Automatically optimizes websites for mobile devices, ensuring a seamless shopping experience across different screen sizes.
That’s it then – the top startup app ideas for your business. Hang on one second! Didn’t we say we had 10 interesting app ideas for businesses? You bet we do! We’ll discuss more apps in the upcoming parts of this blog.
How Remote Resource Can Help You
It’s impossible to manage the show singlehandedly as a startup founder. Trust us, we know the pain. That’s why we help startups and SMEs with the thing they need most – cost-effective and efficient manpower for all kinds of projects and day-to-day business operations. We vet our resources for domain knowledge, communication skills, and time zone flexibilities so that you don’t have to bother about delegating work, ever. When you partner with Remote Resource, you get the top 10% of global talent to work for you, all while saving precious dollars otherwise spent on local resources.
Watch this space for the upcoming parts of this blog and more exciting discussions on how to build your brand.
