6 Best Apps for Business on the Go

by | Jun 21, 2013 | General, Web/Tech

If you're frequently on the go, then your smartphone or tablet is a simple tool that can keep you connected to work from virtually anywhere. However, your device is hardly useful without the right apps; consider downloading these top useful apps for business people on the go.
 

1. Dropbox

Dropbox image
 Image via Play.Google.com 

Dropbox  is perhaps the best data storage app available for mobile devices, and with over 50 million downloads, it's one of the most popular on the market. Using this app, users can access documents anywhere and from any device, similar to Apple’s iCloud. Use 2GB of free storage or upgrade to 16GB per account. Don’t worry about the security of important documents as this app features permission settings, account access information and a two-step verification process. You can store any file on Dropbox that you can store on your computer, making it convenient for any type of work. It's also easy to get extra space by recruiting friends and coworkers  to sign up for this app as well. 


2. Flipboard
Flipboard is a simple personalized news app that keeps you on top of the latest stories. With more than 10 million downloads, it's a popular app rated at 4.5 out of 5 stars on the PlayStore.  What makes Flipboard so great is that users can choose which topics the app should show, and then users can post their favorite stories in a "personal magazine" which can share these magazines on social media sites. With a syncing feature, users can access the news topics on any device.


3. Expensify

Expensify image
Image via Play.Google.com

Expensify  is a wonderful app for business people who travel frequently, consistently earning the number one spot on lists of the best apps for business travelers.  Expensify allows users to track expenses, log mileage, upload receipts with their device's camera, file expense reports and perform various other functions to make organizing business travel simple. Use this app on an iPhone, iPad, Android device, WebOS, or Blackberry device – and download it for free.


4. Google Hangouts
With a quality video chat app, you can easily stay in touch with colleagues and business partners no matter where you are. Available on PC, Android, and Apple devices, the Google Hangouts app  is easily accessible, making it simple to talk with other business people while users are out and about. It's free to use, allows multiple simultaneous conversations and with the right Internet provider users can collaborate with coworkers even if their offices are in a rural area.  Google Hangouts downside is the user base is still small.


5. Priority Matrix
Priority Matrix is a simple-to-use organizational app that can help users stay on top of all their business responsibilities. With it, users can:

  • Organize lists and agendas
  • Set target dates
  • Make a pro and con list
  • And more!

 

6. TripIt

Tripit image
Image via Play.Google.com

If you're a business person who travels often, TripIt  is a must-have app. TripIt links to a user's email account and automatically picks up trip confirmation numbers for any hotel, flight, or dinner reservation then organizes it into a simple itinerary. If users encounter last-minute changes or flight delays notified via email, the app automatically updates the itinerary.

Whether you travel often or just need to stay connected when you're away from work, these apps are excellent ways to make your life a bit easier.

This blog was written as a guest blog by Peyton Spencer.  I appreciate her insights into apps that can make all of our lives easier.

Peyton Spencer is a graduate of Concordia University in Saint Paul. She studied Communication with an emphasis on marketing and journalism. Her writing is featured on reputable blogs such as Dom's Tech Blog  and now The Phoenix Principle . In her spare time, Peyton loves experimenting with the newest technology, helping small businesses market their brand, and volunteering for non-profit organizations that are close to her heart such as Locks of Love, The Humane Society and Samaritan's Purse. 

Avoiding a crash – Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier

by | Oct 21, 2009 | Defend & Extend, In the Swamp, Lifecycle, Lock-in

Boeing is the world's largest aircraft manufacturer.  But the Crain's headline "Boeing Loses $1.6B, slashes 2009 profit estimate" should get your attention.  Revenues in 2008 dropped some 10% – which the company blamed on a strike.  Of course, management always has some bogeyman to blame for poor performance.  But revenues have not yet recovered to 2007 levels.  Much, much worse is the fact that its newest product launch, the 787 Dreamliner, is some 2 years behind schedule, leaving industry experts skeptical of when it will get out the door.

The reason to really be wary of Boeing isn't just this one plane.  Instead, look at the market shift happening in all transportation – including aircraft.  It's unclear that the marketplace has much interest in the Dreamliner.  Boeing's Success Formula has long been to develop really big projects, billions in investment, and make bigger and bigger aircraft.  And the Dreamliner is the latest in Defending & Extending this Success Formula.  Even though the product is way over budget, really late and will be a big aircraft when it's unclear that's what people want.

From cars to buses to planes, we're seeing people change to smaller and more efficient products.  The last time you flew, were you on a big aircraft?  Or did you find yourself on a small plane from Bombardier (of Canada) or Embraer (of Brazil)?  Airlines need to keep planes fairly full if they have any hope of making a profit.  Couple that with customer desires for convenience – meaning several flights to a city daily, and you can quickly see why smaller airplanes make sense.  As a result, the leader (Embraer) in small commercial planes is growing at over 20%/year!

Meanwhile, people are getting less and less excited about flying commercial airlines every year.  TSA hassles, flight delays, extra charges for bags, there's a long list of reasons business people are looking for alternatives.  And that's where the Jet Taxi business comes in.  Whether you buy a fractional interest in an aircraft, or simply rent a plane for a single trip, businesses are figuring out that small aircraft from Beechcraft, Cessna, Lear Jets and even the new Honda jet are providing a very affordable option to commercial flying when even a few people are traveling – and with a lot more convenience.  The largest manager of this option is NetJets owned by Berkshire Hathaway – who's lead investor is Warren Buffet.

Add on top of this webinars and video conferencing.  Increasingly, people are using digital technologies to communicate without flying at all.  Again, with hassles up – and terrorism threats more real than 10 years ago – people are turning to really low cost, and ultra convenient, alternatives to traveling at all. 

So are you really optimistic about the future demand for big jet aircraft that take more than a decade to develop and get approved?  And built by a company that competes with a government subsidized player supported as a matter of national defense in Europe (Airbus)?  It's really hard to be optimistic about the future for Boeing – and the Dreamliner delays seem to just be the early warning signs of a Success Formula very long in the tooth.  Boeing is definitely stuck in the Swamp, and it's unclear the company has any effort underway to develop new options.