6 Apps and Tools to Aid Productivity

by Startacus Admin

Productivity is crucial to any business.

You need to get the most out of the time you have and, where possible, increase that time. Whether it is the ability to scribble down notes the moment you come up with an idea, share files with co-workers without hassle, or spend the least amount of time on social media while getting the most impact, every minute that you can save yourself is another minute that can be put towards building your business empire! With that in mind, here are 6 apps and tools to help increase productivity.

Any.do

Any.do is an award-winning app for creating notes, to-do lists, reminders, events, and more. It is cross-platform and is designed to be intuitive and simple to use. Manage all of your tasks and sub-tasks in one place and group them together under headings for simple access, saving you more of the very time that you are using the app to save in the first place!

Evernote

Evernote is a cross-platform workspace for easily and quickly creating and organising notes. It allows you to create group notes between users and track tasks via to-do lists. As well as the semi-titular note making, Evernote allows you to store and share files, images, web clippings, etc. And, being cross-platform, everything syncs across all versions of the app.

Dropbox

We’ve mentioned Dropbox as part of aiding remote working, and it’s worth mentioning again. It is an online storage system that allows you to upload all of your files, images, videos, and so on, to access from anywhere, and share with whomever you want. Because it integrates with your computer’s desktop and opens like any other folder, you can simply create or save a file in the folder and forget all about having to sync or fumble through your bag or pockets for a flash drive. Dropbox syncs every time it detects a change, so you will always have access to the latest version of any file you are working on, wherever you are.

Google Docs

Just like Dropbox, you can access Google Docs from anywhere, allowing you to work away without concerning yourself with how you’ll transport your file to where you’ll next work on it. Google Docs also allowed sharing of your documents, with various options concerning the level of access other people have. You can allow them full editing accessibility – perhaps for proofreading – or just the ability to make notes.

Shoeboxed

Receipts. That probably sent a shiver down your spine. Keeping track of receipts can be annoying, worrying and, vitally, time-consuming. Shoeboxed is a simple app that allows you to scan in your receipts using your phone, and then organises them for you. When it comes time to generate an expense report, Shoebox does it all for you. It doesn’t really relate to productivity, but the app also allows you to scan in business cards in the same way.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite allows you to see all of your social media feeds in one place and, crucially, schedule posts to each. It is simple to use and allows you to tailor posts for individual sites or use a single one for all of them. Although it may take some patience to sit and schedule all of your posts, once it is done you’ll have saved yourself a lot of time for other work.

Of course, increasing productivity isn’t all about tools and apps and physical work. There are also things like knowing how to set realistic deadlines and expectations for yourself, or setting proper boundaries to protect your time and energy. Even things like eating and sleeping properly will do wonders for your energy levels and therefore your productivity. But those things are harder to link to, so we’ll stick to these 6 apps and tools that should help you get more out of your time. 

Written by Ross Harrison

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Published on: 1st May 2016