Mobile apps can help give SME room to grow

Using mobile apps to keep small and medium enterprise (SME) firms efficient can help them reach their growth ambitions.

Technology in all its forms has been a great enabler for entrepreneurs seeking to set up their own businesses. From small online retailers to the massive appeal of social media, startups have turned into small companies and SMEs – and many grown much further – thanks to the internet and other important advances.

Apps are among the most significant developments that have really helped to push businesses forward in the past few years.

Not only are they an important tool for companies looking to expand their reach and build a loyal customer base, but they can help to encourage best practice within the firm itself. As a report in the Guardian recently showed, the right apps can make a big difference to small businesses’ growth prospects.

Digital executive at Mobiles.co.uk Rob Hodges told the news provider that especially with the rollout of 4G going on across the UK, businesses can afford to depend more on mobile apps as a means of making business decisions. As a result, he says, many should even rethink their strategies to include more app usage.

One of the key examples he mentions is Pocket, a productivity app that can help entrepreneurs to manage their time. Because they can store files offline through the app, they have the freedom to catch up while they’re travelling, and its cloud-based architecture means they can move between devices throughout the day as they need.

But the report shows that there are plenty of other apps out there that can help to solve specific small business problems or meet the needs of their leaders. Apps for event ticketing, cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, and even options like Evernote which helps to keep files, notes and lists all in one place can all reduce time spent on administration and other tasks that are fairly low priority.

It’s often said that there’s an app for everything, and for businesses that seems to be true.

Apps like Dimewise can help manage purchases and expenses, while things like Harvest include time-tracking solutions for measuring productivity, embracing the best apps and using them to full can be a great way to get smaller companies growing fast.