8 Apps And Features That Every Business Owner Must Know

Have you thought of some apps and features you need to know or have as a business owner?

Despite the fact that SMEs contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economy, accounting for 48 percent of the country’s GDP, 96 percent of enterprises, and 84 percent of employment, it is nevertheless tough to start a business in the country.

However, there are several SME-friendly technologies and solutions that might help the young entrepreneur relieve some of that stress.
Here are seven tools and features that might assist small business owners in better managing their operations.

1. Wave

Wave is a one-stop-shop for small businesses that allows them to issue invoices, track transactions, and enter customer and vendor accounting information. It also helps you keep track of your income and costs, receive payments, and set up automatic payment reminders, so you can run your business without a degree in accounting.

The app is free for users, though it does charge a subscription for certain of its premium-tier services, so you can get accounting help right at your fingertips.

2. WhatsApp for Business

Thousands of new small enterprises are springing up in Nigeria, and WhatsApp for Business is their bread and butter. It functions similarly to the standard WhatsApp Messenger app, but with additional capabilities tailored to small businesses.

You may create a WhatsApp business profile and include crucial information such as opening hours, contact information, a website, and a physical address. Create catalogs to show customers your goods; include prices, product details, and photographs as needed.

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It’s also easier to interact with customers via the app. Customers who contact you during your offline hours, for example, can receive automatic responses from the app. A list of frequently asked questions or a message to welcome new customers could be included in these automated responses.

3. DocuSign

DocuSign allows you to sign documents online and eliminates the hassle of paperwork.

You may include needed digital signatures on everything from employee contracts to supplier agreements, eliminating the need to meet with anyone in person to sign documents. Most industry watchdogs consider DocuSign eSignatures to be safe. Furthermore, before allowing access to the document, the app requires verification, preventing unauthorized users from tampering with it.

4. SurveyMonkey

Through an online survey, SurveyMonkey can help you collect feedback from consumers, suppliers, vendors, and employees. Customers’ loyalty may be measured, employee dedication can be monitored, and market research can be conducted to improve a company’s product or service offering and boost sales.

5. ALAT for Business

ALAT for Business serves small and large businesses, as well as corporate clients, in managing their finances, ensuring smooth accounting operations, and assisting the company in maintaining accurate financial records in order to access funding for expansion. Businesses can use the app to open a corporate bank account and a corporate debit card without having to go to a bank.

It also enables SMEs to have many beneficiaries, facilitating transaction approval and transparency in the usage of corporate cash. It smoothly automates the payment process for organizations that need to pay various providers on a regular basis. Don’t worry about transfer limits; the app supports up to $100 million in daily payments.

ALAT for Business also features a Quick Loan option, which allows all customers to borrow up to $10 million using the mobile app and avoid the hassle of long bank lines.

ALAT for Business also provides users with direct access to financial advice from financial professionals or a dedicated account manager on the financial state of their company, projections, and industry growth potential. These experts can also help with short- and long-term funding alternatives.

6. QuickBooks

For good reason, QuickBooks has remained a small company favorite for years. The app provides a solid foundation for business owners to manage accounting and track their financial health.

A basic QuickBooks Online membership allows you to create financial reports, invoices, and pay bills. It also aids firms in inventory management, receipt scanning, financial data analysis, and online payment acceptance. QuickBooks for PC, a more complex version, is popular among retail businesses in Nigeria since it can be used with POS systems for speedy receipts and inventory tracking.

7. FreshBooks

FreshBooks’ simple accounting system is used by millions of small and medium-sized businesses all around the world.

FreshBooks has a simple, user-friendly interface that allows you to manage invoices, business expenses, and track outstanding client payments. It’s comparable to QuickBooks, but it’s a lot easier to use.

FreshBooks is ideal for freelancers. The program allows you to keep track of how much time you spend on tasks and produce invoices based on that time. You may also set up automatic reminders for bills that haven’t been paid.

8. Plaqad

Plaqad is a marketing technology platform that combines powerful tracking statistics with end-to-end social and web campaign management for organizations of all sizes.

Businesses may use its SocialCred tool to determine influence and rate social media credibility objectively. The technology promotes influencer marketing openness and aids in the detection of influencer fraud. It also aids businesses in determining which influencer or creative is most suited to their industry. PlaqadIQ, an analytics tool that helps firms accurately measure the efficacy of their PR and marketing initiatives, and PlaqadM, which connects users with publishers, influencers, and other content creators all over the world, are two of the company’s other products. Businesses can also register and be employed on Plaqad, in addition to recruiting people.

Really Worthy Mentions

Asana and Trello are outstanding project management and team coordination software. Employee communication apps like Zoom and Slack are still popular, while file storage and sharing apps like Google Drive and Dropbox are simple to use.

Buffer, Google Analytics, and Facebook Ads Manager are all tools that can assist you in managing and comprehending online marketing. Google Analytics is essential for analyzing site traffic if you own a website or an online store.

InShot and FilmoraGo are two great apps for making innovative videos for your marketing efforts. Finally, you can use Canva and Adobe Spark to generate 2D posters, logos, flyers, and graphic assets to help you achieve your content marketing goals as you advertise your company.