As small business owners, you are on the go a lot and having the right apps is essential to getting things done. However, with a million apps to chose from it is often difficult to identify the good ones. Below are our top 6 apps that we have found invaluable with operating our business. We hope you find them as helpful as we do!

Accounting & payments

Square Point of Sale

Square Point of Sale allows you to accept payments wherever your business takes you. Essentially, you can turn any iPhone, iPad, or major Android device into a mobile POS that accepts credit and debit cards (including EMV chip cards) and mobile payments like Apple Pay. The Square Point of Sale app is free to download and you can use it as either a mobile POS on a smartphone or on a tablet at your counter. With Square Point of Sale, just swipe a payment and see money in your account in two business days or less. If you need your funds even faster, for 1% of the deposit amount, you can opt for instant deposits to get paid as soon as the same day.** Users love that they get paid quickly. Square’s magstripe card readers are offered free of cost, and once you start swiping, payment processing fees are only 2.75% of each transaction for all major credit cards.

Monthly fees: None (pay 2.75% of each in-person transaction)
Available here on iOS and Android

Documents & pictures

Dropbox

Dropbox keeps all your business files (like documents and images) safe, synced, and easy to share. It’s an excellent organizational and collaborative tool for teams. It only downloads files when you need to access them, so it won’t eat up all your storage. More than 500 million businesses use Dropbox to store and share files for their business. This includes the more than 150,000 businesses, like Pinterest, Intuit, and Hyatt Hotels, that use their paid service.

Monthly fees: Basic accounts are free and offer 2GB of space; the Dropbox Plus business plan includes 1TB of space for $9.99/month.
Available here on iOS and Android

Inventory & shipping

ShipStation

ShipStation is a huge time-saver when it comes to your shipping needs. The app features batch label creation and connects to top shipping carriers. The web-based system is hosted in the cloud, and it allows you to process orders, print shipping labels, track shipments, process fulfillment orders, and even get order alerts on your Apple Watch. Small business owners call ShipStation a fast, easy-to-use solution.

Monthly fees: Plans range from $9 per month for the Starter package up to 50 shipments, up to $145/month for the Enterprise package with unlimited shipments.
Available here on iOS and Android

Shyp

Avoid unnecessary trips to the post office with the Shyp app. The company’s couriers come to your door to pick up what you need to ship, package it, and send it at the lowest price. Although the app is currently only available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, customers love the 20-minute pickup service and convenience. Shyp always make the shipping experience that much easier, especially from home offices, users say.

Monthly fees: $5 per pickup for less than 20 items per month, or $4.25 per pickup for more than 300 pickups per month
Available here on iOS and Android

Communication & employee management

Homebase

With Homebase, you can build an employee schedule in seconds, track your team’s hours, and manage your labor costs in real time. The app also allows managers to message employees, employees to chat with coworkers in real time, request time off, or trade shifts. Employers can also track both paid and unpaid breaks and retroactively edit employee shifts to ensure accurate reporting. It’s also convenient for employees, since it gives them better access to schedules, shift trades, shift covers, time off requests, and availability.

Monthly fees: The Basic plan is free, the Essentials plan costs $10 per month per location, and the Plus plan costs $30 per month per location, including advanced payroll features like early clock-in prevention, timesheet approvals, and support for multiple wage rates and employment status.
Available here on iOS and Android

Business Organization

TripIt

If you’re constantly getting on planes and using rental cars, the TripIt app is worth a download. It organizes all your travel plans in one place and sends you real-time alerts about any changes. It can also help you find alternate flights, and even snag the best seat. After your flight is booked, simply email travel confirmations to plans@tripit.com to instantly create a travel schedule on your devices. TripIt’s app for small businesses allows you to view your entire itinerary when you’re offline, which means you can save money by avoiding roaming charges when you’re traveling abroad. The pro version also features real-time flight alerts throughout your trip — so you can stay in the know whenever you’re on the go. TripIt’s users call it a must-have app for all flyers.

Monthly fees: A basic TripIt account is free; TripIt Pro is $49 per year in the U.S.
Available here on iOS and Android