Save Time And Be More Productive With These Ten Online Tools

It seems like there are a bazillion applications vying for your subscription these days. It can be hard to determine what’s worth investing your time and attention in. Below are ten online applications that can help your business be more productive.

All of these tools have been around long enough that they have resolved any major usability issues and have enough of a subscriber base that they’re not likely to go out of business anytime soon. We’ve also worked with each one and happily give them our vote of confidence.

1. Dropbox provides cloud-based file storage. Great for sharing documents, files and photos. Helps tremendously with collaboration. Benefit: work more efficiently by storing (and syncing) files across all your computers and devices.
2. Freshbooks is an online invoicing powerhouse. More recently Freshbooks has rebranded itself as a cloud accounting platform, but its strength continues to be around the invoicing process. Benefit: Freshbooks claims you can get paid faster with their invoicing system.
3. Mint online financial accounting is great for budgeting and money management. Many people appreciate the ability to set goals and compare spending with average users. Orientation is more toward personal finance, so it’s a good tool for contractors and very small business owners. Benefit: hopefully become richer by staying on top of money management.
4. Expensify allows you to track and run reports on your expenses (and receipts) via your computer and multiple devices. You can take pictures of receipts with your  mobile phone and save them for tax documentation. Benefit: stay organized and possible get reimbursed faster.
5. LogMeIn enables you to access (and control) your computer remotely. It’s a handy way to take care of troubleshooting when you’re away from the office. The computer you’re accessing has to be turned on and connected to the web. Benefit: more power over your technology.
6. DocuSign lets you e-sign your documents, thereby avoiding the tedious process of printing, signing, and faxing or scanning your contracts each time. Benefits: save time and reduce paper waste.
7. Evernote started as a note-taking application but it’s uses are a lot more widespread now. This tool gives you the ability to collect notes, ideas, web pages, searches, and more, and then synchronize the information across your computers and devices. Benefit: helps you stay more organized…and Evernote claims you’ll remember stuff better.
8. Hootsuite helps you manage and measure your social media networks, all in one place. This can save you from the time-suck that happens when you’re trying to monitor Facebook, Twitter, etc. etc. Benefits: save time and keep your brand relevant by staying on top of the social media conversation.
9. MailChimp enables you to produce high-quality email blasts and newsletters. You can also manage your subscriber lists and conduct A/B testing. MailChimp’s competitors Constant Contact and Vertical Response are also popular alternatives. Constant Contact is known for their hands-on customer support (helpful if you’re not a techie). Benefit: communicate more efficiently with your subscribers.
10. ZenDesk gives you an integrated customer support portal that enables your small business to support your customers with the ease of a much larger business. Benefits: improved customer satisfaction (and decreased headaches for you).

LimeTech is a creative tech company with a focus on app development. We help brands grow their impact by building digital products that please customers and solve business challenges. Our work includes strategy, design, content, and tech planning. Check out our portfolio or reach out to start a conversation about your project.