The E-Commerce Entrepreneur’s Toolkit: 12 Apps To Save You Time & Money
When you run your own business, the to-do list is often endless.
But we know normal life doesn’t go away and you’ll still need to find the time for family, friends, and possibly even a day-job too.
That’s why it’s important to be as efficient and effective as possible…
So in this article, we share our favorite 12 apps for eCommerce entrepreneurs.
We’ve curated this list of apps to help you stay organized, connected, and productive.
Before we go into the list of the amazing apps, let’s take a quick look at what they can do for you:
- Easy to get organized
These apps are intuitive and designed with productivity and ease in mind, making it easier for you to get organized. Organizing tasks make it more manageable, and connectivity means that you always have access to tools to ensure that you get those tasks done!
- Helps you keep track of things
These apps help you keep your commitments not just for work but for your personal life as well. Just get into the rhythm and you’ll find yourself ticking to-do lists from your personal stuff as well.
- Keeps you motivated
There’s something fulfilling with clicking those tick boxes for finished tasks. To-do lists are actually a great motivational tool because you actually see the things that you accomplish.
- Clarifies your thoughts
Since you have it written down in one of the apps already, you’ll never forget any of your tasks or ideas. This frees up your mind to think on more pressing matters – just open the app if you need to get back to it!
- Helps you to enjoy work again
With no more worries of forgetting or not being connected with your team, you get to enjoy the process of actually doing the work! It’s very fulfilling to be organized because you can actually feel how productive you are!
- Saves you time and money
Being productive means that you do more with less time. And since most of these apps are also free (or at least have very powerful basic features), you actually end up saving money!
So without further ado, here is the E-Commerce Entrepreneur’s Tool Kit.
1. Evernote
Evernote is a simple app that helps you to record notes. But it’s not just an online notebook – you can even sync files, save web pages, save photos, create to-do lists, and even record voice clips!
Its free version is available on your desktop, as well as in iOS and Android. All your notes are saved across every platform and syncs with all devices, so you can have access to your notes 24/7.
2. G Suite
G Suite is what Google named its online productivity and organization apps. You might be familiar with some of it already – Gmail is the famous email app, Google Calendars is also used frequently. A lot of businesses also use Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, Drive, etc.
This free suite of tools has everything you could need. For example, you could use Google Docs to write blog posts and social media ideas, Google Slides to collate packaging ideas, and Google Sheets for your finances.
Plus, it also automatically saves (as long as you have an internet connection), so you will never lose any edits.
3. Project Management Apps – Airtable, Asana, and Trello
These Project Management apps are very similar, so you only really need one. They aim to help you simplify tasks and collaborate with other people in a variety of ways. Check them out and see what works for you:
Airtable
Airtable is basically a spreadsheet on steroids to help you simplify your to-do list.
It stores information in a way that’s visually appealing and easy-to-use, and your team can interact with each “base” (or project) that you create. Some businesses even use it as a customer-relationship management system or as a way to keep track of inventories.
Asana
Asana is designed to help you and your team manage tasks and deadlines. However, what sets it apart is that the creators intended for it to be a replacement for email for work communication and collaboration. You can take tasks directly from your email and organize them into projects so that you keep everything neat and organized – which can help to simplify your brain too!
Trello
Trello helps you to organize your projects into ‘boards’ where you can create mini cards & to-do lists. It’s a simple but effective way to manage your projects in an easy-to-use platform that integrates across desktop and mobile.
4. Things or Todoist
These two apps are basic to-do lists:
- Things for iOS and Mac
- Todoist for Android.
Sometimes you just need a basic to-do list app to help you keep track of basic tasks. The functionality of both apps are pretty similar – it’s your standard to-do list with tick boxes. The aim is to free up your mental space by helping you maintain simple task lists.
5. TransferWise
TransferWise is an online banking app that allows you to send and receive money internationally. It’s a great way to pay suppliers because international transfer fees are low and it enables you to transfer multiple currencies too.
Plus, if you open a borderless account with TransferWise – you can receive money from Amazon in USD, GBP, AUD, and EUR. So if you’re selling in these Amazon marketplaces, you won’t need to cop the currency conversion fees from Amazon. And when you’re selling on a large scale, these fees will add up and can save you a huge amount of money.
6. Skype
Skype is, of course, one of the original video calling and messaging apps out there. It’s a great way to connect with suppliers around the world.
Aside from making video and voice calls, you can also send messages and files as well, meaning your suppliers can send you quotes via skype! Check it out and you’ll see why it’s one of the original communications apps in the world. It’s basic, but it gets the job done!
7. WeChat
WeChat is another great app that you can use to chat with your suppliers. It’s the most widely used messenger platform in China, and will help ensure that you stay connected with your Chinese suppliers and customers.
The best way to sum it up is that WeChat is Facebook, Skype, Google Maps, Whatsapp, Uber, and TransferWise – all rolled up into one. You can pay for stuff and send money to other people, you can send files on top of messages and voice clips, and you can even book taxis, get movie tickets, or book trains and flights!
[Related Article: How WeChat Can Transform Your Ecommerce Business]
8. Slack
When you outsource tasks and start to build a team, Slack is a great way to communicate with your team members. It’s like a professional version of WhatsApp and helps to separate work conversation from personal messages – which can be nice if you want to switch off at night or at the weekend.
You can share ideas and files, and you can download the app on your mobile so you can use it to chat with your team members even if you’re out and about.
9. Lastpass
Lastpass is a secure password manager app that helps you to never forget any of your passwords for all your accounts and apps in your toolkit.
If you’re anything like us – it seems that we either create weak passwords that are easy to remember (and hack) or make too strong and complicated passwords which are easy to forget.
This app solves this dilemma by helping you fill out password fields for all your accounts. It is very secure and is trusted by millions all over the world, so you don’t have to worry about your account being hacked ever again!
10. Expensify
Expensify is a great financing tool to keep track of your expenses.
No need to keep all your receipts in shoeboxes anymore – take a photo, and Expensify will record the date and price for you. This means that you will be sure about the accuracy and completeness of your expenses, making it easier to file correct tax forms at the end of the year!
11. Amazon Seller Central
If you sell products on Amazon, the Seller Central app is a great way to manage your business without the need to get on a computer and log in to the website.
The app is much easier to use than the web dashboard, and it contains all the functionality of the actual site. Through the app, you can easily contact Amazon Seller Central support, manage your inventory, and even view and respond to customer questions!
12. Shopify
If you sell on Shopify, it’s also best to download the Shopify app on your mobile phone so you can always up to date with all your sales.
The Shopify app has the full functionality that helps you process orders, manage your items and answer customers. The best part? The satisfying ker-ching sound that notifies you when you make a sale!
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That’s it – the comprehensive list of apps for the E-commerce Entrepreneur’s Tool Kit. The best way really is to check each app out, and see what works for you and your business!