5 apps every entrepreneur needs to be using

Entrepreneurs are those people who see great opportunities and grab hold of them before they can pass by or be taken advantage of by others of their kind. These are the human beings who see massive potential where others see risk, and who are responsible for the rapid advancement in our industries and the world we live in. Without them, the world would be boring, grey and average. If you’re an entrepreneur, here are five apps that could help you on your quest.

Freshbooks Cloud Accounting — Free

Part of being an entrepreneur is doing everything yourself, well initially anyway. This means that alongside important tasks like client service, sales, strategy, research and pesky admin, you have to be an accountant as well. Freshbooks will help make that job easier for you.

Initially developed as a web only system, there is now an iOS app that allows you to send out invoices and request payment from your clients on the fly. It also comes with other features like time tracking, project management tools and expense tracking. The app is universal and free, but requires a Freshbooks account, which is also free (up to a point).

DocuSign Ink — Free

One thing you realise when you first start out on your own is how quickly the little things add up. For most entrepreneurs out there, starting something from scratch involves a lot of paperwork, which in turn results in a lot of printing expenses, especially when it comes to ink cartridges.

DocuSign Ink will help with bringing your costs down as it is, simply put, an app that allows you to sign documents and get signatures quickly and easily from your iPhone or iPad. No more printing, faxing or mailing documents and forms for signatures. Hooray for DocuSign Ink.

Skype — Free

You all know what Skype is, so let’s cut the description and jump straight into why I think Skype is a great app for an entrepreneur to have. First of all, it is now the universal method of communicating over the internet. Yes, we have Google+ Hangouts and other instant messenger products, but everyone has a Skype account – agreed? Moving on. Secondly, cutting costs. Video calling over WiFi with a potential investor in the Bay area is much cheaper than flying over to meet up and discuss possible funding, right?

Prezi — Free

A lot of your time as an entrepreneur will involve the creation and presentation of your ideas, strategies and plans to all kinds of potential clients, investors, family and friends, so best you get it right. Prezi for iPad is an app that gives you the ability to create, edit, present and share your presentations anywhere with simple and intuitive multi-touch gestures.

What I love most about the app is that you can create your presentations online and they automatically sync with your app, meaning that you can present on your iPad whether you’re online or not.

Mindnode — US$5.99

Mindnode is the perfect app for those late night brainstorming sessions when you can’t sleep or think of anything else but your business. It has a beautifully designed, minimalist interface that allows you to concentrate on your ideas and how they all fit together.

Your workspace, much like today’s video games, is infinitely big so you’re not limited by anything other than your own creativity or intelligence, but you don’t have to worry about that hey? Although a bit pricey, Mindnode is an app that’ll stay firmly on your dock and become one your most frequently used apps.