Best Apps to Use to Better Manage Your Business Finances

Kaitlyn Hammond — May 18, 2017

Whatever small business you run, there is a core set of financial and related functions that just about every business must perform. In 2017, that means choosing apps that meet your requirements and are easy to use on your computer and smartphone without breaking the bank. Here are some of the top apps that fit the bill:

1. QuickBooks:

From tiny to midsize, your company needs a program like Quicken to manage its books and records. This is an easy to use accounting package with cash management capabilities. You can manage invoices, expenditures and revenue, generate financial statements, pay bills and salaries, and track your bank/credit card accounts. QuickBooks works with Square and PayPal, and lets you mark the tax status of transaction to facilitate. It’s a snap to set up recurring payment notifications, as is autopay and financial reminders, that automatically update your bank account balances. You can also set up alerts if your bank account is running low. Runners up: Wave and FreshBooks.

2. TurboTax:

From the makers of QuickBooks, TurboTax is an electronic tax preparer at an insanely low price compared to hiring a bookkeeper or tax accountant. Filing taxes couldn’t be simpler, even if you have complex transactions. When teamed up with QuickBooks, your company’s tax returns basically generate themselves. Runners up: Tax Act, H&R Block, TaxSlayer.

3. PayPal:

The granddaddy of payment systems, PayPal links to your credit cards, debit cards and bank accounts to move money around and make payments hassle-free. You can use PayPal in conjunction with a card-reading device to create a portable point-of-sales terminal for online checkout. PayPal charges 2.7 percent per card read (swipe or insert), 2.9 percent plus $ 0.30 for online invoicing and payments, and 3.5 percent plus $ 0.15 for sales entered manually. You can get standard merchant services for free, but the professional plan, at $ 30/month, adds features and flexibility.

4. Square:

A great alternative or adjunct to PayPal, Square is a convenient mobile card reading device and payment service that is a favorite among street vendors, food trucks, and farmers’ markets. It works just as well at your retail shop or beauty salon. Simply attach the Square reader to your phone or tablet and you have your own point-of-sale terminal. Square charges 2.75 percent for each card read. For a one-time charge of $ 49, you can add contactless collections via mobile wallets (like Apple Pay and Google Pay). The cost for a manually entered transaction is 3.5 percent plus $ 0.15. The app is free.

5. Skype:

You don’t need fancy equipment to have a video conversation or conference with Skype. You can also share files and text messages conveniently. Skype helps with your finances by allowing you to hold meetings with anyone, anywhere, without having to spend money on travel or fancy conference rooms. You can get basic Skype for free or spend as little $ 5/month for Skype for Business, and you can integrate Skype to run Microsoft Office for word processing, spreadsheet generation, and slick presentations. Runners up: Pushover for message distribution; Slack for instant messaging; Fuze for videoconferencing; and Addappt for remote control of calendars and address books.

6. Tripit:

If you are a businessperson on the go, Tripit lets you consolidate your travel plans into a single itinerary accessible from any device. All you have to do is forward your travel-related emails to Tripit and it takes care of the rest. Who needs a travel department anyway? Alternative: Expensify lets you track your business travel expenses and place them on your expense report. You can also photograph your receipts and let Expensify extract the expenses automagically. It costs $ 9 a month for each corporate user.

7. MailChimp:

Control you email advertising campaigns with MailChimp in a very cost-effective way. You can create mailing lists, newsletters, response emails and reports that track how recipients react to your emails. These reports can help you craft more effective email strategies and improve marketing performance while saving a lot of money.

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