The Best Apps for Running your Business on the Go

It’s tuesday morning after a holiday weekend.  Three days off.  Glorious, right?  But now it’s back to the grind.  And even worse… you have four days to accomplish what you would usually cover in five.  While the break was nice, getting back into the swing of things is bound to be… rough.  In fact, as I’m writing this blog, I’m sitting in Panera  seriously contemplating my options about laying down in the booth to take a nap.  Think anyone will notice?

I digress…

Being a mom and a member of the work force is tough, no matter what your position.  And one of the newest trends we’re seeing are moms that stay home with their kids while owning their own business on the side.  You may have heard it called being a “mompreneur.” And that’s what we’re here to talk about today.  When you’re a mom who stays home with her children, but also is building her own business, how do you possibly find the time to “do it all?”

Well… to start… you fire up your Komae app and find someone in your village to watch your kids for a few hours while you get back in track.  Sit down with your laptop in Panera.  Grab a coffee.  Dream of napping in the booth.  Oh wait!  That’s me!  And if you back us on Kickstarter, it can be you!

Audrey and I both ran our own businesses before Komae even became a dream of ours.  In fact, us running our own businesses is exactly why we began to dream this up at all.  While the lessons we’ve learned could go on and on, today we’re gonna stick to the topic at hand.  Apps.  Apps that can change your life for the better and assist you in running your business on the go.

1.  Wunderlist – Making lists is one of the biggest keys to keeping my head on straight.  For one, if I have a solid list, I can easily get right to work when I sit down at my computer instead of playing the “what should I be working on” game while I click around on Facebook as I “get in the groove.”  Having a list definitely minimizes the excuses and the distractions.  Find that you’re coming up with great new ideas while you’re trying to be focused on playing and having fun with your kids?  With the Wunderlist app, you can add a widget to your android that allows you to quickly add a to-do.  Make a note.  Play now.  Look at it again later.  Feeling forgetful? Bump things up a notch and add notifcations to your to-do’s so that you’ll be reminded when you have time to sit down to work later.
2. Square – Depending on your business, you might need to be able to easily accept credit cards from your customers while on the go.  I know with La Hoot Bakery, I am so thankful to have the square app.  You can easily accept payments that will be deposited directly to your bank account with very minimal fees!  It makes my customers happy when they’re picking up a cake and didn’t have time to grab cash at the ATM on their way.  Add to this, the convenience that comes with online banking apps nowadays.  With my Chase app, I can quickly and safely check balances, transfer money, and deposit checks!  No more wondering if you’re walking into an overdraft fee and crossing your fingers until you’re back at your computer to check.
3. Facebook Pages  – FAVORITE!  I try to limit my cell phone usage as much as possible when I’m with my kids, but with social media being a big part of the Komae business, sometimes I just need to be connected.  With the Facebook Pages app, I am able to get notifications that are specifically business related without getting distracted with my newsfeed or personal notifications.  If my smartphone is going to interrupt my time with the family, it’s nice to know that it’s more than a social call.
4. Facebook Groups – Favorite #2!  The benefits here are obviously closely linked to the Facebook Pages app, but I wanted to put an emphasis on how great this one can be as well.  I love using groups on Facebook in general, but having the app makes me even more inclined to set them up.  They are a great way to collaborate with team members and essentially send a group message and start a thread.  With the app, you again can focus on the subject at hand instead of falling into a spiral of distraction.
5. Hootsuite – Schedule ahead!  One of the most freeing things you will ever do when running a business that involves social media is to schedule your posts ahead of time.  Hootsuite is a great way to do that, as you can schedule messages to all of your social media platforms.  Put in a strong work session on monday, and watch your posts pop up all week long.  Sounds much better than trying to find the time to hop on and make a post everyday and even multiple times a day.  Not to mention, strategic planning will likely result in better posts!

Balancing work and family is a huge passion of ours here at Komae and we’re excited to help moms in all stages of life whether working in or out of the home.  Whether your full time job is taking care of your household, owning a business, or working a traditional work week, we’re excited to help you find ways to make it work!

If you’d like to learn more about how Komae works and how you can play a part in making this dream become a reality, get connected with Komae today!  You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Kickstarter.

Update 3/17/16: As of October 19, 2015, the Komae app was fully funded on Kickstarter!  Beta testing is scheduled to begin in April 2016.  Space is limited, so request an invite today!