Apps… Ten years ago, that word wouldn’t have even registered for most of us.  And, yet, here we are in smartphone heaven with every app imaginable.

If you’re a busy entrepreneur like me, you don’t have time to surf Google Play or iTunes to figure out what the best apps for running your business are so let’s take a shortcut and go over the 5 MUST HAVE apps for women entrepreneurs.  Keep in mind two things: 1) Apps like gmail and Facebook aren’t included in this list.  Everybody has them and they’re basic, and 2) The apps are listed in no particular order and they are FREE to download.

APP #1: Evernote

Evernote is quickly becoming the Microsoft Office of apps.  You can do everything from sketch to text to create voice notes to collaborate in REAL time with others on a particular Evernote document.  It’s a powerful tool to have at the press of a smartphone button when you want to jot down ideas, create To-Do lists (love the little checkbox bullet points that you can actually check off), and collaborate on projects with others who also have access to Evernote.  For example, you can create a checklist for your Virtual Assistant (VA), put it in Evernote, update it while you’re at the grocery store and, within seconds, your VA has the updated note.  It’s a powerful tool that’s worth paying the premium monthly charge for ($5/month for premium individual users and $10/month per user for teams/business).  Check out Evernote at http://www.Evernote.com.

APP #2: Toggl

For those of you who hate to keep track of your time (but REALLY want to know at the end of each week whether you’re making good use of your time), Toggl is the way to go.  Toggl is a free time tracker software that allows you to break up your time into projects so you can see where your time is being spent.  At the end of each week, you can pull a summary report to see where your time is being spent.  The toggl app is totally useful when you want to track time on the go.  And when you forget to stop your timer, Toggl sends you an email letting you know that Toggl’s still running.  Very cool way to track time!  Visit Toggl at http://www.toggl.com.

APP #3: MyFitnessPal

Being an entrepreneur requires a serious amount of time.  It’s easy to forget to eat or workout when you’re working 24/7.  However, not eating healthy and not working out will stamp an expiration date on your body that your business does not need.  MyFitnessPal allows you the room to log your food and your workouts AND see your daily nutrition totals, all from a smartphone, computer, or tablet.  It’s the easiest way to keep track of what you’re eating and how you’re moving.  Throw your food journal away and use MyFitnessPal.

APP #4: Instagram

Instagram is today what Twitter was in 2007.  It’s growing by leaps and bounds and entrepreneurs are building followings and clients from Instagram alone.  Capture your breakfast, a beautiful sun rise, or a night out with friends on your smartphone and share it with your tribe on Instagram.  It’s that easy.  Be sure to follow me on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/kassandrabibas.

APP #5: WhatsApp

I’m new to WhatsApp but the uses for it are endless.  If you have a global company (or plan to have clients around the world), using WhatsApp to stay connected through text message (without international text messaging fees) is key.  Here’s an article on how some entrepreneurs are using WhatsApp: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-09-02/news/53480091_1_whatsapp-text-message-new-customers.

I’d love to hear from you!

Which of the above 5 apps are you using?

Which of the above 5 apps will you start using this week?