In today’s world of technology many people are taking their business online and on the go, doing the majority of work from their cell phone or laptop with the use of business apps and tools. With the current world situation many are also now working solely online making the need for good effective business apps even more important. Things like virtual meetings, team management, online stores and contactless points of sale are becoming more and more the norm.

We did some research as well as personal testing of various business apps in order to discover which ones we feel are most useful and effective. Of course it will always be on an individual basis as to what Apps you find work best for your specific business needs, but here are our top 5 picks:

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Slack

Slack is our number one choice for team communication and productivity. Our whole team has been using this App for several years. If you have staff working remotely, which applies now more than ever, the app allows you to stay connected via messaging, document sharing, etc. One feature we really find useful is that your conversations can be organized into specific channels which allows for team collaboration without the confusions. It is much cleaner and simpler to keep projects and information organized, unlike those annoying never ending email threads.

For example instead of one long email thread with your staff about a project, resulting in multiple replies spread out all over the place, you can create a channel specifically for that project or subject – “ABC Marketing Plan” or “Leads” where everyone can see the information they need to know. Each team member also has their own channel for direct messaging and one-on-one collaboration.

Slack offers three different plans – Free, Standard and Plus.

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Active Collab

Active Collab is another App that we have been using in our business for some time. With Active Collab you never miss anything important and can stay connected to your workspace wherever you go. You can assign, track and monitor tasks, share project information & notes as well as log and track work hours and expenses.

They have both desktop and mobile versions of the app.

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Square Register

The Square Register is a small portable card reader useful for businesses requiring point of sale devices. In addition to chip & PIN card reading, the device is also contactless and works with debit tap, Apple Pay, Google Pay and other smartphones and watches making it particularly useful during these current times. Its secure, fast and accepts any type of payment method – debit or credit. You simply connect the reader wirelessly to your Apple or Android device via Bluetooth. You can also use Square for your online store making it easy and fast for your customers to process a payment.

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Lastpass

Keep all your passwords across every device secure and located in one space. You can store digital records such as wifi passwords, bank information, credit care info, memberships, etc. For example when you’re ready to make a purchase Lastpass will automatically fill in all your payment and shipping details. You can simply click in any saved password in Lastpass and it will go directly to the website link and autofill your password . All of these features make it easy to share and give access to your various accounts without actually giving out your password, which is perfect for co-workers. Lastpass is the #1 password manager and they have both free and paid options!

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Google Meet

Today’s business is all about online meetings, webinars, classes, events, etc. Google Meet is our choice for secure video conferencing. They use the same secure-by-design infrastructure and built-in-protection as they do to secure all your information and safeguard your privacy. Any Meet video meetings are encrypted and they have anti-abuse measures in place to keep you safe and secure. They have a fast, light weight interface making meetings frictionless and easy to set up.

Another cool feature is its fully integrated with G Suite, so team members can join a meeting directly from a Calendar event or via an email invite from G Suite.

Wishing you great health & prosperity,

— Marika Fradette
Graphem Solutions Inc.