8 Must-Have Apps And Features for Every Business Owner

Despite the fact that SMEs contribute significantly to the Nigerian economy and account for 48 percent of the country’s national GDP, as well as 96 percent of businesses and 84 percent of employment, it is still difficult to launch a startup in Nigeria.

There are, however, some SME-friendly tools and solutions that can alleviate some of the burden for the young entrepreneur.

Here are seven apps and features that can help small business owners better manage their operations.

1. Wave

Wave is an all-in-one toolkit for small businesses that allows them to create invoices, track transactions, and enter customer/vendor accounting information. It also aids in tracking income and expenses, receiving payments, and setting up automatic payment reminders, allowing you to manage your business without an accounting degree.

The app is free for users — though it does charge a significant fee for some of its premium-tier services — so you can have accounting solutions at the tip of your fingers.

2. WhatsApp for Business

WhatsApp for Business is the lifeblood of thousands of new small businesses in Nigeria. It functions similarly to the standard WhatsApp Messenger app, but with additional features tailored to small sellers.

You can create a WhatsApp business profile and display key information such as opening hours, contact information, a website, and a physical address. Create catalogues to show your inventory to customers — include prices, product information, and images as you see fit.

It is also easier to interact with customers thanks to the app. For example, the app can send automated responses to customers who contact you while you are unavailable. These automated responses could include a list of frequently asked questions or a greeting to welcome new customers.

3. DocuSign

DocuSign facilitates electronic document signing and alleviates the burden of paperwork.

You can embed required digital signatures on everything from employee contracts to supplier agreements, eliminating the need to meet with anyone in order to sign documents.
Most industry watchdogs rate DocuSign eSignatures as safe. Furthermore, before granting access to the document, the app requests verification, preventing unauthorized individuals from tampering with it.

4. SurveyMonkey

Through an online survey, SurveyMonkey can assist in gathering feedback from customers, suppliers, vendors, and employees. Businesses can track customer loyalty, employee commitment, and market research to improve their product offering or services and drive sales.

5. ALAT for Business

ALAT for Business assists small businesses and corporate clients in managing their finances, ensuring smooth accounting operations, and assisting the company in maintaining proper financial records in order to access funds for growth. Businesses can use the app to open a corporate bank account and obtain a corporate debit card without having to visit a bank.

It also enables SMEs to have multiple beneficiaries, allowing for simple transaction approval and transparency in the use of company funds. It seamlessly automates the payment procedure for businesses that need to pay multiple vendors on a regular basis. Don’t be concerned about transfer limits; the app supports transfers of up to $100 million per day.

ALAT for Business also has a Quick Loan feature, which allows all users to borrow up to $10 million using the mobile app and without the stress of long bank lines.

ALAT for business users also have direct access to financial advice from financial professionals or a direct account manager on the financial state of their business, projections, and industry growth opportunities. These experts can also advise you on short and long-term financing options.

6. QuickBooks

For good reason, QuickBooks has remained a favorite of small businesses for many years. The application provides a solid platform for business owners to handle accounting and monitor the financial health of their operations.

A basic QuickBooks Online subscription allows you to create invoices, pay bills, and generate financial reports. It also assists businesses in inventory tracking, scanning receipts, analyzing financial data, and accepting online payments. QuickBooks for PC, a more advanced version, is popular among retail outlets in Nigeria because it can be paired with POS devices for quick receipts and inventory monitoring.

7. FreshBooks

FreshBooks’ simple accounting system powers millions of small and medium-sized businesses worldwide.

FreshBooks has a simple, user-friendly interface from which you can manage invoices, business expenses, and pending client payments. Although it is similar to QuickBooks, it is more straightforward.

FreshBooks is ideal for freelancers. The app allows you to track project time and generate invoices based on that time. You can also set up automatic reminders for unpaid invoices.

8. Plaqad

Plaqad is a marketing technology platform that provides robust tracking analytics to assist businesses (both large and small) in running end-to-end social and web campaigns.

Businesses can use its SocialCred tool to calculate influence and rank social media credibility scientifically. The tool encourages transparency in influencer marketing and aids in the detection of influencer fraud. It also helps businesses determine which influencer or creator is best suited to their needs. PlaqadIQ, an analytics tool that helps businesses effectively measure the performance of their PR and marketing activities, and PlaqadM, which connects users with publishers, influencers, and other content creators all over the world, are two other products.

Businesses can register and be hired on Plaqad in addition to hiring people.

Mentions that are truly deserving

Asana and Trello are excellent apps for managing projects and coordinating team members. Zoom and Slack remain favourites for employee communication, while Google Drive and Dropbox provide simple solutions for storing and sharing files.

Buffer, Google Analytics, and Facebook Ads Manager can help you manage, and understand online marketing. If you run a website or online store, Google Analytics is crucial for monitoring site traffic.

InShot and FilmoraGo are two excellent tools for creating cutting-edge videos for your marketing campaigns. Finally, Canva and Adobe Spark can be used to create 2D posters, logos, flyers, and graphic assets to aid your content marketing objectives as you promote your business.