bits & bytes: Small Business Apps

I know, sounds exciting. It is Monday after all. I’ve had many conversations with other small business owners regarding how they keep track of their finances, invoicing etc. If it’s time to graduate from the Excel spreadsheet, or expensive accounting software is bogging you down, I’ve got a few ideas.

For me, it started with Freshbooks, an online invoicing and time tracking tool. No more watching the clock or losing track of time. No more transferring data to Excel invoices. Great for freelancers or service providers, it allows you to send custom invoices by email or snail mail, keep track of expenses and manage contractors. They offer PayPal integration if you’re interested in accepting credit card payments. You can try it free (seamless transition if you decide to sign up) or pay a monthly fee based on how many clients you wish to manage.

Freshbooks works well with Basecamp, a web-based project collaboration tool. Share files, meet deadlines, assign tasks and centralize feedback. Clients can view project status and associated files 24/7 which I find really cuts down on millions of back and forth emails. Clients can view the project timeline and find out what they are responsible for, which helps keep things on track. For accounting purposes, you can import time spent on projects into Freshbooks. If you get in to Basecamp, Timy is a great time-tracking tool.

I just came across Shoeboxed. So get this. You send ALL of your random receipts in to them (by mail, fax, email, from your phone) and they scan them, and organize them in a tidy online account. You can actually view your real receipts by clicking on the online entry. They have automatic categorization and will also keep track of your contacts – all you have to do is send in a business card! Integrates with Freshbooks. Dying to hear of anyone who has tried this!

MailChimp is a email marketing tool and list manager. Integrations with WordPress, Twitter and Salesforce make MailChimp a pretty powerful social networking tool. Store up to 500 subscribers for FREE.