As if running a business wasn’t hard enough, some of us must do it while traveling. Some others are “digital nomads” by choice. Whatever the reason, not being at your desk isn’t an excuse not to be productive. In fact, you can work on the road right from your smartphone with the right apps.
Below are the 14 apps you can use to be productive from anywhere in the world.
Stay Connected
1. Wi-Fi Finder: Wi-Fi Finder does exactly what you think. It finds Wi-Fi hotspots anywhere in the world. Filter the results by free/paid, provider, and venue type to find the perfect work spot.
2. Skype: If you’re traveling out of the country, Skype is indispensable. Using Skype is a great way to stay in touch with your colleagues and business contacts for pennies per minute regardless of where you are.
3. Gmail: You do use Gmail as your email client, right? Gmail is still the best tool for managing your email workflow. Despite some early criticism, the Gmail app for iOS is actually quite good.
Bring Your Files with You
4. Dropbox: The Dropbox app is the best way to bring your files with you. Everything is synced automatically so when you open it, you magically have all of the files from your desktop Dropbox folder available. This app is a great way to share docs and presentations when traveling to meetings.
5. Google Drive: Google Drive (formerly Google Docs) is the other half of the file storage equation. While Dropbox is great for storing files from ppt to doc to jpg, Google Drive is for storing collaborative files in the cloud. If you’ll be working with someone else on the file, create it in Google Drive. You’ll still have access to the files from your phone plus you can edit them from the app.
Stay on Top of Your To-Do List
6. Trello: Trello is one of my favorite desktop apps. Now you can use this excellent (and free) task management app from your phone. Trello lets you visually organize your projects and tasks. It’s flexible enough that you can build your workflow however you want. Categorize everything by status, project, type of task… you name it.
7. Clear: While Trello is great at managing large projects and workflow, sometimes you need a quick to-do list just for today’s tasks. Clear is the simple and beautiful answer. Just pull your list down to add a new item then swipe it away when you’re done.
8. Evernote: Across every platform, Evernote is indispensable. Evernote helps you “remember” anything by clipping it into a virtual notebook. Need to jot down a reminder for later or snap a picture of a new contact’s business card? Evernote easily handles either case.
Stay Connected on Social Media
9. Twitter: With Twitter cracking down on third-party developers, you’re better off sticking with their official app. The Twitter app even lets you manage multiple accounts, which is great for business owners who also have a personal account.
10. Facebook Pages Manager: Facebook has been creating more specialized apps like Messenger and Camera. Now they’ve created one for Page owners called Facebook Page Manager. Use it to update your status and replies to comments right from your phone.
11. Google+: Somebody uses it, right? Maybe that somebody is you.
12. LinkedIn: The LinkedIn app is a no-brainer for any business-minded traveler. Rather than collecting a business card that you’ll lose or throw away, just add your new contact on LinkedIn right when you meet.
Get Your Favorite Web Apps on Your Phone
Here are two more great apps that you might be able to use. If you use either web app, you’ll definitely want to download the smartphone app.
13. Freshbooks: Freshbooks is a great service for consultants, freelancers, and independent contractors. Use it to track your time, manage expenses, and invoice clients.
14. Shopify: If you own an e-commerce store, Shopify is an excellent platform. If you own a Shopify store, download their app to monitor and manage your sales on the go.
Do you have anything to add? What are your favorite apps for working from the road?
Featured photo credit: Work on the road, Driving a car at night via Shutterstock
