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The 3 apps that are changing your entrepreneurial life

Today's business leaders are fortunate to have a multitude of IT tools at their disposal, enabling them to simplify and automate a maximum number of recurring tasks. Saving time is an essential requirement for any manager. The numerous administrative obligations often make some entrepreneurs reluctant to do this, as they rightly consider it to be a non-productive activity. So it's essential to optimize your time so you can focus on what matters most: generating more sales. Before choosing among the plethora of applications offered by startups of all kinds, it's a good idea to take stock of your needs, otherwise you'll find yourself swamped by dozens of applications of no real interest. Here are three apps that are sure to change your life as an entrepreneur.

Dropbox: document sharing

Dropbox, the leading U.S.-based cloud services company, is an unmissable online file storage solution that lets you create an online folder with files that can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device- a bit like a USB stick, but without the key!

Of course, paid packages offer more features and more storage space. The free version, on the other hand, is limited to 2 GB.

Reliable and secure, this application doesn't just save documents online. It has been designed for remote teamwork. In fact, file exchange is simplicity itself, with no need to send e-mails with attachments. Access to documents is open to selected collaborators, thanks to a simple right-click that generates a sharing link. The paid version lets you work directly on the document and modify it.

Other applications offer equivalent, less expensive solutions, but with less compatibility between operating systems. These include Google drive, KDrive and pCloud, for example.

Trello: the day's organizer

Trello is a shared project management software. It also has the advantage of a free version. It is used to plan and track tasks on a daily basis. The presentation is in the form of tables, inspired by the Kanban method, a Japanese working method.

Invented by a Toyota engineer in 1950, the Kanban method was designed to improve the automaker's production processes: reduce lead times and costs, limit waste and avoid overproduction. Using boards, known as Kanban (Japanese for label), it was possible to visualize workflows and thus prioritize certain tasks, then track their progress.

Trello is currently used by around 5 million people worldwide. An intuitive, easy-to-use tool, it consists of three main elements:

  • tables in various forms (spreadsheet, calendar, dashboard, list, etc.). They bring together all project information and can be shared between users.
  • an unlimited number of lists, which can be moved within tables.
  • cards, located in the lists, each containing descriptions, comments, attachments, links, deadlines and so on. These cards can also be moved around the lists and created ad infinitum.

In a similar vein, wunderlist and todoist, two well-known task and project managers, are also on the market.

Linxo: budget management

By visualizing your entire financial situation through a single interface, you can monitor your current and future income and expenses in real time, and make the right decisions.

To manage your business in the best possible way, it's important to plan ahead. Linxo 's tables are designed to provide a 30-day forecast of your accounts. Setting a budget target, being alerted to unusual upcoming expenses and automatically classifying transactions to save time are all possible with this application.

Launched by two Frenchmen in 2010, Linxo has passed the 2.5 million user mark ten years after its creation.

Linxo's main features are :

  • grouping of accounts and data: centralization of all banking operations, daily account synchronization, history stored for life,
  • budget forecast: classify expenses by category, create targets, calculate forecast to D+30,
  • transaction analysis: graphs for account analysis, easy transaction search, weekly or monthly summary,
  • transfers without going through the bank's application,
  • notification of exceptional expenses

There is also a free version and a paid version. The latter offers additional options for a subscription fee of a few euros a month.

In comparison, the less flexible and less customizable Bankin' application may be more suitable for companies with foreign accounts.

In any case, before installing an application on a mobile or tablet, it's important to make sure you've got it right.