Image by: liewcf
By Charles Lewis

For the small business owner, time is money. Because they are typically a one-man show – or suffer from a lack of a large diversified staff – time management can be crucial to the success of a small business. Fortunately, technology has stepped in to help us get more done during the day. And we get it done easier and faster.

And with the explosion of applications (or apps, as everyone likes to call them now) for portable devices such as smart phones, tablets and laptops, time can actually be on your side … for once. According to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, by using mobile apps, small businesses saved as many as 5.6 hours a week. I know you know what you could be doing with that kind of “extra” time.

Here are 5 amazing apps that will save you time and, consequently, save you money:

1 – Dragon Dictation

Dragon products have been around for a long time and admittedly, they kind of sucked back in the day. But now, these guys have voice recognition down and boy is Dragon Dictation handy. Talk into your phone instead of trying to type notes via those incredibly small keys, virtual or otherwise. For iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

2 – SignEasy

Signing documents is a pain in the digital world. First you have to print, sign and then re-scan and send. It can take 10-20 minutes if you have to start messing around with inks. SignEasy allows you to sign docs right on your phone. Amazing. For Android and iPhone.

3 – Evernote

Evernote is like having a personal secretary inside your smartphone or tablet. Capture just about everything you come across in your daily life and search through your growing database easily. It’s very user-friendly and available across multiple platforms.

4 – LucidChart

Creating a visual element for your presentation can take up a big chunk of your day. LucidChart gets right to the heart of the matter, using a drag-and-drop interface right inside your browser to quickly put together diagrams and flow charts. You can even collaborate with others. Available only through Google Apps or Google Drive.

5 – Shoeboxed Receipt Tracker and Receipt Reader

Simply take a photo of that receipt – it is then archived an easily accessible when you need to fill out an expense report. Shoeboxed Receipt Tracker and Receipt Reader really is that simple. It also works well with the Shoeboxed service that’s been a hit with small business types online. Available for both iOS and Android.