As you embark on your new franchise, you know that it will be an exciting journey. But at times it can also be a stressful one – there is so much to do and so much to keep track of. Entrepreneurs have always sought out ways to make the task of organization a little bit easier – and today it is easier than ever before. With so many smartphone apps to choose from, some of the best business tools ever created can now be literally at your fingertips.

Here are a few of our favorite apps to help new franchise owners.

• Addappt – This clever app helps you to maintain current contact information of your business associates. For example, if one of your contacts changes their email address or cell phone number and also uses Addappt – your address book will automatically be updated when they update their information. This app also lets you organize your contacts into various groups and email lists.
• Clear – If you’re like most franchisees, you probably have a rather extensive to-do list. With Clear, you can organize your daily tasks into lists and categories and swipe them off your screen as they are completed. Your task lists can also be synched between your phone, tablet and computer, so you never have to go searching too far to see what is left to be done.
• My Minutes – Have you ever wondered how much time you spend on Facebook, checking emails or with other tasks that may not necessarily bring the most benefit to your business? My Minutes can help you keep those tasks to a minimum. Say for example, you only want to spend a maximum of 30 minutes on Facebook each day – this app will let you know when you’ve reached your limit.
• Expensify – As a new franchisee, you’re going to have expenses – and we don’t just mean, franchise fees. You may need to buy new business clothes, take a prospect out to lunch or use gasoline getting back and forth to a conference. Keeping all those receipts organized can be a challenge – but Expensify can help. Simply take a photo with the Expensify app and it will help you keep track of all the important information on those receipts and even make expense reports.
• Evernote – If you’re the type of business owner who is constantly making notes both electronically as well as on scrap pieces of paper, then Evernote canhelp you keep them all in one place. The free version of the app gives you a generous 60 MB per month or you can opt for the Plus or Premium versions which offer additional features.
• Mailchimp – Does your franchise business require you to send your own emails to prospects and clients? The Mailchimp app is a great way to keep large lists which can be segmented into various groups and to create professional looking html emails. Opt in and opt out features are also available so that mailing recipients can subscribe or unsubscribe for themselves.

Of course, these are only a few of the smartphone apps that can benefit new franchisees – the trick is to do a bit of experimenting and determine which ones are most helpful for you.

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