We once thought that automation and technology would make us exceptionally efficient. What has been your experience with all this new software and apps? For many busy people, the explosion of mobile apps to automate our lives can also be daunting. How can you sort the effective from the distractive apps? We certainly recommend turning to the experts who follow the trends to show us the benefits and staying power that certain apps provide.
How do trend trackers decide which apps work best for busy professionals? They categorize the apps based on the problem they solve. Those categories tend to be similar among people in various types of business. We all tend to travel to unfamiliar areas, keep notes, find colleagues, manage expenses and simplify how we meet and seek entertainment.
The expert’s 2015 list of top mobile business apps include:
- Traveling/car service – Uber
- Mapping/GPS – Google Maps/ Waze
- Taking notes – Evernote
- Finding colleagues – LinkedIn
- Managing expenses – Expensify
- Meeting online – GotoMeeting
- Enjoying entertainment – HBO Go
Several on the list have won the category multiple years, so continue to be useful to a majority of business professionals. In each case, personal choice will certainly come into the final decision.
Start by thinking about your business needs in problem-solving categories that will help you to whittle down the lists to the most relevant resources. Next you can narrow your choices to the top three for each category to assess in further detail. Personal choice and preferences then will help you find the one that best meets your current needs.
The actions you take to make these choices should remind you of how you make a major purchase, like a car. While apps may not be costly compared to buying a car, choosing the wrong one will cost you something far more precious – time. Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice contradicts the conventional wisdom that greater choice is for the greater good. He argues that infinite choice is paralyzing and exhausting to the human psyche. His tips will help you chose wisely and quickly too.
The goal in choosing and using mobile apps should always be to make your life more effective and efficient. There will be tasks that must be done in business, but may not be enjoyable or easy for you. Those are the ones that should be tackled first with an app that ultimately improves on your limitations of time and enthusiasm. We already know out there, somewhere – there’s an app for that!
