How to run your business solely from your iPhone

What I have to say is a little embarrassing….

My husband and I have been big time Apple advocates since the makeover of  the iMac in 2002. The two of us were like street team enthusiasts for Apple – spreading the cheer and converting everyone who would listen (and had any sense about them).  But I have to confess something – owning 3 Mac’s, a Time Capsule, countless ipods, itouches, ridiculous software (Final Cut Pro, Creative Suite 4) and other Apple gadgets – I didn’t actually get my first iPhone until last month.

Ouch.  Okay, that’s done.

I don’t want to make any excuses.  Let’s just say I was perfectly happy with my Blackberry…until I got my iPhone.

For a busy, breadwinning, serial entrepreneur, wife, mother and activist, discovering all of the cool iPhone tricks and tools was like being rocketed in to a fourth dimension.

As I began to obsessively research and download new apps, I discovered the perfect formula for running an ENTIRE BUSINESS off of your iPhone.  So if you’re not sold now, you will be momentarily.  While some of these apps are strictly a preference by company, there are many variations to almost every app out there.

Run Your Entire Business using 14 iPhone Apps:

Dragon Dictation – FREE

If you’re anything like me, it’s an every day occurrence that you’re driving down the road or in a store and you think of an email that needs to be sent, something that needs to be done, or a future blog.  Life becomes so much easier when you can dictate straight in to your iPhone and send yourself or someone else an email with your dictated message.

And, if it’s easier, you can simply use the Voice Memo and email or text a Quick Time voice message.

Mileage Bug – $2.99

Details.  Details.  Details.  Those words are sometimes cruel to a visionary entrepreneur.  But, not everything can be left up to an assistant.  Every successful business owner knows she MUST become a master of detail.  And the IRS won’t forgive you easily if you don’t!  Mileage Bug takes the guess work out of your mileage and helps you save money in the long run.  This year the IRS is paying $0.50 for every one of your miles tracked!

Skype – FREE

Need to talk with your team?  I skype with international team members (and those located in America) on a daily basis, so this makes my life easier.  I make abroad calls easily, get more done -  and all on the go!

Entrepreneur – FREE

Although I’m a monthly subscriber to the magazine, I feel green and more efficient as I browse through Entrepreneur magazine using my app.  I get to stay in the know on a daily basis rather than whenever I finally pick up my magazine and thumb through it.

WordPress – FREE

If you’re not a blogger – you really should be.  Websites are so dinosaur-esque, I’m not even going to waste my time going in to it because I’d be beating a dead horse.  Gotta love blogging from the park, a restaurant, the pool, my mother’s house, the vet – anywhere your feet take you!  This makes my life sooo much easier and blogging even more enjoyable.

Eat That Frog! – $1.99

Brian Tracy saves my sanity every day.  No really – I truly am a more productive human being because of Brian Tracy.  I religiously use my Eat That Frog! app and take on the most daunting tasks FIRST in the day.  I always reward myself with what I call “Treat Work” – the fun stuff I’d rather start with.  If you haven’t checked out this app please do.  It’s already helped save and earn more money through being more productive.

Basecamp – $9.99

Who’s not using Basecamp these days to manage some aspect of your business?  Thank goodness I can now view our team calendars and manage projects with my app.  It sure beats lugging around my Macbook everywhere I go!

LinkedIn – FREE

If you’re headed to a meeting and you haven’t done the proper research on this individual, never fear – LinkedIn is here!  TIP – ALWAYS do a web search for your potential clients before meeting with them.  Your research could help seal the deal.

Square –FREE

Possibly one of the coolest apps ever.  If you  head off to meet with a client and want to get paid, you can take a credit card right then and there.  People are even using it now for taking payments (credit card and paypal) at their garage sales!  I think I have distant relatives turning over in their graves.

Quick Office Connect – FREE

Everything office – Word, Excel, etc. right at your fingertips.  No need to even turn on your computer when you’ve got it all here.

Wordnet Dictionary and Thesaurus – FREE

I’m always searching for the right word.  The search is over.

Shoeboxed – FREE

Shoeboxed as a company may be one of the best kept secrets around in the business sphere.  Tired of trying to organize your receipts?  Just email your receipt to Shoeboxed and they will upload it for you.  Seriously – where have you been all my life?

IM+Lite – Free

Why download AIM, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger or any other chat box when you can get them all in one here?  This makes chatting with clients, collegagues and team members organized and simplified.  It just take a WIFI connection to have a lunch meeting.

MiniBooks for Freshbooks – $14.99

Need to time track or invoice on the go?  It’s so easy to do using Freshbooks.  I’ve been a Freshbooks user for the last year and I’m so grateful this innovative company has thought of everything.  Simple is good.

Please send your business app suggestions by posting your comments here!  Again, there are so many we could add that may be more specific to you, but these are the baseline must-haves for me and my company!

Will you be tricking or Tweeting this Halloween?

Business owner hosts virtual Halloween Costume Contest to inspire entrepreneurs to let their inner goblin out and for the chance to win a free iPhone

CEO and Founder Nancy Michaels of www.GrowYourBusinessNetwork.com will be tweeting this Halloween and possibly tricking some of her long-standing entrepreneurial clientele.  According to MSNBC, Halloween is no longer a kids industry and more costumes are being sold to adults than their kid counterparts.

Business owner Nancy Michaels is holding her first annual virtual Halloween Costume Contest on Facebook.  Always believing you’re never too old to make a “ghoul” of yourself, Michaels was inspired by the recent insistence of her three adolescent children to deck out her cape-style home on a suburban cul-de-sac.

As co-author of Off the Wall Marketing Ideas, Michaels has always been a fan of doing the unusual to get customers’ attention and creating a fun and memorable experience between her clients and her company.

“We wanted to do something very fun for our small business customers – many of whom – work from home in relative isolation and this is a great way to connect virtually and celebrate individuality.”

The public will be able to vote on Best Costume, similar to the People Choice Awards with the grand prize being a new 32-gig iPhone 3GS.

Michaels choose the tie-in with an Apple product because their marketing focuses on the few who dare to do things differently.

Go to www.NancysHalloweenContest.com to check of the rules and submit your photo and chance to win.

What is Ms. Michaels going as?  “Although I’m a registered independent, I’ve always been told I resemble Laura Bush – so I’ll be putting on a navy blue suit and purchasing a stand up of W himself to show that behind every fabulous woman is a card board man.”