From: bizjournals.com

Here are Ingar Grev’s favorite smartphone apps. Grev is the founder of The Strategy Tank, a think tank for CEOs, and owner of the Washington, D.C.-area franchise of The Growth Coach.

1. Evernote

If you’re a business person and aren’t using Evernote, I urge you to stop reading this article and download the app now. I haven’t used a notebook since getting this app, I haven’t had to struggle to take notes at a presentation, I don’t have “to do” lists littering my desk, and I don’t have to be concerned about having an Internet connection to get all these notes/lists/images/etc. synchronized.

Evernote runs on every platform you have, is synchronized frequently so it is not dependent on Internet access to take or access notes. Since it will allow you to attach audio, video, and images to your notes, you don’t have to worry about missing something in a presentation, or worry about having your phone with you to access those notes from your PC (since Evernote is synchronized there).

This is my lord of the apps, the one app to rule them all. Get it, use it, and get productive! There’s a free version (which I use) and a premium version that you can upgrade to if you need the additional features.

2. TimeTrade

TimeTrade eliminates all the inconveniences associated with scheduling appointments. You simply set up what dates and times you will allow to be booked for whatever types of meetings you wish to set.

For example, I have about six different categories, for things like face-to-face meetings in different areas around D.C. or hour-long phone calls. I email the link for the type of meeting I’m proposing, and the recipients simply click on the link to select whatever works for them. It’s automatically booked, using the appropriate invitation format for their calendars and mine, and all the back-and-forth is eliminated.

Since TimeTrade is integrated with my calendar, it will only show available times to my prospects, so I don’t have to keep going in to the system to remove dates and times that are no longer available. Free and premium versions available (I use the premium version).

3. Contactually

The best contact-management tool I’ve seen is Contactually. It connects easily with your email and contact lists, making integration a non-issue. Its bucketing system allows you to group contacts that have similarities (friends, met at a tradeshow, referrals, network, employees, clients, etc.) and it will prompt you to take “keep-in-touch” actions with them with rules that you accept.

The “Projects” feature is awesome — you can set automated follow-ups using email templates (theirs or yours) that are fully adjustable and customizable (e.g. it can be modified if you called the contacts first, for example).

The mobile app integrates well with your phone’s communications so that keeping track of interactions while away from your PC is trivial. Management tools also enable effective supervision. Outstanding customer service, low cost, and ease of use make this a must-have for any small business. Get the 30-day free trial (no credit card required) and give it a shot.

4. Cashbook

There are lots of apps out there that will track your personal expenses, but I am quite pleased with Cashbook. I get GPS tracking of my mileage, with manual entry for the times when the GPS on the phone is acting up, and I can send my logbook to anyone for bookkeeping. It integrates with my camera so that I can take pictures of my receipts and get rid of the paper.

5. Social Media

Although I have quite a few social media accounts, the ones I think are most important for business people are Linkedin,Twitter, and Facebook.

LinkedIn is obvious, but it’s amazing how many of my clients don’t use Twitter or Facebook. Many of the CEOs of your client companies are on Facebook, and their businesses have pages on Facebook. Get to know them better by being on Facebook.

Twitter is the source for breaking news, many times from the horse’s mouth. Follow the people who are influencers in your industry, the official accounts of your clients, the official accounts of your competitors, the folks who cover the industry, and the companies and people who offer complementary or substitute products and services to your company. Get smarter about your competitive landscape.