Written by Michelle Kane, Solo PR Pro Premium Member and Head Honcho of Voice Matters, LLC

Working as solo consultants, many with virtual teams, we depend on our technology. Email, Cloud Services, Skype, etc., it allows us to work together and move our client work forward. With the caveat that I do strive for balance, I’ll be the first to confess that I love my tech. Any tool that helps me provide deliverables more efficiently and enhances the work itself is welcome.

I recently upgraded my cell phone to the latest “shiny.” The novelty of having a tiny computer in my hands has yet to fully wear off, which made me wonder what apps and capabilities my fellow Solos would claim as their favorites. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram made the list in addition to these apps:

Calendly

Calendly is an automated scheduling software that works with your existing calendar, seeking the best dates and times to offer for meetings. There are free and paid versions.

Ebony Grimsley-Vaz of Above Promotions shares, “It has saved my inbox from the back and forth of discussing a meetup time. Additionally, it drives people to call me so I can keep working up until our meeting.”

Lisa Gerber of Big Leap Creative and The Gear Show podcast upgraded to the pro version so Calendly can help her manage appointments and events for her business and her podcast. “I use the pro so I can have more event types. I schedule podcast interviews plus the other typical stuff and each one requires different follow-up questions and notifications. So, I don’t use any integrations.”

SproutSocial

SproutSocial allows for social media management on the go, allowing for updates and insights with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and, while it lasts, Google+.

Snapseed

Lynn Harris Medcalf has several favorites: “All the social stuff, but also Snapseed for Instagram shots. It lets you put text and graphics on photos and is super cool. I also love Flipboard (a content curation app). I've got a whole selection of business-oriented publications I track there. And of course, Uber and Lyft for business trips.”

Mile IQ

Tired of trying to cobble together a year’s worth of mileage at tax time? Mile IQ to the rescue. This app tracks each drive, which can then be categorized as business or personal.

Waze

Both Google and Apple have native navigation apps but PR pros like Mary Deming Barber of Food PR & Communications prefers Waze. “That has gotten me around traffic jams and to meetings on time. Can't do without it these days.”

Grocery IQ

Barber adds, “For us solos who manage our houses as well as our businesses from our phones, Grocery IQ allows me to create a grocery list wherever and whenever. Better? It allows my family to add to said list from their phones too.”

Evernote

Deb Robison’s go to is Evernote, the app that allows organization of everything and anything, from projects to tasks, deadlines, to photos.

Google Keep

Google Keep is another organizational tool, similar to Evernote, that’s worth checking out, especially if you’re Android-based and use other Google products. 

IFTTT

Kristie Aylett of The Kard Group, and Ebony Grimsley-Vaz are among the many Solo PR Pros making good use of IFTTT aka “If This, Then That.” IFTTT’s many “recipes” help to streamline process across apps and platforms. Aylett shares, “For example, I just used it to create a Google spreadsheet of all the tweets from #prsaicon.” Grimsley-Vaz agrees, “I use it to do the same for a client. I also use it to list the address of my meetings. It’s a pretty handy tool with Google spreadsheets.”

Now it’s your turn. What’s the one app you can’t do business without?

Want to continue learning from these and other savvy business owners? Join Solo PR Pro!

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash