As a retail business owner, you will need to learn how to be scrappy and use the resources available. Times change so it is important that your business can adapt.

Both brick and mortar retailers and mobile retailers can benefit from time-saving apps and software. Click To Tweet

In order to maximize your efficiency, we compiled a list of the 22 best small business apps for retailers.

You can download them on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Some may have desktop versions on the Windows Store / Chrome Web Store for PC users and Mac App Store for Apple users. Some of these apps may require in-app purchases.

Best Small Business Apps for Retailers

1. When I Work

If you’re constantly in the office scheduling your employees and struggling to keep up with all of them, When I Work is a lifesaver. The app allows staff members to view published schedules and request changes or communicate directly from their phones. Plus, there’s a free version for 75 people at most! If you need more features than that, then expect to pay monthly.

2. Deputy

If you need more features than the free version of When I Work, check out Deputy. It offers task management and employee communication tools and scheduling capabilities so that it can be used for both small businesses with a few employees and large organizations with many workers.

3. SurveyMonkey

Stop guessing and know the facts with SurveyMonkey. A customer’s opinion is essential to a business, so it can be used as an actionable item for driving forward to increase sales.

They have a free plan that you can use to send out surveys, but for $25 per month, they offer more advanced features like adding in the ability to add your questions and customize follow-up emails.

4. Expensify

It might not happen often, but occasionally an employee will need to take a cab home after working late or run out for cupcakes. There must be tracking these expenses and quickly reimbursing the employees.

Expensify lets you track your employees’ spending and manage it from a single app. The app is free for individual users, so depending on the size of your business, you might not have to spend any money.

5. TaskRabbit

Sometimes it can be hard to get everything done. One of the best small business apps for retailers, TaskRabbit is a great app for busy people because you are matched with someone who will complete tasks that might not fit into your schedule, like picking up laundry or dry cleaning.

6. QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online allows you to do many accounting tasks for which you would typically need a desktop. You can create, view, and email estimates, track costs, and download and reconcile bank transactions. So if you want to account on the go for your business, QuickBooks is one of the best small business apps for you.

7. Neat

If you have a small business and want to cut down on paper cluttering your desk, Neat can help. This app allows companies to scan receipts for easy expense tracking.

8. Lightspeed POS

One of the best apps for retail business, Lightspeed POS is an excellent option for those who want to work on their business, not in it. This retail app comes with tons of features like inventory management, employee management, customer management, and detailed reporting that make running your store more manageable than ever before.

9. Any.do

If you’re always busy, it can be hard to keep track of what is happening. Luckily, Any.do has a built-in calendar and to-do list for your day’s tasks, so you are always on top of everything.

10. Todoist

Todoist is a simple and elegant app that will help you keep track of your to-do lists. It’s accessible from anywhere, so now there’s no need to constantly ask people for reminders or nag someone about something they should have done.

11. Asana

For the busy times, we love Asana. One of the small business apps we recommend you try, it’s a great app that will organize you and your retail staff in no time for free with their basic plan. The interface is so user-friendly it makes pricier project management tools look bad.

12. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a free messaging platform that can be used in one-on-one and group chats. It’s similar to Facebook Messenger, but the upside of WhatsApp is you don’t need to have an account on Facebook for your employees if they want it.

13. Groupon

Groupon is an excellent platform for local businesses to post deals because it has 35 million users. You can reach both locals and tourists by advertising on Groupon. A customer from Europe, for example, could find a deal in New York City and add it to their itinerary when they visit the US.

The nice thing about Groupon is that it only costs you a percentage of the revenue. If your deal doesn’t work out, at least it won’t cost you too much money.

14. Later

If you have a retail business with social media accounts, then the Later app may help. The later app lets you manage all of your different accounts, calculates when is best for posting, and has an Instagram “Link in bio” section where customers can find out more about what’s happening.

15. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is one of the best email marketing tools out there. It is our favorite app for collecting email addresses, sending emails, and creating campaigns. You can use it on your phone, tablet, or desktop.

16. Facebook Business Suite

Social media management can be challenging to do. Facebook Business Suite is a great app to manage your pages on the go or if you have multiple pages. Post updates, reply to messages, see insights, and more.

17. Google Hangouts

With Google Hangouts, conduct meetings remotely with people who may not work in your building every day and those who have office space but are in their time zone during off-hours.

18. Spotify

Spotify is a music streaming app that allows you to play requested songs and create personalized playlists. Spotify may not seem like an ideal small business application, but remember how crucial it can be for customers to have the right atmosphere when they come into your store. There are also many studies about how music affects shoppers’ behavior.

19. A Color Story

Social media is a powerful tool for marketing and branding, but you can’t neglect your photos. A Color Story is a photo editing app that offers filters, tools, and simple light effects to make images look professional on websites and social media.

20. Canva

An excellent tool for small business owners is Canva. Not only can you create beautiful imagery, but also documents such as business cards and postcards which allow your brand to be consistent across all mediums. It’s free to use, but you can upgrade to a $9.99 plan if you want more features.

21. Word Swag

The Word Swag app is a good platform for people who quickly add text to their images. There’s no need for professional design experience because the process is so simple. Select your photo, type what you want, and view your new image.

22. MagicPlan

Many people don’t realize that creating an attractive and efficient floor plan is not as easy as it seems. That’s why there are apps like MagicPlan, which lets you measure, design, and place furniture in your store before committing to expensive purchases or damaging the floors by moving large pieces around.

Final Thoughts on the Best Small Business Apps

Work smarter, not harder. Click To Tweet

The small business apps that we have shared above will free up your time so you can focus on what matters.