It goes without saying that you need a computer to successfully work at home, but I also believe that you should have a smartphone. I can’t tell you how many times having a smartphone saved my behind while I worked at home. When my power and/or Internet is out, I can get online through my phone. If I’m away from a computer, I can deal with business through my phone. My phone can store, log, track and do a ton of other things that allow me to work when I’m not able to get to a computer. Here are a few of my favorite (most used) smartphone apps:
Gmail: WAHS’s email is accessed through a pop account (I use Mail2Web.com on my phone), but all my other email is forwarded to my Gmail account. Along with sending and receiving email, I can sort and search email. Because it’s web-based, anything I do on my phone shows up on my computer and vise versa.
Evernote: This app has been a lifesaver. I can write or record notes, take screen shots of websites I want to refer back to, organize and search information in my notes and a whole lot more. Anyone who blogs or writes as part of their work-at-home career shouldn’t be without Evernote. Since it’s web-based, you can access it on your smart phone, computer, tablet and most other digital devices (I have it on my Nook, as well).
Google Calendar: When I had a Droid, I loved Google Calendar. Like Gmail, anything I did on my calendar on my computer, would show up on my phone and vise versa. When I first got my iPhone, it took some tech savvy to get Google Calendar on it. However, there is now an app for Google Calendar on iPhone. Other great features include creating multiple calendars (i.e. work and personal), color coding events, and sharing calendars with others.
WordPress: Nearly all of my websites are built on WordPress. Although the WordPress app for phones isn’t ideal for writing long posts, you can add and edit content, add photos and links. The WordPress app is available for iPhone and Android.
Dropbox: I don’t always like to work from my home computer. Dropbox lets me save my writing online and access it through other devises such as a laptop or my phone. The only caveat to using Dropbox on your phone is that you need an app to open the content. For example, if I want to open a Word doc, Dropbox will allow me to access it, but I also need an app to open it if I want to edit it.
Hootsuite: Instead of having an app for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, I can use Hootsuite to access them all. I can check my feed, mentions and post to any of my networks through one app. Hootsuite is also web-based, so I use it on my desktop as well. In fact, I have the hootlet in my browser so I can Tweet or share any webpage through the click on a button.
I’ve given you links to learn about each app, but you should be able to find the apps in the App Store or Google Play through your phone.
What apps can’t you live without?
