Being an entrepreneur takes guts! An entrepreneur should know that it’s no easy task, but the reward if successful is incomparable. They say that over 50% of new businesses fail within 5 years. Did they not work hard enough? Did they have the wrong tools? What was their handicap?
“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vince Lombardi, NFL Coach
These words couldn’t be truer. It’s going to take work, hard work, and a lot of it. This reminds me of an old saying, “Work Smarter, Not Harder”.
One way to do this is to use your smartphone to save on time. There’s no shortage of applications out there for your smartphone and tablet that promise to increase your productivity and if you have a laptop and 4G dongle there will be even more you can do on the move.
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree I would spend six hours sharpening my axe.” – Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
But if you are an entrepreneur trying to get an idea off the ground, what are the first five software applications you’ll need to get started? Here’s a guide to a few we think you need to know about – and they’re all free!
Make creative notes on the go with Evernote
Evernote has a pretty big fan base among business and creative types and once you have a play with it, it’s not hard to see why. The standard notepad apps you get on most smartphones, tablets and laptops are great, but with Evernote you can add loads of pictures, video and more to make your ideas really sing.
Save and share documents on Google Drive
Cloud computing has been something of a buzz word for years now and typically the world’s biggest internet search provider has muscled in on the act. Like all Google products, Drive is easy to use and built for sharing. This means not only can you save and access documents wherever you have a 3g or 4G network connection, but you can also update them in real time with others.
Dodge pricey desktop essentials with Open Office
It’s unlikely, as a new start up, that you’ll have the money to splash out on the full Microsoft Office suite. But you can be damned sure you’ll need a word processing, spread sheet and presentation software that is compatible with it – and this is where Open Office comes in. Absolutely free, this software will give you everything you need until you think (or if you think) you need to upgrade to MS.
Simple creative tasks are easy with Adobe Photoshop Express
If you think Microsoft Office is expensive, take a look at how much a copy of Photoshop will set you back. Luckily, as most of us don’t need the full bells and whistles of the professional suite, Adobe Photoshop Express offers all the basics. Cut, paste, resize and crop your images for use in presentations or newsletters without bankrupting yourself in the first year.
There are more free applications out there if an entrepreneur should take a look, but these four should be enough to get you started!
Featured image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/35798605@N05/
