We are very fortunate to live in a world where effective new life and business hacks come about daily. As the CXO of Dinsmore/Steele - I have the distinct pleasure of using the latest and greatest of all SMB applications and programs.

Larry Page of Google thinks we should be working less and touts work smarter not harder. While that is the general goal of everyone there are some apps that help make this easier. Here’s a list of SMB apps that we use and get the most value from. Hopefully, you’ll find one or two that helps you and your productivity.

1. CamCard - Do you receive large amounts of business cards only to have them end up buried in a drawer somewhere? If you need a better organization system look no further than CamCard. CamCard is a smartphone app that helps bring order to the chaos of the piles of paper contacts. All you need to do is take a quick picture of a business card and CamCard saves the card and all the contact information instantly to your phone contacts.

2. Abacus - Abacus began with a simple idea: when people spend money on behalf of their company, they should be reimbursed for those expenses quickly. With Abacus you submit expenses as you go, and get paid back the next day. This application integrates very well with QuickBooks and for managers, it offers more control, better data, and happier employees. Gone are the days of saving receipts, manually entering expenses saved over long periods of time, and endless waiting for payment.

3. Softlayer Hosting Services - SoftLayer is an IBM Company that provides cloud infrastructure as a service from 13 data centers in the United States, Asia, and Europe, and a global footprint of 17 network points of presence. Their customers range from Web startups (free hosting) to global enterprises. If you're using Amazon hosting solutions SoftLayer offers pricing transparency, product scalability, and many value-added for existing organizations/ free services for startups and early-stage companies.

4. Google Business Solutions - Google Business Solutions offers an efficient, web-based platform to run your company from email, analytics, documents, and a complete kit of tools. From calendars to hangouts this vast app marketplace offers solutions for nearly every element of business in addition to easy integration of 3rd party applications.  Their solution is both cost-effective and simple to use making this a valuable tool for a business.

5. Salesforce - Salesforce is one of the most widely used customer relationship management systems in the world and there is a reason for that. While there is a multitude of CRM systems to choose from, the original still works the best. Coupled with a tremendous amount of add ons and integration of apps, Salesforce may be a more expensive option among other CRMs but it’ll save you time and money when piecing applications that play well together. Salesforce is the answer to all your customer relationship management needs.

6. WordPress - Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard of WordPress. It’s an open platform that is the most efficient way to build, launch and host a website. It is both easy to use and easy to update content which makes this a sure-fire program to have in any company’s arsenal. You’ll also find that the majority of websites on the web today are built on WordPress, so it’s standard in web development and makes finding developers who know it well easy to find.

7. Formstack - Formstack is a life saver. It enables you to create forms and workflows to streamline capturing and storing data. From creating branded digital forms to taking secure payments Formstack is easy to use, offers robust features, and integrates with many applications. So if you’re looking for a solution that will increase campaign participation and capture leads then Formstack is the solution for your business. 

8. WebMerge - WebMerge is an app that customizes and automates document creation. This fantastic product lets you upload and deliver smart documents in a snap. While it’s great to be able to create fresh documents, the ability to merge app is a lifesaver because it allows you to control your workflow and integrates with many other programs including Formstack, Zapier, and itDuzzit.

9. HootSuite - HootSuite is the preeminent social media management platform. Basically, it allows you the ability to control Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and all your social media platforms in one place. It also allows you to monitor multiple streams and keywords. From auto-scheduling updates to managing contents, Hootsuite streamlines the whole process. If you are going to use social media then you must get this app.

 10. Yesware - Yesware is an email tool for salespeople. Track emails, create templates, CRM sync, Mail Merge, and more. Yesware helps you close more deals faster and works seamlessly inside of SalesForce and Gmail.  It helps you keep track of your email and lets you know who’s doing what and where with what you send - a wonderful solution.

Hopefully, this list will help you and your organization. If you find that these apps help you we would love to hear about them. As business evolves more and more companies are outsourcing functions to other companies that specialize in the things that are essential to operating a profitable business. Is there anything we forgot? Tweet your tips to us @dinsmore_steele