Week 42: Apps, Automation and the Milky Way
First of all I am not from the app generation (want to make this clear) but I am slowly loving and coming around to the idea. I figured I was a little apprehensive at the beginning as I didn't really get the whole techy stuff but, once I threw myself in; guess what: I LOVE IT!. But, before you get swept off your feet by the world of apps I just want to let you know not all apps were created equal. So do your due-diligence and pick the ones that appeal to you. After all you will be spending more time on these apps then with your actual partner, so why not get the sexy ones.
MileIQ
The amount of driving I was doing to attend viewings and going to events etc was denting my pocket. I have fallen behind in this area and sadly haven't kept track of any mileage I was occurring for business trips. One quick convo with my property Facebook group and that sorted the dilemma. Mile IQ was mentioned several times to keep track of your business mileage. You download the app onto your phone and it is pretty straightforward to use. The best part is that it is free for your first 40 drives. Be sure to check out any demos on YouTube. However, better late than never, I am well on my way to keeping tabs on those drives which can then be claimed as expenses later in the year.
Asana
This is a basically a ‘works’ organisation app which kinda acts as your very own PA. I can't afford one, not even a VA (Virtual Assistant) for that matter so Asana was the way forward. There’s so much you can do with it, I am learning every day and at first it seems a little tedious to input things and get used to it as I felt it was creating more work but that's only because I was slow and still learning. It's basically your ‘to do list’ ‘calendar’ and team coordination all in one. Albeit, there are only 3 in the team but this way we can all keep track of what each of us are doing and can help one another as we all have access to the same portal. But, as we grow no-doubt this will be godsend, oh and it is completely free for now unless you want to upgrade but this is for very large teams.
Receipt Bank
I love this app and just can't imagine what people were doing before to keep up to date with all their financial transactions. Like the above this app acts like your very own bookkeeper by allowing you to stay on top of all your expenses. You just take a photo of your receipt via your smartphone, send it to Receipt Bank then just forget about it. It automatically sorts and files your receipt, makes accounting so simple and easy. You can forward older invoices straight from your inbox onto Receipt Bank which can break-down and extract the most complex of data.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
NB: On my title the ‘milky-way’ I wasn't referring to the interstellar of stars, gas, dust or gravitational pulls but my very own star device which helps keep my universe in order: the Galaxy S7+ of course, hahaha..
Okay, technically not an app but I thought it was worth an honorary mention. This is a mean piece of equipment for all your serious business buffs out there. Although, it will set you back £800 a piece (which by the way I will claim back as an expense) but it is so worth it. I can quite easily write another blog on this as there is just so much you can do with it. I personally use it as a notebook and write everything down with a stylus (e-pen) provided. It's like taking minutes of a meeting but without having to type. All these rough notes can then be stored and located when required. I have all these great paper notebooks where I have written several important notes but now can't find the topic as I have accumulated several books and don't know where I wrote them. My S7+ takes care of this now. All the contracts/letters I am getting from my solicitors I can just sign on the screen and send them straight back in seconds.
…”I mean, who has time to download, print, sign (scan) then send; NOT ME”...