10 apps you need to use if you want to work smarter in 2020

Happy New Year!

I'm guessing your new year goal includes something along the lines of 'be more productive', probably includes 'spend more time doing things I love' and most certainly there's a 'be more present at home' thrown in there.

Here are the top ten apps/websites that I've used daily in 2019 that will help your day be more fun, help you work smarter and more productively and pretty much work towards nailing those goals...

Plann
Overtaking Planoly to  take the number one slot for Insta scheduling - Plann is the bomb!  As well as drag and drop, there's also advanced Instagram analytics, hashtag tools, competitor metrics, smart scheduling, best times to post and Plann’s unique best colour palette feature. Phew!
Link: Take a look here
Pricing: free for one account

ColorPicker
Not an app, just one of the most useful websites I've ever discovered (and when I shared this to my Insta everyone loved it too). If you're trying to match a colour when you're using Canva or similar, just upload the pic into this website and it'll tell you the  html code, HEX value, RGB value and HSV value within about 5 seconds!  No more aimlessly clicking on colour blocks trying to find the perfect match.
Link: Take a look here
Pricing: free 

Audible
If you love podcasts but are looking for something a little more meaty, check out Audible.  They have such a huge selection of audiobooks for you to enjoy and learn from (my top recommendations include Girl, Wash Your Face - Rachel Hollis and Testaments - Margaret Atwood)
Link: Take a look here
Pricing: £7.99 per month 

Voxer and Slack
Ok, so I know I'm cheating with two here, but these are essential if you run a business where you are chatting to someone daily.  Voxer lets you send quick voice notes from your smartphone, text, and share photos.  Slack, instead of a single overstuffed inbox, lets conversations happen in dedicated spaces called channels. If there are any apps you take a look at from this list, I recommend these two.  
Link: Voxer and Slack
Pricing: the free versions are good enough

​Feedly
A great way to stay knowledgeable about your industry, sift through all the relevant blogs (saving you precious time) and follow RSS feeds and tweets from your favourite people - all on one dashboard.  Just plug in what you're interested in and want to follow and ta-da!  
Link: Take a look here
Pricing:  free

Stripe
Whether you’re looking to bill customers on a recurring basis, set up a marketplace, or simply accept payments, do it all with a fully integrated, global platform that can support online and in-person payments.  Clients can pay you by credit card or apple pay, so no more bank transactions. 
Link: Take a look here
Pricing:  small % fee of each transaction​
Insight Timer
I was introduced this by the lovely Emma Cossey (check out her website here).  Totally free library of guided meditations, you can filter by practice, topic or length of time.  Perfect if you want to up your self care this year.
Link: Take a look here
Pricing:  free

Grammarly
Even if you know your whether and weathers, your they're, their and there, Grammarly is a great extra step to add as a check on all content you're publishing to an audiences.  Integrates with Word and Google Sheets and Gmail.  
Link: Take a look here
Pricing:  free

You Can Book Me
If you don't use an appointment booking website yet, this is the number one way you can start gaining some time back in your day if you run an internet based business.  Connect with your calendar and only share the times you want with your customers - they book straight into your calendar. Customers get their own notifications, reminders, calendar invites and more.  I much prefer this to alternatives such as Calendly and Actuity, but you may prefer one of those.
Link: Take a look here
Pricing:  small fee

Asana
Having used ClickUp, Monday and Trello this year, I guarantee you Asana is the best of the bunch - it's intuitive, quick to pick up and has so many clever integrations.  It's what I use to run my own business and what I recommend to clients.  
Link: Take a look here
Pricing:  the free version is brilliant, you really don't need the premium when you start using.

Hopefully you found at least one here that sounds like it might be a good fit for you.  If you want even more recommendations, check out my previous blog with my faves, and if you're in the zone for becoming an uber version of yourself this year, you might like to take a read of this blog giving you tips on how to create more hours in your day.

If you'd like to know a little more about me and how I can help you go from overwhelmed to over the moon, head this way and if you'd like to get in touch you can do that here.
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​For endless marketing tips, productivity secrets and hacks that will change your life, head this way!