Things I Carry: The Apps that Have Transformed my Work

There's a few tools I use that turbocharge how I work. What's amazing about them is that only a few years ago, none of them existed!

Unsurprisingly for me, these tools are all software-based. The first killer app for running my business is the Google Apps suite. If you're still stuck in Microsoft Office land, it's time to get with the program. Nothing beats having your documents and spreadsheets available at any time, on any device, with the most up to date version always at hand, and with built-in version control. What's more, the ability to collaborate – especially on a shared spreadsheet – absolutely rocks. I can email my team leads to update a product shipping plan, and almost instantly they can jump on and complete it in minutes. No more emailing attachments around and waiting for days. I simply couldn't function without it.

Similarly I'm now making heavy use of Evernote. It's basically augmented memory for me. I can dump any file, document, image or attachment into it, and access that data everywhere. It's incredible for keeping track of things. A combination of Google Apps, Evernote andDropbox are allowing me to really run a paperless office. I could be sitting on a chairlift at a ski field somewhere on the other side of the world, and I would still have access to absolutely everything.

My other secret weapon is one I'm particularly proud of, and that's using my own site,Freelancer.com, to get things done. I use it on a daily basis and have probably close to a hundred people in my virtual workforce that I use on demand to get things done. It's also the most liquid marketplace for doing this on the Internet; I can post a job looking for a market researcher and within 60 seconds have 5 chat windows open with potential candidates. I kid you not – 60 seconds. You can get literally anything done quickly and inexpensively. For example, I have a corporate development team out of the Philippines that scans for interesting acquisition targets for $6 an hour. Welcome to the new world.

Finally, there's one crazy little app that is a massive time saver for me. It's called Hellofax. It's so simple but saves me so much time. When you sign up, you take a photo of your signature and upload it. Then, if you need a document signed and faxed, all you need to do it upload the PDF or Word document and with a simple click you can add your signature and email or fax it. No more running down to the printer and printing out a huge document just to sign it. No more stuffing around with the scanner either! This has shaved probably half an hour off many of my days. So many painful memories of trying to close a deal late at night while traveling and having to get the front desk of a hotel to print out a 50 page document so you can sign and scan. All gone now, thanks to Hellofax!

With these few apps, I save a lot of time and hassle, and they allow me to run my business from anywhere and still get everything done without feeling stranded. So give them a go!