I know what your thinking. “Why is a web-design company writing a blog about their favorite BlackBerry apps?” It’s simple. Before we are web-designers, we are a small business first. We really love our Apple stuff. REALLY REALLY love our Apple stuff. But for a phone that gets the job done quick and serves the true purpose of a business phone, BlackBerry wins hands down. The email. Ohhh, the email. No one does email like BlackBerry. If you are sending and receiving emails constantly, the touchscreen can become a bit annoying. Then, there is the deliberate click, click, click of the BlackBerry keyboard. It’s a dream to type on, and to be honest, not really all that great for anything but work. Your not playing Angry Birds on this device anytime soon. Here is a rundown of some great BB apps for small business.

 

1. PageOnce Personal Assistant

This is my all time favorite app. It’s not just my favorite BlackBerry App, but also one that I use all the time on my iPad. You set up your account, and then add your bank accounts, utilities, and services. It automatically pulls all of this information into one place. You can view your business account balance on the fly, and then drop down to see when your credit card bill is due. This is a must have app.

Cost: Free (They have a paid version, but the free version is great as it is)

 

 

 

 

2. WordPress

This app is great for updating your Blog on the go. You can approve comments, create a new post, and view your stats.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

3. Twitter

The BlackBerry Twitter app works great. It’s actually my preferred way to send and receive tweets. There is one serious downside to this app though. If you want to run multiple accounts (i.e. your personal and biz accounts) you are out of luck. You have to log out of one and log in to another. Not Cool! This is a huge fail in my opinion. It is still a great app and very nice to use.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

 

4. Facebook

So I probably shouldn’t have ranked Facebook this high. Here is why I did: You need to take a moment during your 12 hour day to check in with your friends and see what is going on. I know many businesses frown on this act of defiance. Not me. Sometimes you just need to break away. This app, along with most Facebook apps are useless for updating your business fanpage. So I guess this really isn’t a business app? Oh well.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

5. BlackBerry Messenger

This is by far one of my favorite apps, and one more reason why it’s good to be a BlackBerry owner. You can send texts or images to anyone worldwide that is using BBM. This works great when you are working with multiple people on a project. You can even set up groups. Good stuff.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

 

6. Evernote

How many times do you see or hear something that you want to remember? Evernote is the BEST way to store your ideas, notes, and audio notes. I use it constantly. If I see an ad, a billboard, or hear a commercial I like, it is going to my Evernote. It also syncs across most platforms. I use it on my Mac, my iPad, and my BB. Evernote is a must have.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

7. Google Sync

Have you ever wanted to sync all of your contacts, and calendars on your BB, desktop, and iPad or other device? That’s where Google Sync comes in. This app helps me keep all of my devices on the same page. By the way; if you purchase a new phone, you can download Google sync and within minutes you have all of your contacts and calendars lickity split.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

8. Dropbox

So you need to keep all of your clients new photos, documents, etc. in a place that you can access them on the fly? Well here ya go. Go set up your Dropbox Account and then get your BB app. That’s all there is to it.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

 

9. Vlingo

Seriously…didn’t Oprah tell you to stop texting and driving? It truly is dangerous and is actually preventable by using this app. The free version will read your texts and emails to you. It also has voice commands that work beautifully. Vlingo Plus is $19.99 and allows you to speak your emails and texts. Save yourself a wreck and download this app.

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

10. Stopwatch

No download here. This is in your clock app already installed on your Blackberry. Many of you like the snazzy time billing apps. Not me. I use the stopwatch on my BlackBerry and then enter it into a spreadsheet. I have my billing clock everywhere I go!

Cost: Free

 

 

 

 

 

So there you go! I hope you find these apps help you out in your day to day activities. Go get ‘em!

Don’t forget to visit us at www.hatfieldtaylor.com