Helpful Productivity Apps

Do you struggle to stay focused or cross off items on your to-do list? There are apps for that. Here, five successful business owners share their favorite apps for getting things done:

Success Wizard.™ Stephen Holt, owner of 29 Again Custom Fitness in Timonium, Maryland, says this app helps him run his life. “It handles the whole spectrum, from individual tasks . . . to a more general to-do list . . . to projects . . .
to goals,” he says. “In addition, it helps you plan your days and establish effective morning and evening routines. It also allows for goal-setting on a deeper, psychological level and includes a journal for reflection.”

Zoom. This app has chat and video functions and has saved Sabrina Sarabella, MS, loads of time by letting her connect with clients more easily.

“It helps to cut out commute time and makes it easy to work with clients and be able to actually see them instead of just hearing them on the phone,” says the Hoboken, New Jersey–based clinical nutritionist and personal trainer. “[There are also] recording and broadcasting features that help to keep my business professional-looking.”

RescueTime. International speaker and social media consultant Scott Rawcliffe chose RescueTime because he was concerned he was wasting his productivity potential.

“I started using RescueTime because I wanted to get an accurate account of how much time I was spending on my computer and where,” he says. “Each week it shows me exactly how much time I spent where, [along with] a productivity score, so that I can make changes.”

Trello. “It’s a visual system that makes it easy to track projects on your to-do list,” says Lisa Druxman, MA, founder of FIT4MOM®. “I love how they offer samples of different kinds of boards you can create. I use it for everything from planning Thanksgiving to my family’s emergency plan.”

Slack. Tony Cress, owner of Tony Cress Training Center in Las Vegas, uses this app to keep in contact with his team. “Slack has allowed me to quickly update everyone on our team about schedule changes, the need for help, or even exercise demonstrations right in the app,” Cress says. “I no longer individually text each person or wait until I see people.”