Time-Management Apps for 2014

According to the National Statistics Council, over eleven million business meetings are held every day, and over a third of total employee work time is spent in meetings. With so much time spent meeting, you may not have an opportunity to organize your schedule. The right time-management app not only keeps your calendar in order, but also helps you find extra time during a busy schedule.

One of the best time-management apps a business leader can access is a full-service calendar. Modern smartphones feature built-in calendars and scheduling tools, but they can be clunky to use. Apps like Any.do's Cal application, which is now available for iOS and Android devices, gives you easy access to scheduling tools, to-do lists, and images. The time-management app combines functionality normally seen in multiple apps, so you don't have to switch between programs, download multiple items, or remember numerous passwords. From Google Maps navigation to contract images, you can access a wealth of information via Cal's interface, keeping you organized, on time, and efficient no matter where you are.

Overscheduling your time is common in many industries, which might be why Rescue Time is one of the most popular mobile apps in the time-management niche. Employed by individuals from companies like Reddit and Inc.com, Rescue Time paints a picture of how you spend each day and helps you develop better time-management habits. Set goals for improved productivity or carve out time in your day for family, friends, or yourself. Studies show that counting calories helps people eat less and lose weight because individuals are more aware of their diet—similarly, tracking each minute with a time-management app may reveal some surprising time wasters in your schedule.

You might not consider Box or DropBox mobile apps to be time management tools, but consider how much time is wasted as business partners shuttle documents through email. Time—and valuable technical resources—are involved in uploading and downloading every spreadsheet, PowerPoint document, or PDF. Emails go missing, are inadvertently deleted, or come through garbled. Even if messages get through, you run into compatibility and version problems—many people have spent the first fifteen minutes of a conference call ensuring everyone is looking at the right version of a document. Some time-management apps contain document-sharing tools; but for universal use, the DropBox app is currently a top option. DropBox can be used from PCs or mobile devices to sync and share documents with anyone who has an Internet connection.

A time-management app doesn't have to be a calendar or planner program. Any application that lets you work more efficiently, keeps you organized, or helps you engage better with employees and partners assists with time management. This fast-paced world is likely to get faster in 2014—business leaders need all the help they can get, and assistance in your pocket is affordable and convenient.

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