Fav Five For 2025: Business Apps
It’s not what the technology does, it’s how it makes us feel.
I’m starting 2025 off with my Fav Five of 2025: Biz Apps, Communities, Events and Workflow Tips
This week’s article is about business apps, not accounting ones*. These are the five key app verticals I lean heavily on for efficiency and automation to free myself up from mundane tasks and leave me open to doing more of what brings value to my business and my clients.
They are in alpha order, not order of importance.
Form Builder
I lean heavily on forms, and one of my more spendy apps is Typeform. I could use Google Forms as I have Workspace, but I want the smooth client experience and the extra features that Typeform has. So I have chosen best in class over price. But you don’t need to. I am far along in my form-building journey, and for those of you just starting out, you could use a free or less expensive app to get you rolling in and then level up when you get hooked on forms.
Who are some of the players?
Google and Microsoft Forms
Typeform ⬅️This is what I use
Online Scheduler
It will take you less time to set up a session in a scheduler than to play the back-and-forth game of setting up a single meeting.
Let’s say you have three meetings a week (consider yourself lucky), and you spend 10 minutes setting up each meeting (I would think this is an underestimate).
That’s 30 minutes (I’m a bookkeeper; I can do the math). Xs 4 weeks a month. Xs 12 months a year (I’ll let you do that math**).
You can set up all your basic needs in an online scheduler - once - in 30 minutes (this is not an underestimate).
Who are some of the players?
Tidycal ⬅️This is what I use
Password Manager
This is an app I couldn’t live without. Crazy, right? Who loves a password manager app so much that they couldn’t live without it? Me, and you - if you go all in on implementing it.
It’s not only a magical password wizard; it’s also an efficiency app, and we all love one of those, amirite? It auto-fills information (not just login details), and mine also hits enter for me (it’s all about the clicks…).
Your password manager app has the “keys to your kingdom” so take security seriously when choosing and implementing yours.
Who are some of the players?
1Password ⬅️ This is what I use
Practice Management
The memo has gone out that I love cloud technology and all the consistency, efficiency, and joy it creates in our day. Choosing the right practice management app for your accounting or bookkeeping firm is one of the best cloud apps to implement. But it can be overwhelming.
So here is a list of what I consider the top thirteen internal features to look for.
Obviously, there are other features you may want as they relate to the problems you need to solve, but this is a good starter list.
And here are the top ten client collaboration features to look for.
Who are some of the players?
Financial Cents ⬅️This is what I use
Recording App
I have saved countless hours using Loom to record my thoughts. Whether it’s notes to my team members, instructions or musings for clients or details about workflows and SOPs, it is a clear, quick and - most importantly, asynchronous way - of getting your thoughts out of your head and into the minds of others.
Don’t overthink recording - turn off the camera and/or sound if you need to
Security tip - don’t ship off the actual recording to clients - send a link, and they need to access it with a specific email and password
I take recordings from other apps that I don’t have access to transcripts, drop them in Loom, grab the transcript and if I need a summary, I ask ChatGPT for one
For the win, my team and some of my clients “Loom me” back, completing a circle of “communication efficiency.”
Who are some of the players?
Loom ⬅️This is what I use
And because no 2025 app list would be complete without some mention of AI apps, I had my “co-worker”, ChatGPT, dream up a conclusion for this article.
If I hadn’t told you, you never notice, right 🤣🤣🤣
As you kick off 2025, embracing the right cloud business apps can be a game-changer for your accounting firm. Whether you're looking to save time, boost efficiency, or enhance client experiences, these five app verticals—Form Builders, Online Schedulers, Password Managers, Practice Management, and Recording Apps—are worth exploring.
Each app I’ve highlighted has been a vital part of my workflow, but remember, the best tool is the one that fits your needs and stage of business. Start small, experiment, and level up as you grow. The goal isn’t just to automate tasks but to reclaim your time for the things that truly add value to your clients and your firm.
Kellie :-}
*Fav five accounting apps - Dext, Plooto, Rewind, RightTool and QBO. More info on why I love them here, except for RightTool articles, part one and part two (RightTool didn’t exist when I wrote the article on the others).
**BTW - it was 1,440 minutes a year. That’s 24 hours a year to do something other than set up 3 meetings a week.
