Want to build a better, stronger business? There’s a suite of apps for that

Wouldn’t your life be easier, and your operations much more efficient, if you could automate all those tedious, time-consuming, back-end tasks? Of course, it would! 

But the benefits don’t stop there — research suggests your business would be stronger and more resilient, too.

Small businesses using apps did better in 2020

According to Xero Small Business Insights, small businesses using apps in 2020 experienced revenue declines and job losses that were 12% smaller than those that weren’t digitally enabled. 

If they were using five apps or more, the difference was even more significant. 

“Small businesses using five or more apps had revenue falls one-third smaller, and job losses 40% smaller, than other small businesses through the crisis,” says Nick Houldsworth, Xero’s Executive General Manager – Ecosystem.

The many benefits of using apps to power your business

As a small business owner, you’re probably used to wearing many hats — from accountant to marketer and HR manager and everything in between. The beauty of apps is they do a lot of this heavy lifting for you, leaving you free to focus on growth and development.

They also allow you to do more work remotely, using devices like smartphones and tablets, freeing you to work from the kitchen table, local café or the holiday home.

In fact, there’s a boatload of innovative apps out there that will “empower you to take control of every aspect of your business, ensuring things run smoothly, efficiently and accurately,” Houldsworth says. 

And if that’s not enough to pique your interest, “small businesses connected to apps experience greater revenue growth than businesses with no app connections,” he adds.

What sort of tasks can innovative apps take care of?

There are apps to help with almost every aspect of your business.

For example, Deputy makes it easy to schedule shifts and connects with Xero Payroll to help ensure your employees are paid correctly. 

Chaser helps you get paid faster and streamlines your accounts receivable process, while other apps, such as Dear Inventory, can help you stay on top of inventory management. 

Apps like Everperform even allow you to measure your employees’ wellbeing, productivity and relationships.

“The options and potential combinations are almost limitless,” Houldsworth says, “and you can create a suite of digital tools, tailored to suit your specific business needs.” 

Browse and buy the best apps on the Xero App Store

If you’re interested in learning more about how apps could transform your operations, the Xero App Store is an easy way for SMEs to find, choose and buy the best apps for their business.

“Beyond looking pretty, we’ve done a lot in the back end to make finding the right apps easier,” Houldsworth says. “Our improved search capabilities and personalised recommendations are powered by machine learning, so the new Xero App Store makes it easier than ever for small businesses to find the right apps for their needs, based on their unique industry profile.”

They’ve also added more detailed app reviews, seamless single sign-up, and the ability to trial and securely purchase apps in just a few clicks using a single Xero login is beginning to be rolled out across the Xero App Store.

“Rather than having a confusing mess of paper and computer-based processes running across a number of different product platforms — none of which talk to each other very well — Xero app partners are directly integrated into the Xero platform through our open APIs,” Houldsworth says.

“These apps communicate with Xero, and in some cases with each other, helping to create a simple, single view of your business, increasing productivity and efficiency, reducing costs and saving you time.”

We all use apps every day to help run our lives, and you can use apps to help run your business together with Xero. Find, choose and buy Xero apps at apps.xero.com.