The market is full of tools and software that claim to increase productivity, save time, and make you more money.
As a digital nomad, an online business owner, or an entrepreneur, you probably value and strive for all of the above.
But the problem with most of the lists out there is that they don’t give you the hidden gems. Instead, they’re filled with tools you already know like EverNote and Google Docs.
While we don’t knock Google Docs or the lists that compile all the well-known tools, it’s time to talk about the lesser-known tools and software. The hidden gems of the business world.
We curated a not-so-obvious list of tools and software for digital entrepreneurs. The tools from this list will speed up your work, make it easier, and more pleasurable.
Warning, these tools and apps are likely to become your new favorites. So make space on your devices.
Essential Business Tools for Digital Nomads
These business tools are specifically related to the ‘back-end’ of your business. They will make up a part of your virtual back office. The spine of your business.
Virtual Mailbox
Sadly, many people don’t realize that Virtual Mailbox Services exist. Instead, they resort to P.O. Boxes or family and friends handling their mail.
A virtual mailbox is a modern, remote, and brilliant solution. It’s a virtual mail scanning service.
You pay a monthly fee to use the address of the mailbox service for your mail. The virtual mailbox service receives your mail, scans it, and uploads it for you. You can access and manage your mail from anywhere in the world.
All of this in return for a small monthly fee.
Read more about the benefits of a virtual mailbox here.
Remote Notary
A remote notary might not be a service that you’ll use every day, but it’s likely that you’ll need it at some point. Especially as your business grows, you start investing or thinking about your future finances.
Most people end up using a notary at some point. Business owners more frequently than others.
Instead of opting for the traditional trip to the notary, you can notarize your documents remotely.
This makes things easier if you’re a nomad, but also if you just want to save time in general. Rather than driving to a notary for a physical appointment, you can complete the whole process in minutes from your mobile phone or laptop.
Create an account with an Online Notary here.
Finance Tools and Software for Online Business Owners
When it comes to financing for your business, you have to make smart choices.
If you’re a one-man band, you probably don’t have financial advisors and a team of accountants at your side. Not yet anyway.
That makes you the big boss and leaves you in charge of all your finances, private and business. It’s safe to say that it’s one of the most important jobs.
The below tools aren’t magic. And the list isn’t extensive. But it’s something you can implement today and improve your finances a lot in the long run.
Wise
There are two main reasons why we recommend Wise to digital entrepreneurs and nomads.
The first reason is that you’ll be able to save on fees with international transfers. This is perfect for receiving payments from international clients.
The second is that you’ll have a multi currency account at your fingertips with some of the best exchange rate fees. This is perfect for your travels.
Also, check out similar banking apps like Revolut and N26.
PocketGuard
A step towards growing your business is understanding your finances in detail. If you don’t know where your money is going then you won’t know how to manage and invest it.
PocketGuard lets you keep an eye on your spending and income in a super user-friendly and efficient way.
We love PocketGuard. The app lets you export the data and use it in your own spreadsheets and for accounting purposes.
Coworking Spaces Finder for Digital Nomads
Whether you’re changing cities often, or maybe you just want to explore your city and find new workspaces, these apps will help you find the best-rated coworking spaces.
Laptop Friendly Cafes
See local cafes that have been visited by other nomads and rated for things like wi-if stability, electric plug availability, and food quality.
This is a fantastic platform. that will save you from wasting time and money on cafes that aren’t so good.
If you like Laptop Friendly Cafes, check out WorkFrom.co; they’re a very similar platform but they also include paid coworking spaces.
Travel Tools for Digital Nomads
You might have a lot of questions before travelling to a new destination or picking a new destination altogether. Budgeting, orienting yourself, the weather, etc. Find out everything you need before travelling to your new destination.
NomadList
NomadList is a great website that gives you all the necessary (and unnecessary) information you might want when deciding on your next destination.
Each city has its own ratings on safety, nightlife, and even air quality. You can also find budgeting recommendations on NomadList as each city has a living cost estimate.
The website also recommends the best areas to live in and other useful resources.
Productivity Tools for Digital Entrepreneurs and Freelancers
Last, but not least, are the productivity tools we recommend for digital entrepreneurs, freelancers, and business owners in general.
Krisp (Noise Cancelling)
If you are in meetings a lot (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google, Skype, etc.) then you’ll love Krisp.
Krisp is noise-cancelling software. With Krisp, you can run your meetings from busy cafes or other noisy places. Krisp will cancel out the noise without affecting the speed of the call.
It works both ways, so it’ll also cancel out the background noise from your client’s side so that you enjoy better quality audio.
Bonsai
If you don’t enjoy dealing with the accounting side of your business then Bonsai is here to save the day.
Bonsai is an automation platform for invoicing and payments, designed specifically for freelancers.
Bookafy
Automate your scheduling process with Bookafy.
With Bookafy you can set up a sequence that will allow your customer to schedule an appointment via a link, then the reminders and everything will be sent out automatically.
Another great app that speeds up administrative work.
We also recommend the free alternative which is Calendly.com
For more Digital Nomad and Entrepreneur resources check out our blog.
