Business Apps Part 2: Square

What’s your very favourite app that helps you run your business? I imagine this is different for everyone, but on the off chance that your needs are the exact same as my needs (and why wouldn’t they be – I’m very universal), I wanted to share with you my top 3 favourite business apps. Last week, I told you all about Evernote. This week, I want to talk to you about the wonder of Square.

What is Square

If you’ve ever shopped at a craft fair, you’ve probably already used Square. It’s that little white square that plugs into a phone or tablet and allows you to swipe credit cards. Or it’s a bigger square that you can tap your tappable cards on. Or, more recently, it could be a full-on terminal.

What makes it great

If you are someone whose business would benefit from taking money on the go or have a home business with in-person clientele, Square is a great solution. I use the basic Square card reader. You can take payments for a pretty reasonable fee, absolutely anywhere. (Check out the fees here). In addition, you can use the dashboard to invoice people. That way, you never have to look them in the eye, or even wear pants! The app keeps track of your clients and your revenue so you can easily check back on past transactions and reissue receipts. There are functional and adaptable reports, as well as gift cards and an integrated appointment app.

You can also get as many of the squares (the card reader that plugs into your phone) as you want, in case you lose them or have a team. They sell them at places like London Drugs too. So if you suddenly found yourself without one, there is a quick solution. If you have an account, all it would take is a rush trip to your nearest large pharmacy and you are back in business!

Square is a great little tool to use in your business. If you want to take payments anywhere you have an internet connection and a device, I highly recommend them.