9 Great Daily Habit Apps for Entrepreneurs

I've got a specific folder on my phone dedicated to those treasured apps I use daily. These apps keep me on the straight and narrow, inspire me and help me be more successful in my business and personal life.

I've built up this collection over the years but only started using it religiously every day in 2021. So far, it has helped me gain better visibility and control over my finances, given me renewed focus for the day, and inspired me. You might not agree with some of these, but I'm pretty sure you will find at least one of them extremely helpful if you're not already ahead of the game.

All of these apps are free to start with, with some having pro versions that unlock more features.

1) 22Seven: Boss Your Money

I'm useless (let me rephrase that: I was useless) with finances. 22Seven has helped me create two separate budgets – one for my personal life and one for my business. Logging in and sorting my transactions daily helps me stay accountable for my spending. It actually becomes a bit like a game – and I can be fiercely competitive.

2) Headspace: Meditation and Sleep

I struggle with focusing on one thing at a time. It's the nature of running your own business and wearing many hats. Sometimes, it can also be difficult to fall asleep, as I'm always making mental checklists for the following day. I have solved this problem in two ways.

One, I physically write out my To-Do list for the next day BEFORE getting into bed.

Two, I meditate. In the mornings, I spend 10 minutes sitting on our balcony with my earphones, listening to Eve's soothing voice (my preferred 'teacher') and 'zone out' for 10 minutes. It has been life-changing. Some days are HARD, but I always get up feeling lighter and more focused. When I do this before going to bed, I simply press play and fall asleep to the sound of Eve's voice.

3) Clockify Time Tracking

Do you really know how you are spending the hours in your day? We all get the same amount of hours, after all. Now, I only use Clockify to track my billable work, but it is an incredible productivity tool, forcing (and enabling) you to look back on where you spent your time. It also makes invoicing a breeze, which brings me to my next point.

4) Wave: Financial Tool for Entrepreneurs 

Sending estimate quotes and invoices in a flash, I love using Wave. It is free and very user-friendly and gives you customisation and reminder options. I’m sure there are many other great ones out there, but I have been using this since day one when I started my own business. 

5) One Calendar

At one point, when I started signing different clients, it was so stressful managing all my different diaries. Now, with One Calendar, I sync everything in one neat calendar, giving me an overview of my week's meetings.

6) Rocketbook 

A couple of months into running my own business, I realised that I was going through notebooks – fast! As a copywriter and avid note-taker, you can only imagine how many pages I filled in a day. Then I came across the Rocketbook. Now, it's not really an app, but it comes with an app that helps you scan and save your notes to the Cloud. 

7) To-Do 

How many times do you arrive at the shop and realise that you left your shopping list at home? This used to be me ALL the time! As the name suggests, To-Do is a digital To-Do list on your phone.

What I really love about it is that you can invite others to join the list, so someone else can add items to the list in real time.

8) Udemy 

Education or self-improvement is always included in my monthly budget, and that's why I constantly buy Udemy courses and listen to them either on my computer or on my phone while on the go. For R300 bucks, you can often get a very insightful course. What I love about it is that it is almost more like a mentorship than a course. You get insight from real people actively working in these industries, not just a textbook.

9) Goodreads 

If you're anything like me, then the mere decision of what to read next can be overwhelming. With Goodreads, you can get recommendations based on other books you've liked, see book reviews, and see what your friends are currently reading, what they've rated as excellent, and which books you should rather not waste your time on. I love this app! I'm just jealous that I did not come up with the idea for it first.