11 iPad Business Apps I Can’t Live Without

I’ll never forget the day I finally got my iPad…

Funny story. So my kids and I went to BestBuy to look around at the latest gadgets and whatnot. When we first got to hold the iPad, they had a GT Racing app on display and it was like nothing we had ever played. You just hold the iPad up in front of you and turn it like a steering wheel to drive. It had crystal clear graphics and an ultra responsive display. My kids and I were in love.

For me it was less about the games, but the business possibilities. I’m a lefty and I have always been sort of screwed when it comes to using a mouse to get my ideas on digital paper. But the iPad finally leveled the playing field for all left handed people around the world

Here’s the funny part. That day I put in an order for my iPad 1 I was told that it wouldn’t be delivered for several weeks. But then it happened, it came. As soon as I got it I had to open it up and begin to download every business app I could get my hands on.

But I couldn’t let the kids see it just yet, otherwise I would never hear the end of it. (If you’re a parent you know what I’m getting at)

So I had to hide the fact that the iPad arrived just for a day or two. So Dad could have some play time…

I forgot one small detail… I left the cover to the box downstairs in the kitchen.

As soon as my kids came home, all I hear is “IPAAAAD!”

After locking myself in my office, trying to keep the little hooligans out. I caved.

Eventually the newness wore off the illustrious iPad, and in the process I downloaded every business app in the app store until I found THE ONES. The apps I can’t live without. So here it is, after years of intense research. My top 11 Business Apps.

FastPDF+

This is by far my favorite PDF reader on the iPad. I have always had a problem with ebooks spread all over my hard drive, but not anymore. I now have every PDF in one place, a treasure trove of business wisdom always within easy access.

Brushes

I love, love, love Brushes. It’s a drawing app that makes it incredibly easy to jot down ideas or to take a screenshot on the iPad to make notes for employees or outsourced workers.

Dropbox

If you haven’t got a Dropbox account yet, go get it now. C’mon man get with it. It’s the best thing since sliced bread.

But seriously, a great app to access important information on the go.

Air Video

Now if you’re like me you have tons of business information in .mov, .wmv, .avi, .flv, etc sitting on your computer and there are times you want to review this material, but not be chained to your computer. This is the app that will free you to hang out in the backyard and watch anything that is on your computers harddrive, without ever having to store it on your iPad.

Penultimate

Looking to turn your iPad into a virtual notebook? I have reviewed tons of note taking apps and I always come back to Penultimate at the end of the day. I use this at all masterminds, all seminars, and all workshops. It keeps everything neatly organized in virtual mole skin notebooks and allows you to email your notes in PDF format to colleagues, etc.

I even use this to create bonuses to products, webinars, etc. It’s fast, looks cool, and it delivers that personal touch.

iDisplay

Would you like to extend the size of your monitor on your laptop while traveling, or on your desktop so you have some scratch space? This is the app for you.

Tip: I use this when recording sales videos. I put keynote in presentation mode and have the presenters window display on the iPad using iDisplay. Then I can see what slides are coming next, and how much time I have been recording. It really allows me to work efficiently and do my recordings in less takes.

iAnnotate PDF

This is a must have for anyone in business. One of my life long pet peeves has been signing contracts on paper and then scanning them into fax or email. Well my friend, with iAnnotate you will never have to do this tedious task again.

With this app simply open a PDF that has been sent via email, sign it on the iPad, and email it back signed. Easy peesy.

MindMeister

I used to use Mindjet’s Mind Mapping product, but ever since I started using MindMeister I have never looked back. This iPad app brings the same experience you get from MindMeister on the web into the palm of your hands. Great for mapping out all your brilliant business plans

Pandora

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy… you don’t want to be a stuffy business type now do ya. Ok, so we all love music, even when we are working. Pandora I simply cannot live without. I have been introduced to more new music using this application than any other source of media, friends, etc. It’s like a robot that figures out what you like to hear.

Teleprompt+

If you are looking to record videos, and want to work off a script. Then you need a teleprompter, typically those cost in the ballpark of $800. Now you can get it for about 20 bucks. Well worth the investment. I have reviewed all the telepromter apps in the app store, this is by far my favorite. It syncs up with Dropbox to pull the scripts into the app, and it can even record the audio within the app if you choose.

iA Writer

I never thought I would be able to effectively write on the iPad, until I found iA Writer. If you write content for your business, you need this app. It’s no frills, but that’s what makes it brilliant. It forces you to focus.

I use it to write sales copy, emails, blog posts, etc. Get it!

Now of course there are tons of other business apps in the Apple App Store, but these 11 are the ones I simply cannot live without. Most of the others I could find alternatives to, or would prefer the desktop version.

Of course there is more to the iPad than just apps. Here are the accessories I can’t live without either.

Dodo Case

I am a little old school in my tastes. I like to swing dance, listen to old music from time to time, and I like my books to be hard bound. What I don’t like about the iPad is that out of the box it can get away from you; hard to carry around unless you have some geeky rubberized case. So here is the solution. It’s called Dodo Case, and it takes all the latest tech, and wraps it in an old school binding. I love this product, and I am sure you will too.

One thing to mention. This is made of wood, and a book binding. It won’t last forever. Expect to replace it yearly, at a minimum.

Targus iPad Stylus

This little pen is what finally unlocked the doors for me to start cartooning in digital form. I never invested in one of the desktop pads to use in Photoshop etc. Honeslty, I never really wanted to learn the fancy stuff with digital drawing. I just like to draw.

But with this Stylus, I have almost replaced paper. I used to have stacks of legal pads lying around with notes and brainstorms. But now I have it all stored digitally in the iPad.

If you are going to pick one of these up, I recommend getting the longer version. It feels a little more like a pen.

So there you have it. The 11 iPad Business Apps I simply cannot live without. Of course there are several games and fun apps I play with here and there, but grab these apps and you can’t go wrong.

Leave a comment below if the iPad has totally changed the way you do business, or if you have a gem of a business app I may have missed. Now time to get back to work… all I need is some coffee and the iPad.

Tagged as: Apple iPad, Business Apps, iPad, Marketing Apps