When you’re managing a busy import-export business, you’ve got several balls in the air at any given moment. In order to be successful, you need to:
- Run on global time
- Understand the nuances of different cultures
- Manage multiple currencies
- Optimize your operation workflow
- Keep an eye on cash flow
For all of these reasons, it’s critical that you streamline your operation and move workflows to the cloud. At BorderBuddy, we’ve made it part of our core mission to continually innovate, not only for our own convenience but to streamline our customers’ operations as well.
These are 7 excellent workflow apps to help you optimize your import-export business.
1. Emerge App
There has been a lot of buzz about Emerge, and its creator Ben Yee. After starting a custom t-shirt printing business, Yee was struggling with his inventory that was stocked with every possible size, color, and material. It became clear that he had to invest in software, as spreadsheets didn’t scale with his business.
Nothing in the market at that time suited his small business, so he wrote his own inventory management software, which would become Emerge.
Emerge is extremely versatile–great for businesses of all sizes. It is suitable for B2B wholesalers, distributors, and e-commerce merchants. It provides solutions for import-export, inventory and accounts, and multi-channel sales. It streamlines the e-commerce management process by reducing human error.
Emerge allows you to use as many currencies as you need in your business. All international currencies are supported, with the exception of cryptocurrencies! Several different pricing plans are offered, so you can find the scale that’s just right for your business.
2. Speak and Translate
Speak and Translate is the indispensable all-languages voice translator and interpreter fits in your back pocket.
This app promptly catches your voice and will translate it into pretty much any language you desire. In addition to translating, it provides a dictionary in all languages. Its simple, intuitive user interface has been the number-one reason for the app’s growth in popularity.
If you are traveling internationally, and you don’t know the language of the country you are in, Speak and Translate may just become your new best friend.
3. HS Code Handbook
This app provides information about distinct national customs codes from all around the globe. If you don’t have a solid grasp of customs codes for the countries you will be doing business with, you could end up making costly mistakes. HS Code Handbook is your little black book so you can have all the relevant customs codes that you need to know right at your fingertips. It features and capabilities:
- HS Code Chapter and Heading Description
- Buyers Search Function
- Buyers Registration Function
- Send Business Information Notification Function
4. Slack
Slack is not necessarily designed specifically for the import-export business–it is widely used across many organizations both large and small.
Slack is great for communicating with people you work with and with specifically designated teams. Slack has channels, which is where you can post everything related to a project, topic, or team. Everyone in a channel sees the same messages and stays on the same page. You can keep files and the messages about them together in channels. If working face to face is easier, go from channel to voice or video call in a click.
One of the features people really love is that Slack basically functions like a chatroom. Rather than searching through threads in your personal email, you can organize information by project or by team or client–and it is highly customizable to suit your needs. You can make your tools more accessible and useful by connecting them all in one place, build your own time-saving workflows and integrate your internal tools with the Slack APIs.
5. HKTDC Mobile apps
Developed by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, these apps provide incisive economic and policy analysis, as well as market information from around the world to help companies capture opportunities for expansion and development. Vendors and buyers alike will find these apps useful. They offer fresh market insights, regulatory alerts, diverse multimedia content, and business case studies by experienced economists, so you can stay ahead in the market.
6. UPS Mobile
If you use UPS, this is an essential. With UPS Mobile, you can get important shipment information anytime and anywhere.
Track Packages
- Enter or scan your tracking or InfoNotice number to view package status
- Nickname shipments for future reference
- Access saved tracking numbers for up to 75 packages
Ship a Package
- Create shipments quickly using your ups.com shipping and payment preferences
- Use your UPS Address Book for quick entry of information
- Guest shipping is also available for users without a UPS ID
Get a Quote
- Obtain rate and transit time quotes
- Convert your quote into a shipment to reduce key-entry on shipping screens
The ability to monitor your shipments with precision can give you a much better understanding of the whereabouts of your cargo, as well as the peace of mind that comes with knowing your shipment is safely on its way.
Traveling and managing your operations has become so much more doable with the advent of laptops–and with smartphones and mobile apps, it’s truly incredible when you discover all that you can manage right from the palm of your hand, even when you’re halfway around the globe.
When you familiarize yourself with the workflow management software out there and put it to use, you’ll be spending a lot less time and aggravation on the day-to-day operations. You now have the freedom to focus on growing your business and looking for new innovations to stay ahead of the competition.
Give your buddy at the border a call so we can provide customs solutions for you!