There seems to be something that always needs to get done in the busy world of an entrepreneur, whether it is in your personal or professional life. The list of tasks seems never-ending, especially if you are not visualizing it by writing them down. One thing that can make your workdays a lot easier and more efficient is by making a to-do list. Thankfully, in today’s Digital Age, you do not have to use a pen and paper because there are new apps launching left and right to help.
It can be overwhelming to try them all out to find the perfect one for you, which is why we researched the best to-do list apps for entrepreneurs so you don’t have to. However your work process flows, one of these apps is sure to be the perfect fit.
But, before we dive into the apps, let’s talk about what makes a great to-do list app.
Every entrepreneur has different criteria when it comes to creating and managing to-do lists. Here are key features that make the best to-do list, and that we also included when choosing the apps we are about to share.
A great to-do list should:
Make it easy to add and organize tasks. It shouldn’t take you more than a few seconds to add a task and categorize it. With the exception of adding in more details within the task.
Remind you about the status of tasks. This is especially important for deadlines. You should receive a notification to your device or emails when something needs to be completed.
Have a user-friendly interface. Like any application, it should be easy to use so you can get back to completing the tasks.
Be accessible on multiple devices. Different applications will be accessible on different devices, but if you want the best app, be sure it can be used on your desktop and mobile platforms.
Offer various ways to manage tasks. It should allow you to categorize, create lists, projects, and due dates to be as efficient as possible. There are apps that offer more detailed features for your liking.
Working with a team or on more collaborative projects? Asana was designed to improve team collaboration and work management. It helps teams manage projects and tasks in one tool. Within the app, teams can create projects, assign work to teammates, specify deadlines, and communicate about tasks directly on one platform. Our favorite part is getting to hit the check button and seeing a cute animal flying across the screen in satisfaction of a completed task.
The app is available on mobile and desktop platforms, and the interface is easy to use and as clean on one device as it is on another.
For Microsoft users, this to-do list app is perfect to sync with your current products. With Microsoft To Do, you can add tasks quickly and have a lot of flexibility with a user-friendly interface. Outlook users can sync their tasks into the app, which is the first time Outlook tasks has ever been able to sync to mobile devices. Windows users can add tasks using Cortana or by typing in the ‘Start’ menu. For example, you can type “add a meeting at 9 to my to-do list,” and the meeting will be added to a list called “to-do.”
It also allows you to customize the background for each list, making it easier to identify what you are looking at. This app is available as an application and online on Windows, Apple Devices, and Androids.
The best to-do list app for users who have a very specific organizational system that they are not willing to compromise. OmniFocus is an Apple-exclusive app that was built around the Getting Things Done methodology by David Allen. Within the app, you can choose from three different kinds of projects to set up; repeating, one-off items, and deadlined tasks. There are also six main views by default that allow you to organize tasks by due date, projects, and tags. But that isn’t all, with the Pro version you can add even more views and ways to get organized. To put it simply, if there is a to-do list feature you want to incorporate into your workflow, OmniFocus has it.
It currently only syncs between Apple devices and is available for mobile, however, there is a web version in testing.
If you like to use Google products, then you will love this to-do list app. Quickly add tasks and sync the app with your Google Calendar to make adding in your scheduled events easy. It is a very simple interface that allows you to set due dates, create lists and make subtasks, but not much else outside of these features. Perfect for those who put simplicity over complexity, and those who always have their Gmail or G-Suite products open on their computer.
If you’re the type of person who forgets to use to-do apps, then Any.do is your perfect match. It offers a clean user interface that makes it quick and easy to add tasks, organize them into your created lists, and add deadlines. There are two main features: a to-do list and a calendar so you have options on how you want to view your day. Our favorite part is the “Plan My Day” feature that practically forces you to create your tasks and when you will accomplish them so that you have a reminder to complete them.
The desktop version isn’t as polished as the mobile app, but the mobile version alone will serve most of your needs. Users have the option of syncing their app with Google Calendar, Exchange or iCloud - efficiency at its finest!
and then Add to Home Screen.
