Running a small business is never easy. There are networking contacts to manage, meetings to attend, and expenses to keep track of. Small business owners often wear many hats and multitask to run a business on a daily basis. Fortunately, there are ways to simplify these tasks, and the smartphone is a perfect device to get the job done. Many free apps are available for the Android phone that are designed to make life easier for anyone running or operating a business.

CamCard Lite – This free version of the highly rated CamCard app that makes it easy to share and save business cards in one place. It is the epitome of a digital rolodex. Business cards are captured via the phone’s camera and contact details are saved to the phone’s address book and searchable, making it easy to organize and find the right contact for your business needs. The lite version allows users to capture 10 cards for the first week and then 2 cards per week after that. For heavy network users who collect a lot of cards per week, there is the full upgrade for $11.99 with no limitations.

google voice – Google Voice has transformed the way many use and manage their communications. With a Google Voice number, you can forward your calls to all your numbers, including your cell phone, landline, and business office number. Voice messages are transcribed and can be sent via email or text message. The service also allows you to make free calls and text messages within the United States and Canada, both from your phone and from your desktop computer. International calls are much cheaper than the traditional counterparts.

barcode scanner – Although not specifically a business app, Barcode Scanner allows you to scan product barcodes and QR codes on the go. From QR codes, you can save contact information, calendar events, text messages, and URLs, and display the information on a map. You can also create your own QR codes to share with colleagues who can scan them right from their phone.

bulk – This new information sharing application allows you to share data or contact information with someone else’s phone with a fist bump. When selecting the item you want to share, simply hold your phone and lightly tap your fist with another Bump user.

PDANet – Have you ever gone to a meeting with a client and discovered that their Internet connection was bad or non-existent? PDANet is useful in these situations. This app is a great utility that allows you to share the internet connection from your phone with your computer without rooting your phone. Your connection speed will be the same as your phone’s.

camera scanner – This useful application turns your phone into a document scanner. Save business expense receipts or capture whiteboard notes in your office for reference on the go. CamScanner allows you to scan multi-page documents and perform batch processing. Scanned files are converted to PDF format and can be shared via third-party services like Dropbox or Google Docs.

astro file manager – This app is a multipurpose tool to manage all your files on your Android. It allows you to copy, rename, move, delete and email attachments with ease. You can also extract compressed or tarred files. Also, this app monitors your memory and CPU usage, lets you see what processes are running, and lets you back up your files and apps to a memory card.

In this age of mobile devices, the smartphone has become a small business owner’s best friend. As the Android app development market continues to grow, more advanced tools will be within reach and will continue to be the way people do business.