by DJ Miller

Working together is easier when you have the right apps to support collaboration. Try these top Google apps to make your next business project a breeze.

Mind Map Memo PRO

Price: $2.17

Of all the mind mapping apps that work on Android devices, Mind Map Memo PRO gives you the most for your money. This app makes it easy for you to create new mind maps or open existing mind maps in .mmm or SD formats.

If you can sketch a map on a piece of paper, then you can use this app. Actually, you don’t even need the ability to draw a simple sketch, since it comes with pre-formatted maps. You just fill in the fields while you brainstorm ideas.

Creately

Price: $25 per month for five users; $45 for ten; $75 for 25

Designing a diagram often requires a lot of back and forth with clients and colleagues. You make a first draft, often with minimal input. Then it comes back with notes that rearrange your whole approach. Then that happens again and again. Eventually, you find a design that satisfies your client.

Creately simplifies this process by letting you collaborate in real-time. It’s like having your clients and colleagues in the same room with you.

Creately also lets team members leave reviews and comments on the design. Since the app uses post-it note comments, you get concise thoughts, not a lot of meaningless clutter. You get simple responses that help shape the final diagram.

A Google Nexus device or similar Android tablet that can use all of the latest Google apps makes your job even easier.

GQueues

Price: app download is free; subscription costs $25 per year

GQueues offers several project management benefits that will help you and your team finish projects on time. Essentially, GQueues lets you create and assign tasks to people working on your projects. The app includes a lot of extras, though, that makes it even more useful.

Some of the key features include:

  • Repeating tasks for daily, weekly, or monthly work
  • Google Calendar integration that keeps you connected no matter what device you use
  • SSL encryption that keeps your data secure
  • Voice input so you don’t have to fiddle with buttons to schedule an assignment
  • Deadline reminders

This isn’t your typical calendar app. It’s a secretary that continually reminds you and your team members to get jobs done on time. For $25, you can’t beat that.

Bantam Live

Price: $29 per month for up to six users; $49 for seven to 12; $85 for 13 to 25

Bantam Live has several features that make it a great app for business projects. If you already have created a project, then you can use Bantam Live to assign tasks to employees. Everyone on the team can look at past, current, and future deadlines. Seeing your milestones will also keep everyone motivated to work harder until the project is done.

This app also gives you and your team a real-time, private chat space. As long as you have a mobile device or computer in front of you, you can trade files, discuss the project, or make other plans.

These features make it great for project managers. Bantam Live, however, was really created to meet the needs of entrepreneurs who want to make connections and form business alliances. The app connects to Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking tools to help you find new partners and clients.

You even get to create a public profile that will help like-minded entrepreneurs find you when they look for partners  for upcoming projects. Tags will also help you find people who might want to work with you in the future.

Manymoon

Price: Free

If you want to try using a project management app in your business, Manymoon is a good place to start. Its free price certainly doesn’t hurt. You also get the key features that you need from reliable project management software. It lets you assign and manage tasks, making it simple for you to stay on top of your project goals.

Manymoon makes things a little easier by integrating with Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar. Since you can assign tasks from within emails, you get to schedule the task on a shared calendar, send your partner an email, and log the task on your project management software, just by sending one email.

You won’t get the detailed analytics that GQueues offers, but you get a useful application that gets the job done. If you don’t need anything too fancy, this is a great option.

DJ Miller is a graduate student at the University of Tampa. He is an avid gadget geek who spends most his time writing on anything tech related. In his spare time he likes to travel, play soccer, and watch movies on his T-Mobile Google Nexus tablet. You can follow him on twitter @MillerHeWrote


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