These are some top apps for smaller companies

The Charlotte Observer asked Tony Rodono, owner of City Prints map decor business, for his best tech tips to fellow small-business owners. He wrote this list of favorite applications and online services:

1. Wunderlist: This is a to-do list task management tool. It’s the first thing I check in the morning and the first tab open in my browser at all times. It allows me to create a to-do list, and more importantly, assign a due date, notes and reminder alerts to each item. The app is available on all devices and platforms and syncs across them. Best of all, it’s free.

2. Trello: This is a project management app for online team collaboration. Team members can view and comment on project boards and it syncs to all team members on all devices in real-time. I’ve used Basecamp and the Action Method in the past, but Trello takes the cake. We use it to track progress of all our custom maps we’re developing and to stage future product series. It’s free also.

3. Zendesk: Customer service is a priority for us, and Zendesk makes support easy. All customer requests come into a portal categorized by the type of support request and its priority. My team can log in and respond to assigned support tickets and pass them to others to escalate a request.

4. Dropbox: All our 700-plus map prints are housed on our Dropbox account, which gives all my team members access to the latest files on any device. Sharing is easy, and the syncing is reliable.

5. Remote bank deposits: If you’re still going to the bank to deposit checks, you’re wasting a ton of time. If your bank doesn’t allow you to deposit checks from your phone, it’s time for a new bank.