Managing a project and collaborating with colleagues has never been easier thanks to an array of apps in the marketplace that increase productivity through improved communication, file sharing, workflow and time management. But there are a lot of apps to sift through.

So how many of those hundreds of apps out there that promise “increased productivity” and “optimized workflow” actually deliver and make your project easier?

Here’s a list of eight apps that will make your next project easier:

Asana – A hybrid project manager and task list app, Asana offers collaboration features for individuals and teams. It lets you keep up with assignments, tasks, attach files from Dropbox, and sync to the web-based version.

Azendoo – Another hybrid project management and task tool that offers a top-down view and plugs into popular services like Evernote and Dropbox.  Upload files to projects, track assignments, make comments and check on the status of teammates.

Cisco WebEx – Great for when team members travel, Cisco WebEx helps you conduct meetings remotely complete with PowerPoint presentations and shared files. Plus, it supports two-way video.

Dropbox – The quintessential app for file sharing and document collaboration. With Dropbox you can share .PDFs, files and folders, plus select files to access offline at a later time.

Evernote Business – Ideal for communication between departments, Evernote Business is like a digital whiteboard that shares knowledge across your company, department or team that everyone can access, share and edit.

Flow – Designed to make project management simple and collaborative, Flow keeps everyone involved in a project on the same page with project folders, individual components, assignments and itemized task lists.

Trello – This is an ideal app for organizing all of the components of a project into columns, cards and lists. Team members can add details, comment on, assign from person to person, and add new boards for new projects.

Yammer – An amped-up group chat app that also allows you to share photos/files and track projects, along with dozens of add-on apps to help make any team more productive.

The latest in technology is always key for mobile sales reps and sales teams.

There’s very little downside in leveraging the latest in technology to make your job easier and you more efficient. As mobile sales reps are increasingly finding out, there are all sorts of tools on the market to make them better at what they do. But, let’s face it, sorting through hundreds of sales mobile apps to find the perfect fit for your business needs can be exhausting.

The latest in mobile technology has made it realistic for mobile sales reps to do their entire job via a mobile device and an internet connection, but there are many products with many features to consider.

Based on product reviews and best-of rankings, here’s a list of the best apps for mobile sales representatives.

CloudOn – One of the must-haves if you’re a sales rep editing a lot of documents, CloudOn brings Microsoft Office to the iPad with all the functionality you need.

DropBox -  An incredible tool where you can store your files securely and access them from anywhere. It’s user-friendly, has options for public sharing and can sync with other apps.

Handshake – This simple and fast app is ideal for mobile reps and sales teams, enabling the ability to write orders and present a catalog.

SalesForce – The front-end of the powerful CRM software, this app connects you to manage your account with full functionality, a must-have if you use SalesForce.com.

RepZio – A full-fledged CRM package that is a turn-key sales rep, product catalog and showroom sales tool that is also simple to use, which makes it a dream for mobile sales reps.

SlideShark – Considered the top app for showing Power Point presentations in original form, which makes it a proven, powerful tool.

MileBug – Helps mobile reps effectively track all of the miles they’ve traveled, and reports can be exported as HTML files.

SquareWallet – Takes care of every aspect of payment processing in the field so you can bill customers and clients without having to worry.

EchoSign – A new e-signature app for mobile sales representatives who need to get documents signed quickly, it allows users to sign, send and manage documents.

Evernote for Business – This note-taking app allows users to write all of their sales notes and sync over the cloud, meaning they’re waiting for you next time you log on to your computer.

Many restaurants survive (or don’t) on word-of-mouth, which makes social media an obvious tool for restaurants to use in their online strategies to gain exposure.

Restaurant brands need to take strong hold of their social media presence. The space allows for direct, one-on-one connections to customers. Getting people to talk about your brand in social spaces can make a dramatic impact on business. Unfortunately, lack of planning, inactivity, and poor engagement damage the presence of many brands and result in poor results.

Here’s a look at ways restaurant brands can better leverage social media to gain exposure.

Keep Customers in the Loop – Do you have a new dish on the menu, or added a new beer to the mix? Have a new promotion, special, or event coming up? Let your most loyal customers know what’s going on as it happens. If your restaurant is busy and reservations are tough, announce cancellations on social media.

Post Pictures – Your food is your signature product, so why not share what your dishes look like and display what you have to offer? This strategy works well on sites like Pinterest and Instagram.

Highlight Customers – Many of your customers already talk to each other, so highlight them on social media to create community and build loyalty. Create campaigns for customers of the month or year.

Say Thank You – What’s easier than thanking your customers in the digital space, just as you do in person? Create different campaigns to say thank you to groups like teachers or military personnel.

Utilize Video Content – You’re an expert in your field, so leverage your brand presence to create original content to share via social media. Video is a mandatory medium, so create educational cooking videos to educate and connect with your customers. Create a library of your video content with a YouTube channel.

Mobility – If your restaurant is a food truck or even just has frequent off-site events, you can keep customers in the loop by posting your next location or daily menu items on Facebook or Twitter.

Exclusive Offers – Leverage social media like Foursquare to create special offers for first-time customers, or special offers available only online with passcodes. Integrate your various media channels to spread the word.

Create Conversation – Create regular, consistent conversations with customers by answering questions or complaints, or just responding when they mention your brand. Utilize hashtags to group the conversations. Compel people to participate with contests and promotions. Create daily, weekly, and monthly conversation calendars.

Promotions – The number of contents and promotions available via social media is only limited by your imagination. One of the easiest ways is to utilize your online customers. One New York City restaurant encouraged customers to take photos of their food and send it out with a hashtag for exposure and brand awareness. Offer specials and discounts for participation.

In many ways, public relations firms suffer from a public relations problem of their own.

There are many active misconceptions of what PR agencies do and do not do. Some view public relations as simply publicity or spin, while others see it as public speaking, schmoozing and dealing with the media. Each of these, however, are actually public relations tactics, representing a narrow interpretation of what firms provide for their clients.

The true focal point of public relations begins with strategy. Public relations is a management-level function, defined by PRSA as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

There are several reasons why myths about PR firms prevail. One is that public relations firms deal with organizational strategies and intangibles – ideas, images, reputations, branding, opinions – that are difficult to visualize and quantify. Another is that many who consider themselves as public relations professionals are actually conducting advertising or other paid communications. And then there is the irony that the PR industry does a poor job of letting others know what exactly it is that they do.

With all of that in mind, here are a few of the common misconceptions of PR firms:

Public relations is just publicity.
Publicity is just one of many tools used by PR Firms, one that needs to be strategically managed. In many cases publicity is not the most effective public relations solution.

Public relations is the same as advertising.
The job of a PR firm is to gain favorable coverage through relationships in the media because of the newsworthiness of the information, not by paying for it.

Public relations firms are really party planners.
As much as this image exists thanks to Sex in the City, much of what professionals do is work closely with clients to determine which strategy and tactics will help meet their communications and business objectives.

Public relations firms are unethical.
The best public relations professionals prioritize their clients’ long-term reputations. Anything short of proper ethics would be counterproductive and firms can’t afford to lose their reputations with the media.

There are a long list of people – marketers, business analysts, entrepreneurs, start-up owners and, yes, even bloggers – who will tell you that your product or service needs a blog.

Blogs aren’t just for bloggers. They’re for businesses, and the benefits are many. A blog isn’t just about sharing information and engaging with your customers. It can have a direct impact on reaching new customers, growing your business, building your brand, and establishing yourself as an industry expert.

Here are five of the top reasons to start a blog for your business so you can complete in your industry.

Thought leadership – A blog is a simple (and inexpensive) way to demonstrate your expertise and establish yourself as an industry leader. Sharing your thoughts, opinions, and analysis about industry news and trends, as well as the latest about your own products, positions you as an authority and an expert. How do you want potential customers to view your products and business? Soon those who read your blog will turn into paying customers.

Real value of content – There is tremendous value in creating original content. By creating quality content as the hub of your content marketing on all of your social media and digital channels, it acts as built-in content to power all of your platforms. These platforms (including podcasts, YouTube channels and photo-sharing sites) can create conversations and reach new customers, all of which points back to your site.

Blogs fuel Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Original content also plays big on search engines, which reward you for fresh, original content. With a blog that is correctly optimized for searches, you will boost your SEO ranking and make your content much easier to find than a static website. Why do search engine results matter? Research shows that 44 percent of online consumers begin by using a search engine and 61 percent of internet users research products online. If your website appears on one of the first pages of search results, people are more likely to find your website.

Reaching new customers – Wouldn’t you love to reach new customers? Blogs are an ideal way to reach customers and introduce them to your products at basically no cost. A Hubspot survey suggested 60 percent of businesses who blog acquire more customers. If you provide valuable information and high-quality content, your blog will develop a following and then be shared through your readers’ networks. Then, you can use public and media relations to turn your blog and industry leadership into interviews and media appearances.

Building your brand – A blog gives your business a voice and helps customers relate to your brand by differentiating it from your competition. It’s a space to share what your business is about beyond your static website. You can tell people what your brand is all about, create customer service opportunities, and let your personality shine. Customers will find your brand accessible, giving you the opportunity to create long-term relationships.

Target market insight – Analyzing your blog traffic and those who are using your content marketing will help you better understand your target market. Not only can you track how they respond to your content to find out what works and what doesn’t, but you will get a clear picture of who is interested in your products.