Editor’s Note: We think of entrepreneurs as being on the cutting edge. They have the new ideas, the new creations, and the innovative ideas that turn thoughts into actualities. So I hit Fulton Street’s Start-Up Alley (the current hot spot for New Orleans Entrepreneur Week) to ask some NOEW attendees and presenters about the smartphone Apps that keep them invigorated and interested. Here’s an inside peek at entrepreneurs’ smartphones.
Sean O’Neille, Couchster (Photo: Renee Peck)
The entrepreneur: Sean O’Neill
His start-up: Couchster, which delivers meals to your, well, couch, from more than 70 local restaurants. With a marketing mission of “Please, don’t get up,” Couchster brings dinner to your door daily in the metro NOLA region, and is planning expansion into Baton Rouge this summer. And O’Neill sees other services in his future: dry cleaning, anyone?
His phone: Moto X Android
Favorite apps: “Is Chrome an App?” Runner-up is Telegram, a message app that he uses to connect with his drivers. “It has lots of features — group chats, private chats” that he uses for his business. Trillo is good, he says, for shared workforce tasks like assignments.
What apps does he not use: “Half of them I’ve never opened.” Bye bye, Evernote. And Twitter.
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Aaron Varonne, Swipeifieds (Photo: Renee Peck)
The entrepreneur: Aaron Varrone
The start-up: Swipeifieds, a next-gen answer to classified ads. “People within a 5-mile radius can post whatever they are selling in real time, connecting through Facebook. It answers the questions, How do you know if you’re dealing with someone legitimate? And that they really have that item?” The service is free, and currently targeted at colleges and local communities. The app, eight months in development so far, is currently in the Beta stage. “I love New Orleans. Here, anyone can be an entrepreneur,” says the Connecticut native who has been in New Orleans for the past 3 1/2 years.
His phone: iPhone 6
His app count: 20. “I use the majority of them.”
Favorite app: Messaging app What’sApp. “I have a lot of friends internationally, and this is useful for keeping up with them.”
Guilty pleasure: iRadar, which tracks traffic camera placements and speed stops. “I would use it more often, but now that I’m in New Orleans I rarely drive.”
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Sonny Smith, Juggle Enterprises (Photo: Renee Peck)
The entrepreneurs: Sonny Smith and Brendan Minard
The start-up: Juggle Enterprises, an online support and scheduling app for businesses. “It works well with people like contractors and others who have people on site,” says Sonny. The company was born when Brendan approached Sonny for help with logistics for his NOLA dog-walking business, K9secondline. The result is useful but fun, say its creators. “We call it the Candy Crush of scheduling.” Why not, with a hashtag that reads #losersscheduleballersjuggle.
The phones: iPhone 5 (Sonny: “I’m a utilitarian kind of guy”) and iPhone 6 (Brendan)
The app numbers: Probably 160 (Sonny). Maybe 110 (Brendan). Both are self-described “power users,” using everything on the screen.
Go-to programs: Sonny: Slack, a chat tool somewhat like Skype; Trillo, a
Brendan Minard, Juggle — and k(secondline (Photo: Renee Peck)
business management tool. Says Sonny: “I tend to have themes around my apps. Like I have maybe 7 apps for travel.” Brendad: Stack and Google Hangout.
Biggest app fail: Brendan: “Groupon is the most annoying. I look at it as the most time consuming for the least reward.”
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