Many apps allow you to manage your small business through a mobile device. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of apps can be overwhelming, making it a daunting task to determine the best ones for your business. Undaunted, we have zeroed in on 9 of the best apps for on-the-go business owners. (Our research consisted of asking our small business owner boss to show us his iPhone and tell us his favorite work-related apps.)

1. Quickbooks

(Image: via quickbooks)

Quickbooks, as every small business owner knows, is an easy-to-use accounting program. It’s now available for smartphones, tablets and computers. It efficiently manages all day-to-day financial tasks from bookkeeping and billing to tracking expenses and sales, giving you a firm grasp on your business’ finances on the go.

2. Dropbox

(Image: on Flickr via kilokon.tw)

Dropbox provides 2 GB of free, secure, easy-to-access and easy-to-share online storage space for all kinds of documents, with larger storage available for fees ranging from $8 to $40 per month. How we lived without it, we don’t know.

3. Evernote

(Image: on via Evernote)

Evernote is the ultimate application for the dedicated notetaker. (At least that’s what the Head Helper at SmallBusiness.com says emphatically.) Besides note taking, Evernote can archive text, webpages, photos, voice memos, files and even hand-written messages. No more searching for scraps of paper to jot down a brilliant idea or important info—just grab your phone and put it into Evernote. Pay for the premium version and you can turn your life over to it.

 4. Google drive

(Image: via google)

With 15 GB of free storage, Google’s new drive app allows you to upload, organize and store all sorts of files securely in the Cloud. So you can access the drive anytime, anywhere and share with anyone who has a Google account. For small businesses using Google Apps for Business, it’s a must.

5. Bump

(Image via bu.mp)

Bump is the newest smart phone innovation in business networking, available for either iPhone or Android systems. (Although, by “newest,” we mean it’s been around for years, but you’re just hearing about it because Google recently bought the company.) By simply bumping your smartphone against another person’s device, you can exchange contact information, document files and photographs.

 6. Basecamp

(Image: via Basecamp)

Basecamp is a project management program that allows small businesses to organize, collaborate and efficiently execute various projects. It’s your office on the web. At least it is for us at SmallBusiness.com. (And the app is, in some ways, even better organized than the browser version.)

7. Square

(Image: via Squareup)

Ever since it was released in 2010, Square has made payment transactions via a smartphone possible and easy for small businesses. There’s no monthly fee: Square automatically deducts 2.75 percent from each transaction. And it’s not just for business—individuals can use it, too. So your always cash-poor friend Bob can finally pay back that $50 he’s been owing you. If you haven’t seen one in use, you haven’t ridden in a taxi or gone to a flea market lately.

 8. Tripit

(Image: via Tripit)

Tripit is a comprehensive itinerary app for the small business professional who travels a lot. It consolidates all flights, car rentals, hotels and other details. Tripit also offers weather reports and regional maps. It makes whomever in your office used to organize travel plans a very happy person.

9. Feedly

(Image: via play.google)

Feedly is a user-friendly RSS feed  reader similar to, but amazingly superior to, the late GoogleReader. By collecting articles from various websites and organizing them into categories, the Feedly app offers one of the fastest and most intuitive ways to peruse the news from a mobile device. If you want to track the news happening in your industry or with your fantasy league players, it’s a must.

(Featured photo: on Flickr via ilamont.com)