Anyone with a smartphone or tablet device knows how handy downloadable apps can be. Check out these apps for small business owners and other 21st-century professionals.

Businesses and consumers have taken a shine to apps. This summer, Apple sold its 15 billionth app and a poll by the National Retail Federation revealed that half of U.S. smartphone users will rely on their devices for holiday shopping by researching products and reading product reviews. Additionally, 16 percent of smartphone users will be using their devices to actively make holiday gift purchases, while the number of tablet users is much higher (70 percent).

More companies are offering free apps to mobile device users to better enable them to navigate websites and purchase items. Additionally, businesses are supplying employees with mobile devices loaded with apps to help them maintain workflow and better accomplish tasks.

Below are a handful of apps that could serve as a great gift for the special business professional in your life.

Credit Card Terminal
There are a number of credit card apps for small businesses, but Credit Card Terminal is one of the most popular. The Credit Card Terminal app allows the user to attach a small plastic swiper to an iPhone and run credit card purchases through the device. Customers can sign through an online touch capture and, if they enter their email address, they can receive a PDF receipt. The app requires an Authorize.Net account plus monthly fees, but handles a variety of “point of sale” (POS) activity. For more credit card POS apps, see Practical eCommerce’s roundup.

TripIt
Are you the type who panics about making flights or finding hotels? The TripIt app makes managing your business trips easy by compiling all of the data in your itinerary in one place and providing easy access to car rental and other services. With TripIt Business, you can also track your coworkers’ itineraries and keep your boss informed of your progress.

Business Card Reader
While you’re on your trip, you might find yourself networking with other professionals who offer their business cards. Anyone who has attended a conference knows that these cards can pile up, and in the hustle and bustle of packing and air travel, small cards can sometimes get lost. With the Business Card Reader you can turn your handheld device into a business card scanner and it allows you to import the information directly to your address book for future reference.

PDF Expert
If you need to keep track of contracts and forms in PDF format, PDF Expert allows easy text manipulation and reading services. You can annotate, sign and edit PDFs with this app before transferring them to your computer, Google Documents or outgoing email. Similar apps, like Documents To Go, allow access to other document formats as well and Easy Sign enables a quick, safe, digital way to sign documents.

DropBox
If you have trouble keeping track of your documents and other files or have them spread across various computers and devices, you can use DropBox to keep yourself connected to your work at all times. DropBox allows you to manage and archive your video, audio, presentation and document files between your desktop, laptop and mobile device even in the absence of an internet connection.

Resources

Apple’s App Store Downloads Top 15 Billion
Apple.com, July 7, 2011

Give the Gift of Better Apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
by Adam Dachis
LifeHacker, Dec. 7, 2011

Give the Gift of Better Apps for Android
by Alan Henry
LifeHacker, Dec. 7, 2011

5 Best Apps for Business
by Michal Lev-Ram
CNN Money, June 7, 2011

Best Free Android Apps of 2011
by Eric Mack
CIO.com, 2011

8 Job-Related Smartphone Apps
CareerBuilder.com

Best Business Apps of 2010
Inc.com, 2010

25 Top Business Apps for the iPad
SloDive, 2011

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Web 2.0: Top 25 Apps to Grow Your Business
Aviva Directory

Top 10 Holiday Trends for 2011
Ellen Davis
Retail’s Big Blog (National Retail Federation), Nov. 1, 2011

Apple Has a 10 Billionth App Sold Contest and I’m Going to Win!
by Guy Serle
MyMac, Jan. 14, 2011

11 Credit Card Apps, Swipers for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry
by Matt Ferner
Practical eCommerce, Jan 6, 2011

Apple Adds “Gift This App” Option to App Store
by Dan Moren
MacWorld, March 22, 2010