The idea of running a successful business has changed immensely over the past several years. The ease and benefits of online access let entrepreneurs manage most projects anytime, and nearly anywhere.

Alex Genadinik of New York owns Problemio, a website that sells mobile applications to people who dream of starting new businesses.

His business partner, Zaakirah Rossier, lives in Cape Town, South Africa. South Africa is the fourth-biggest market where the mobile apps are sold, Genadinik said.

The apps are specifically targeted toward people who would like to learn how to protect their ideas, put a business plan together and learn to market their business.

The website features examples of business plans, articles on marketing strategies and ideas on how to achieve success. There are also some apps available to sample free.

“The main products are mobile apps for Android/iOS and Kindle,” said Genadinik. “The apps help people plan, start, and promote their business.

Genadinik said the website has been around since the spring of 2012. Since then, more than 200,000 combined apps have been downloaded.

“Zaakirah actually started out as a user of the apps,” Genadinik said. “She was actually one of the best users and that is how she joined (the company).”

Rossier said she wanted to join the business mainly to do public relations and social media.

“We decided to test media interest for Problemio’s apps in South Africa by sending out press releases and engaging with business and technology journalists,” Rossier said.

Rossier said she was interested in starting her own business and she came across the apps while searching for business plan tips on the Internet.

“I found Problemio and decided to download the app on GooglePlay,” Rossier said. “After reading through all the articles on the app, I saw that I could ask direct questions to the business experts.”

Shortly after, she developed a good working relationship with Genadinik and he invited her to join the company.

“The United States buys about 45 percent of the apps, and South Africa accounts for about 5 percent of the sales which is a very large number given that nearly every country is inundated with smartphones,” Rossier said.

Rossier said South Africa is a great country for business and she finds that the entrepreneurs are ambitious, hard working, and have an appetite for learning.

“South African entrepreneurs are quite tech savvy as there is a large tech-startup ecosystem,” Rossier said. “For that reason, they are one of the top countries to embrace mobile apps as tools to help them start their businesses.”

The younger generation is very creative and full of ideas for different innovations that would affect their local communities and be used on a global scale as well, Rossier said.

Jamel Potts is an entrepreneur who is using some of the apps to help him open a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York.

Potts said he was at a roadblock in relation to the structure of a business plan and what sections needed to be priorities.

After reading several positive reviews about the Problemio apps, he said he decided to give one a try.

“I downloaded the trial app and it was phenomenal, so I decided to buy the full version,” said Potts. “Ever since doing that, it came very easy to me and the process of my plan was literally 70 percent completed.”

Direct conversation with other entrepreneurs along with excellent advice were great motivators for him, Potts said.