Just about everyone I know owns a smartphone capable of powering NASA. Everyone texts, makes calls and uses them for GPS, but they can be used for more. Mobile devices play a major part in business and today they have the power to handle most day-to-day business functions.
A few weeks ago I met up with a handful of business owners to discuss ways to improve business during the slow times. Each of the entrepreneurs at the meeting talked about the technologies they had on hand and how they used them. Not one business owner mentioned their smartphone or other portable gadgets.
About three years ago I started using my phone for most of my business needs. I found it’s incredibly convenient and because it’s always on I’m able do my regular tasks with a push of a button. Since adopting my phone, I’ve reduced the number of devices I need in order to manage my stores.
“There’s an app for that,” used to be Apple’s advertising slogan and they stopped for good reason. When smartphones first came out the applications weren’t very useful and in fact were scattered in function. Most of the available software for phones did some of what it was designed for but not very well.
Over the past couple years application technologies have come full circle and have developed to a point that allows them to take the place of some PC applications. Though I wouldn’t want to type a letter on a phone, ordering parts and checking inventory is much easier with an always on device. I’ve noticed my major vendors have smartphone applications that rival their PC counterparts.
Traditional pieces of software that were originally developed for the computer have been modified to work with phones. Firefox, for example, has created a new version of their web browser that remembers the work done on the computer and syncs with the phone. Users are required to do nothing more than log into Firefox and the software will sync history and favorites between devices.
Google has done something similar with Android phones and its online services. Provided users are logged into services like Gmail, Google will sync settings and history between the computer and phone. In my business this has fantastic merit, especially if I look something up at home and want to reference it while on the road.
Being all portable does have its limits though. I’ve noticed that I’m not able to do everything on my phone that I am able to do on my computer. Because of this I carry a convertible laptop/tablet so I can write letters and look up information that isn’t formatted to my phone’s screen.
Although developers have done their best to create phone utilities that mimic computer applications, not all of them are direct replacements. I recently received a spreadsheet created with Microsoft Excel that I could not open on my phone. The office suite installed on my phone claims to be able to open Office documents; they do open but not with 100% of the formatting.
If you’re not already using your phone for business you should strongly consider making the transition. As I’ve already mentioned it’s not for every aspect of your business; however, using your phone will take some of the stress of running a business. The other articles on this page will help you with your financial issues, implementing your smartphone will likely give you more time in your day.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can call him at (978) 919-8059 or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)