If you told your great-grandfather that one day you’d be able to run a business entirely from a palm-sized device that you could carry with you anywhere, he would think you had gotten the idea out of a sci-fi comic book.
Yet today, with the right tools and setup, you can keep your business running smoothly from your smartphone no matter where you go.
Get a great smartphone
The whole process starts with having a smartphone you can count on. Any smartphone will work, technically, but this isn’t the time to skimp. If you’re planning on working professionally from your phone, make sure you’ve got one that is reliable, has plenty of good apps to work with
This is a personal decision, but many professionals recommend iPhones as the best choice here. Apple’s control over their App Store and the profit it offers to developers often means better security and better apps.
Make sure your signal is reliable
Whether you plan on using your smartphone primarily at home or at a business location, a Sprint signal booster is a smart way to make sure you and any coworkers always have a strong, reliable signal.
Get a signal booster that works with all networks so you can change providers if you need to and still maintain constant access. The last thing you want is to drop your signal in the middle of something crucial.
Source excellent apps
The right customer management software gives you amazing flexibility. You can track customer information, send receipts automatically by email, schedule jobs and get reminders, manage your appointments, and more.
Don’t forget a good credit card app, either. These let you use your smartphone as a credit card swiping device and will work with lots of different payment systems, from Square to Stripe to Paypal. While you don’t have to accept credit cards, there are some compelling reasons to consider it.
Digitize your goals
To keep track of where you are and where you going, you need clear, definable goals. You should have a strategy that helps you be sure you’re measuring the right metrics to keep focused on your goals and achieve them.
Objectives and key results, or OKRs, help you turn your team into an organized precision machine running efficiently in the right direction. OKR software on your smartphone will let you keep everyone on track easily.
Learn to take notes
If you’re the sort of person who jots down reminders and notes on random bits of paper (or even on your hand), now is the time to stop. If you want to run your business from your smartphone, your notes need to be on there, too.
There are some great note taking apps out there. Some come standard on smartphones and others are third-party software. Evernote is a strong choice because it coordinates notes across all your devices, adds pictures to your notes, and even generates lists for you.
Sync your email with your phone
Some people don’t want to have their email on their smartphone, and that’s understandable. Unfortunately, many customers like to communicate by email, and you need to meet their needs if you want their business.
Fortunately, most email clients available for your smartphone will let you sync multiple email addresses while still keeping them separate. You can keep your personal and business emails separate or keep several business email addresses distinct and check them when it’s right for you.
Running your business from a phone can be efficient and simple. Once you set things up well and get used to doing it, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to keep everything working right from the palm of your hand.