How To Run Your Business From Your Cell Phone?

New technology is being created all the time, and with faster connection speeds and incredibly useful apps, as well as bigger and better smartphones, many businesses are now run, at least in part, from a cell phone. Doing this means that you are free to work from wherever you want to, and the only thing you need is a good phone or Wi-Fi reception, the right apps, and the knowledge of how to run a business in this way. Here are some tips on what you can do to get started and save money on your office space rental right away.

Get Another Phone

You will, no doubt, already have a smartphone that you use for everyday things such as checking your emails, looking at social media, taking photos, and keeping in contact with friends and family. If you want to run your business from a cell phone, however, these things will simply be distractions from the work you’re trying to do.

Therefore, you should have another phone that is solely for business use. That way, when you are using that particular phone, you will only have the programs and apps that you need for your work, and none of the other distractions and games and other apps that are so easy to download. If you want to use those, you’ll have your personal phone. Keeping the two separate will make you a lot more productive.

Desktop Friendly

Although the main aim of running your business from your cell phone is to negate the need for an office, or even a desk most of the time, sometimes you will find it easier to sit at a laptop to work. Often this happens when you need to type out a longer report, or if you need to make changes to your website, for example.

If you download apps that are desktop friendly, then it will make life a lot easier and ensure that you don’t have to spend hours recreating work that you have already done just so that you can use your laptop.

Keep It Simple

There are hundreds of different apps available that all promise to keep you productive and professional, but if you download too many you’ll find that your phone slows down and, because not all of them are free (and some of them require a monthly subscription), you could be losing a lot of money downloading apps that you are never actually going to use.

Before you download anything, search out reviews and try a demo version if you can. Some apps will be unnecessary, even if the advertising says otherwise. Conversely, some apps will be absolutely essential, and these are the ones you need to make sure you have room for. Over time you will work out which is which, and it’s important that you keep your phone as simple as possible, only keeping the apps that you use regularly. Delete anything you don’t use to keep your mind and your phone clearer.

Communication Guidelines

The main objective of a cell phone has always been communication, and just because you are using it to run your business, that won’t change. In fact, it’s one of the most important elements – you need to be able to keep in constant contact with your customers and your suppliers if you want to run a smooth, professional, successful business. It’s important to set up some communication guidelines for yourself so that you don’t get overwhelmed and stressed, however; running a business is difficult enough without adding to the strain because you try to answer everyone at once.

Be sure to have a focus on communication within your business, and utilize messaging apps that can help aid communication as and when. That way, you can concentrate on one app at a time to respond to people, and even have set times during the day that you look at each one. This will keep things organized and keep you calmer.

Of course, your phone is used for outgoing communication as well as incoming, and you should find easy ways to do that as well. You could set up text blasts so that everyone in your customer contact list is given the same information at the same time, or you could create a newsletter.

Go Hands-Free

Hands-free technology is an incredible thing, and it can truly help within your business. If you are busy driving or doing some other activity, you can still get the answers you need, or communicate with your colleagues or customers, simply by using the voice assistant on your cell phone. You can set up appointments, respond to emails, check your social media pages, and a variety of other tasks too.

Using the voice assistant aspect of your smartphone means you will need to spend a lot less time at your desk, and you can essentially run your business on the go. Combine this with the handy apps that you’ve downloaded, and you’ll see that a smartphone is almost the only piece of equipment that you need.

Know When To Switch Off

When you use an office, have a desk, and generally run your business from a laptop computer, it’s much easier to switch off and walk away when you need to. You can literally switch off, close the door, and come back to work the next day or later on, after you have had a chance to gather your thoughts and relax and rest. When you use a smartphone to run your business, it’s much harder to do that, as you can have it with you 24 hours a day. This is why having a separate work phone is a good idea – you can switch it off and leave it somewhere safe until you need it again.

However, no matter if you have a separate phone or not, it’s essential to know your boundaries and to stop working at a certain time. This isn’t always easy, and your timings can be flexible if you want, but you must have at least a little downtime in order to be as productive as possible when you return to work.

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