Smart Phone Apps – A New Level of Productivity for Solopreneurs
August 3, 2010 – 9:46 amA solopreneur, or a self-employed businessperson, can really benefit from today’s Smart Phones. Most entrepreneurs wear many hats and often wish they could clone themselves. But with a good phone and great applications, it’s almost as if you actually can be in more than one place at a time because you can keep your finger on the pulse of your business even while on the go. Not only can you keep in touch with clients by phone while you’re on the move but you can check and reply to e-mail, do your business banking, dictate notes, manage your calendar, initiate invoicing, and do all sorts of other work tasks while on the go as well. There are many options, including: Blackberry, iPhone, etc. And, you can benefit from free business applications and you can pay for premium services that can benefit your business even further.
Shopping for a Smart Phone is a personal decision and shopping for applications and utilities to support your small business is something else that’s personalized. Here are a few options you may benefit from:
GPS
Many phones have basic mapping or GPS apps built-in. You may want something more robust, though, and opt to purchase a paid GPS phone application, depending on your needs and how much traveling you do for business
Office Applications
Want to be able to modify spreadsheets, create Word documents, and/ or tweak a presentation from anywhere? You’ll find these sorts of applications available for varying costs.
Task Management
There’s a large assortment of free and premium apps that can help you manage your tasks and even delegate if you have an assistant or staff members.
Dictation
Want to dictate and have a document created and saved or even emailed? This is another thing you can do, rather than typing up a large document or long email from your tiny QWERTY phone keyboard.
Mail Sync, Contact, and Calendar Management
A number of mail sync tools could be available for your phone. One such option is Kerio Connect so you can manage your e-mail, contact, and your calendar more effectively. And, GetSync’d, a premier Kerio partner that offers a full Kerio Connect collaboration suite, recently added free anti-spam and anti-spyware tools to their over the air mobile synchronization service offering. Not sure if you want to invest in an app to enhance your productivity? Some companies, such as Get Sync’d, offer trial versions so that you can see if it’s right for your needs. Once you have the ability to utilize push technology,
Beyond business applications, your phone can enrich other aspects of your life as well, making it a great investment in your business and in helping you achieve work life balance. You don’t have to feel so chained to your desk when you have truly portable office technology.
As the world increases its reliance on technology, users benefit from companies that strive to help make technology as user-friendly and fun as possible. If you’re a businessperson using a Smart Phone to help you stay connected and do business while on the go, what’s your favorite app and how does it help you with productivity, work-life balance, or profitability?
