It’s rare when a new technology can fundamentally alter an industry. But that’s exactly what mobile technology has done, changing every aspect of the world of business, from employee flexibility to customer engagement and everywhere in between. That’s true across the board but it’s especially true when it comes to entrepreneurs. How so? Let’s count the ways.
- Apps, Apps and More Apps
In the old days, entrepreneurs needed complicated systems to keep track of paperwork, filing, budgets, customer data and taxes to name just a few. Now there are apps that nearly automate all of these functions for us. Need to keep track of everything you need to accomplish in the day? Apps like Evernote essentially eliminated the need for those ubiquitous, frantically scribbled post-it notes.
Need to securely send a file to a client or employee? Cloud services like Dropbox have made it so easy, it can be done in a matter of clicks as you board a plane.
Want to bill clients and get paid? There are hundreds of apps that let you do just that in seconds flat, and in a professional-looking format.
Tired of sorting through resumes and applications for potential employees? There’s an app for that. You get the idea — there’s an app for nearly everything and if you can find the right ones for your entrepreneurial style, you can save yourself countless hours in the day and be more productive.
- Communication
The legendary entrepreneur Jim Rohn once said, “If you just communicate, you can get by. But if you communicate skillfully you can work miracles.” Before mobile technology, working these miracles was a comparatively slow, difficult process. You could make a call or send an email and play tag until an issue was resolved.
Now, mobile spaces allow entrepreneurs and their clients and employees to communicate and even collaborate in real-time to solve problems infinitely faster. It’s less a miracle and more of a daily reality. You can be three time zones away and shoot a message to your team. You can call a potential client for facetime using a video calling app. You can even “attend” board meetings with an entire team using conferencing programs.
- Flexibility
Not only has mobile technology freed entrepreneurs from the confines of the office, but it’s also enabled employees to work anytime, anywhere. Your team can work at home when needed, send off that important email while they’re at their kid’s soccer game, or keep the gears of the business churning even when they’re away at a conference.
That freedom doesn’t just keep your business running 24/7, it also makes for happier employees. And happier employees make for better business. What’s more, being optimized for mobile tech can actually help you recruit top-flight personnel, too. In fact, employees these days rank flexibility as one of the most important factors in deciding where they’ll take a job.
- Customer Retention
On top of all the ways mobile technology can make your business more efficient internally, it can also better your relationship with your customers. For many entrepreneurs, this is the single most important benefit. Even 10 years ago, the idea of interacting so intimately with your customers (on the level we do today) seemed unthinkable.
With the help of mobile technology, you can now target a direct message to a shopper most likely to be interested in your product. You can connect with them on a human level through social media. With live chat, you can offer an unparalleled customer service experience. With VR and 3D technology, you can even let potential customers try out your service or product without leaving their homes.
What’s the takeaway here? It’s simple — whether you’re still in business school or you’ve been an entrepreneur since fax machines were en vogue, you need to get on the mobile technology train or you’re bound to get left behind.
