As a small business owner, you may be out of the office a lot. In fact, you may be on the move so much that you might not even have an office at all.
But with the rise of smart phones and the apps that they can run, you can complete many office tasks without having to worry about a computer and a desk. With today’s cell phones, you can take your office with you.
Here are five cell phone applications that can help you get things done on the go.
LinkedIn – Ditch the need for business cards, which can become outdated and are often expensive, and use the LinkedIn app to swap contact information with business contacts instead. With this app, you can add a contact directly from your phone. You can also view businesses’ details on their profiles and use the search function to view resumes of potential clients or employees. (iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm)
LogMeIn – Keep the laptop in your briefcase. With the LogMeIn app, you can access your office computer right from your cell phone, letting you view and edit files remotely. No more worrying about that file you forgot at the office; with this app, it’s instantly accessible. (Android, iPhone)
Locale – If you’ve ever forgotten to turn your phone to vibrate or silent during a meeting, you know the pain and shame of having your ironic Hall & Oates ring tone go off at the most inconvenient time possible. The Locale app makes sure that will never happen, changing your ring tone settings automatically. By using the GPS function on your phone to verify your physical location, you can set the cell phone to switch to vibrate automatically or can even have your calls forwarded to another phone. (Android)
GoodReader – PDFs can make you a slave to your laptop, as many cell phones can’t edit this file format. GoodReader solves that by adding PDF support to your cell by letting you download, view, and edit PDFs on your cell phone, including support for annotations, highlights, and other markups. (Android, iPhone)
Evernote – This mobile version of the popular note-taking software takes Evernote to the next level, with a wealth of features that lets users take notes by text or voice. When finished, Evernote automatically syncs your mobile notes with the online version so you’re always up to date no matter where you are. (BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm, Windows Mobile, Android)
I have all of these already except for Locale – which I’m now about to get! That’s such a cool idea, I wonder how well it really works..
I would add Intuit’s GoPayment to this list. This free app let’s you accept credit card payments on your mobile phone – plus you’ll receive a free credit card reader to make the process faster and secure. Check out the different types of businesses that are using GoPayment.
We use GoPayment in the field because our customers are not always prompt in paying. Using GoPayment puts the money right into our bank account and helps our customers stay current. It’s awesome!
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unfortunately goodreader is not available for android at this time. contrary to above.
it is a great reader though.
I was not aware of LogMeIn, thanks for the recommendation. Go Payments seems like a good way to accept credit card payments.
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SquareUp is an excellent alternative to Intuit’s Go Payments. Free app and no monthly fees except credit card transaction %. Payments deposited directly into your account. Full details at their website.