How to run a business from your smartphone

·         Entrepreneurs reveal the secrets to running a business using just your smartphone

It seems like there’s now an app for everything – but which of the millions of smartphone apps are most useful if you’re trying to run a successful business? And how can you use your smartphone to improve productivity?

Online smartphone retailer, e2save, looked into how business owners use their smartphones at work, and also asked entrepreneurs to reveal which apps and features they’ve found most useful.

The research showed that a quarter of (24%) of businesses use their mobile apps to increase revenue, whilst more than a third (38%) use them to improve their customer service and 12% utilise apps to foster customer loyality¹. E2save also found that almost two thirds (63%) of all emails in the UK are now opened on mobile devices².

Lee Dobson, Senior Account Manager at Bulldog Digital Media, says: “As a business owner, I’ve found that a lot of work is done on my phone and, believe it or not, I can easily go a whole day without logging on to my laptop. Phones are so advanced nowadays that they make it quick and easy to check emails, network, access analytics, visit a site… need I go on? The misconception that phones are purely for scrolling on social media is far from the truth. No worker should feel guilty for working from their phone.”

Georgina Wilson-Powell, who runs Pebble Magazine, said: “I run about 50% of my business via my phone and couldn’t be without it. As well as the usual social media and taking photos etc. I also use it for emailing on the move, Slack chats and sharing voice recordings – I wouldn’t be without it.

Working with industry professionals from a range of sectors, e2save shares the top six apps for business, according to entrepreneurs:

1.     Slack (Available on iOS and Android – Free)

Slack brings everything you need for team collaboration into one place, available across any device, making communication on the go effortless.

2.       MailChimp (Available on iOS and Android – Free)

The MailChimp app allows you to create, send and measure your email marketing from your smartphone. You can also find new people easily via Facebook and Instagram ads, as well as managing subscribers.

3.     Adobe Spark Post (Available on iOS and Android – Free)

The Adobe Spark Post app makes graphic design easy, with plenty of templates and tutorials to help you create designs from your phone.

4.     iZettle (Available on iOS and Android – Free but card reader is ordered separately)

The iZettle app turns your phone into a complete POS system, able to take most forms of payment with ease.

5.     Sprout Social (Available on iOS and Android – Free but you need a Sprout Social account)

Sprout Social is an intelligent social media management app, which makes content creation, sharing and management effortless while on the move.

6.       Microsoft Teams (Available on iOS and Android – Free)

The Microsoft Teams app lets you take important meetings and make quick calls with your associates while you’re on the go.

Karl Middleton, Mobile Expert at e2save, added: “What once might have been expensive software is now readily available for business owners at their fingertips – often for free. These are just a few apps that can help when it comes to running and managing a business and there are countless others out there. Our advice would be to do plenty of research and ask around to find the right combination that works for you.”

For more tips and advice from the experts at e2save, visit: https://www.e2save.com/community/