A smartphone that works
There are many reasons to start a business that uses just your smartphone. You may be a stay-at-home parent who wants to make some extra money, or maybe you’re an entrepreneur who doesn’t have the funds for startup costs. Or perhaps you’re bored and want to see if you can do it!
Whatever the reason, our latest blog delves into the tools and processes that will help you get started with your own small mobile business—without having to invest in heaps of money in technology upfront.
It’s about the phone
The core of a smartphone business is the phone itself. This is where you will store contacts, schedule appointments, take notes and check emails. The phone is also the central hub for all your other devices: it can serve as an alarm clock or calendar; it can play music from Spotify or Apple Music; it can download podcasts from your favourite podcast app; it can act as a video camera to capture those moments that are too good not to share on social media (or even live stream them). It’s also an excellent tool for communicating with customers–you’ll need one if you’re going to advertise or sell your services and products online.
What the modern smartphone cannot do is make and receive calls from your business line, transfer calls from one user to another or portray a professional image which enables you to offer a seamless service, no matter where you are. And this is where Rubix VT comes in.
Android and iPhone apps work interchangeably for most things
A mobile phone becomes really powerful when you take advantage of time-saving and innovative apps. There is an app for almost every business task from accounting to scheduling.
A great example is our ‘softphone’ app which completely transforms the phone function on a mobile, recreating all the useful features that you would find in a business telecoms set-up.
You should only download relevant apps that will help your business and not just because they’re cool or look useful–you might end up regretting it later when your phone starts running slow or draining its battery faster than usual.
You can find reviews both on the App Store and Google Play. Check out what other people have said before downloading it–you don’t want to waste your time or money on something that doesn’t work well.
Call, text, email and skype with other phones
The most obvious way to stay in touch with your customers, employees and vendors is by phone, however using a mobile alone can be quit inefficient, especially if you’re trying to appear bigger than what you actually are, or have a team working remotely and need to communicate with them instantly. With the help of Call Switch, the app enables you to manage your business and personal calls all from the touch of a button, all on one handset.
While text and email are great tools for communicating with customers and colleagues, there’s nothing like picking up the phone and speaking to someone directly.
Get payments via credit card or PayPal
If you’re selling a product or service, accepting payments is important. You can use your smartphone to do this by downloading apps like PayPal or Square. If you’re working at an event and need quick access to credit cards, consider using a card reader (for example, the Square reader).
Most of us have smartphones these days, but are they enough to run a business? The short answer is yes. A smartphone can be used for nearly everything you need to run a small business, however useful apps which don’t cost a fortune can also go along way in terms of the service you offer to your customers.
Get in touch at hello@rubixvt.com
