It might seem a bit surprising but it’s absolutely possible to start and run a business from your smartphone. At the very least, you can start a business and run the majority of it from a smartphone and without a computer, from your home.
Many budding entrepreneurs have minimal resources, yet most of us have a smartphone these days. Or perhaps you simply love the idea of being mobile. Here are some tips from the SBA.
Start with a “phone friendly” business model. Certain types of businesses naturally lend themselves to being run on mobile devices, whereas others may present more challenges. For instance, you probably cannot start a full-service web design firm with just a smartphone. However, if you want to develop mobile apps, there are tools available for you to do that on a mobile device.
Some other businesses that you could potentially start with just a smartphone include social media marketing, consulting, event planning, mCommerce (mobile commerce), videography, podcasting, writing, or personal shopping.
Get the right apps. A smartphone is made more powerful and versatile by choosing and using the right software apps. For example, to run an eCommerce business, you will need an app that is mobile-friendly. As a writer, it might be possible to type by hand on your smartphone’s on-screen keyboard, but it would be better to use a voice transcription app of some kind?
Also, you might need a note-taking app to keep track of information and organize tasks. You probably will need some kind of expense tracking, invoicing, and/or accounting software app to keep your books straight and get paid.
Get social. Being active on social media is an essential activity for a lot of businesses, regardless of whether or not they’re run on smartphones. Most popular social platforms have comprehensive mobile apps to make this function fairly straightforward. If you’re running a business on your smartphone, take full advantage of those social platforms by using them to showcase your social media strategy, branding, and marketing from anywhere.
Back up important data. While smartphones can be great business tools, many aren’t known for having enough storage space. If you’re running a business, you’re going to need a place to store all of your important documents, images, videos, and other files.
For ample storage, add a large data card, but one flexible and secure option is to expand your data storage to a secure Cloud storage app. That way, even if your smartphone drops into the river or is lost, your important business files will still be available and protected.