Until recently, it wasn’t possible to run your business from your phone. Now you can do just about anything with the help of applications (apps) for your smartphone.
Writing/Editing
There are a number of apps that let you view and edit documents directly from your smartphone. One of the most popular is called Documents to Go. It lets you view and edit documents right on your phone. You can also find text-based writing tools like PlainText and iA Writer that are free and easy to use.
Desktop Communication
You can use the GoToMyPC app to connect to your work computer. This makes it easy to access your work files directly without planning ahead. You can also use apps such as Dropbox and CloudTalk to share and store information that is accessible from both your computer and your smartphone.
Communication
With Skype, you can have voice chats (and video chats if your device has a camera) with customers and contractors. You can also use dictation applications such as Dragon and QuickVoice to record your thoughts or create business content or documents.
Payment and Invoicing
PayPal offers a payment application that is easy to use and lets you send invoices and manage your account from your smartphone. Many banks also offer applications that let you manage your account from your phone. Intuit, the makers of Quicken and QuickBooks, also have a payment processing application called GoPayment that you can use on your smartphone.
Blogging
If you like to blog on the go, check out the WordPress application that makes it easy to write, edit and publish blogs from your smartphone.
Social Networking
There are myriad applications to manage your social networking for both Facebook and Twitter. You can post pictures, comments, and stay in touch with your friends from just about any mobile device. For Facebook, check out Friendly and the iTunes Facebook app. For Twitter, check out the HootSuite application.
Organization
Then there are the wide number of organization and brainstorming applications that you can find to not only grow your business, but also to manage it from your phone. Check out MindNode for mind mapping applications. Evernote and One Note are both fantastic note- taking, clipping, and organizational tools.
And don’t forget the basics. You can access your Google accounts with Google applications, which means you can check your AdSense earnings, analytics, and your email, too.
Smartphone applications make owning and operating a business easier than it has ever been before. You can network, invoice, pay bills, brainstorm, publish content and launch new products, all from your phone.