We women entrepreneurs are busy -- it's a fact. These days, that's the nature of the game. But taking your business to the next level might be easier than you think. After all, who needs more stress?
When you're traveling and trying to nail down new business, you don't want to leave your current customers in the dust or feeling unappreciated. However, you certainly don't want those potential new customers to end up suffering from a pitch cut short or a mispronounced name. So, what do you do?
You get with the mobile program.
Business owners newer to travel may be skeptical, but seasoned traveling professionals know what to do when it comes to staying organized on the road. My first recommendation? Use apps. Check out this suite of professional tools that will help you keep your finger on the pulse of your business, even on the go.
Amp Up Your Apps for Customer Satisfaction
Thanks to the prevalence of smartphones and tablets, the time is prime for business owners to go mobile. There are literally iPhone and Android apps for almost anything nowadays. And even if there isn't an app for something you want, you could even create your own! (But that's a subject for another article.)
Tracking and interacting with potential and current customers while on the go is always a challenge. For example, what do you do if you need to complete a customer sale on the fly? You don't want to put that customer off, lest they decide not to buy from you. Hint: download and use Square. It's the easiest way out there to accept credit cards on the run. It's so simple, you can make a customer sale right from your smartphone, with little more than a tap and a swipe. It's not just convenient; it's secure. Credit card information is encrypted the moment you swipe. Request your free Square Reader and start taking mobile payments today.
Is your CRM mobile friendly? Never miss a beat with your customer base with Insightly CRM mobile access. Not only can you download and use the Insightly app on any smartphone or tablet, you can access all these great small business CRM features from either the mobile version on your smartphone or from your computer, making the experience synonymous no matter what device you use to log in. (Pro tip: A new version of the Insightly iOS app is right around the corner.)
DRIVE Your Success Home
Sick of dealing with multiple file versions, countless emailed documents, and messy revisions? Keep all your important docs in one place with Google Drive. Google Drive allows you to share documents with your team members and clients from anywhere in the world. Use the "See revision history" tool to review everyone's changes to your dynamic documents (and to revert to an older version in case of error)!
Need to have an in-depth group conversation? Try GoToMeeting. This cool conference app allows you to have full-fledged virtual meetings on your iPad, smartphone or any Android device. Seriously, it's a cinch... with all the bells and whistles you need to make any meeting a success. A cheaper option is join.me. This nifty mobile communication tool lets you share screens with others or join an online meeting at lightning fast speeds.
"Remember Everything." How good does THAT sound? That's the tagline of the handy Evernote app. Keep voice or written notes, store pictures of business cards, receipts and itineraries -- nearly any type of note format you can think of -- and keep it all organized so you can easily find everything later.
Between staying in touch, staying productive and keeping everything organized, your business should be in good shape, and so should you -- even on the road. You don't have to use ALL of the apps I've mentioned, but dive in and start looking around to see what suits you and your business best. I'll tell you one thing: when I'm on the go (which is often) I don't know where I'd be without my apps!