Using Your Tablet to Run Your Business

The mobile digital age is here, and it's expected that by the end of 2012, tablet devices will overtake computers. The invention of tablets (ie. Ipad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, etc.), have opened the door for all types of possibilities. Companies are getting more and more creative with their app development, and people continue to use their tablets in many different ways.
Using this technology to its full potential is what you should be doing. If you just bought a tablet so that you could read books or play Angry Birds (which are both legitimate reasons...don't get me wrong), then you're not unlocking that full potential.

The technology is constantly evolving—certain features are getting tweaked, bugs are getting fixed, and application development has turned into a huge industry. We can literally run our businesses from anywhere. Gone are the days of being holed up in an office or lugging our laptop around (although, I still love my laptop).

We now have the ability to take all aspects of our business everywhere we go—in a device that is the size of a medium-sized notepad. Even at the ballpark, while we're catching a game, we can use our tablets to conduct business. We can handle face-to-face meetings or client sessions from a plane 35,000 ft. in the air, or manage our stock portfolio while taking a lunch break in the park.

Could we do this with a laptop? Sure. However, the portability, ease of use and quick response (turns on instantly, as opposed to having to boot up) are a huge advantage of using a tablet. Especially when it comes to running your business, a tablet offers the freedom to do everything from writing emails, blog posts and web code, to managing a customer database, tracking shipments and processing credit card transactions (with either the Square card reader or PayPal's Triangle reader, for example). Applications even exist to capture legal signatures on documents. One company, Vignature, creates image-based electronic signature products. This allows businesses and individuals to handle document signings on-the-spot.

The variety of apps let you turn your tablet into a digital Swiss Army knife. We have only scratched the surface of this trend, and more devices and apps for business purposes will be developed. The time is here to adopt mobile technology and embrace it, or you may be caught playing catch-up later on. And remember, while you're waiting for a client who's late for your meeting, you can always catch up on a good book—on your tablet, of course. 

About the Author:

John Ehlenbeck is a contributing writer for N2A Cards, helping to turn your Nook tablet into an Android.