It is becoming more common for small business owners to look for options to run their companies without keeping a traditional office space. This has become more feasible thanks to technological advancements, such as smartphones, tablets and mobile apps. Choosing to forgo an office can save your business big money on overhead costs, plus it offers a lot of schedule flexibility that is appealing to employees. However, running your small business on the go does require some careful planning. Here are five tips for running your small business on the go:
You simply won’t be able to run a small business on the go without having the right technology in place to do so. Create a budget and purchase the systems and devices you and your employees need to run your company efficiently. Some of the essential items could include a smartphone, portable printer, wireless network card, laptop, tablet and a portable printer.
There have been tremendous advancements in mobile apps over the past several years and there is an app for almost anything you might need to run your business on the go. There are great apps for mobile file sharing, including Evernote and Dropbox. Google Drive is another great app that allows not only for file sharing, but also for editing across multiple devices. It is also wise to have a mobile payroll app (such as QuickBooks Online Payroll) and for mobile invoicing (such as GoPayment).
Even if you choose to run your small business on the go and forgo a traditional office space most days you will still need to have a few reliable places where you can hold meetings with vendors and clients. A coffee shop or restaurant is an acceptable choice for a more casual meeting with a vendor. However, you should have at least one conference room that you can rent as needed for more formal meetings with investors or potential clients.
Another trick to successfully running a small business on the go is to keep common office supplies with you in your vehicle at all times. Many mobile small business owners carry a plastic bin with pens, sticky notes, paper, paper clips and other necessary supplies. Doing so will help you be prepared and make you look far more professional when meeting with a client.
The final key to running your small business on the go is to keep regular office hours when you can. In other words, just because you can work anywhere at anytime doesn’t mean that’s what’s best for your business. It is also wise to build in at least an hour of break time every day where you step away from your email and phone. This will help you keep from getting burned out.