Small businesses struggle to compete with hiring incentives like the attractive salaries, benefits, and perks large businesses can offer. But mobility puts every mom and pop operation on the same level as Fortune 500 players—and in some ways gives them a leg up.
With a global talent marketplace and the priorities of a largely Millennial workforce, mobile is where small business resources can sync with workers who see flexible schedules, virtual offices, and visible impact as a boon.
With less corporate and political red tape to deal with, small businesses are well positioned to benefit from new mobile platforms, hire the best people from anywhere in the world, and hold their own against even the biggest competitors in their industry. Here’s a look at how they’re getting things done.
Permanently Change Your Business with Mobile Technology
If you want access to a distributed workforce, you have to start by putting the right tools in place. If a small business fails to adopt something as ubiquitous as mobility, it could find itself overwhelmed by local and global competition.
Luckily, size gives smaller enterprises an advantage. Where even a slight change to a large corporation’s workflow could involve layers of approvals, a more nimble infrastructure makes it easier for small businesses to take advantage of lower productivity costs and greater connectivity.
Many have already made the move and seen the results. In 2014, a survey by AT&T and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council found small businesses had saved $67.5 billion in annual operating costs—an average of $6,000 per business—by integrating mobile apps and devices into their day-to-day work. Two years later? Those cost savings are even higher.
And it’s not just about the bottom line, as important as that is. The move to mobile saved a majority of owners at least 150 hours over the course of the year—time they used to “grow sales, increase engagement with customers, and research their respective industries to learn about new trends or competitors.”
Small business owners are experts at taking every advantage they can get. Adopting mobile technology on its own can help owners gain measurably more time and money. The workforce flexibility those platforms enable can be game-changing leverage.
Mobile Platforms Give the Small Business Workforce Global Reach
There are two reasons why mobility has had such a huge impact on small business: We can share critical business information regardless of location, and a large portion of the highly skilled workforce is tired of out-of-date boundaries.
A recent survey by Deloitte confirmed that Millennials—the dominant generation in the workforce—put a high value on work/life balance, opportunities for growth, and flexibility like remote work and flexible hours. And they aren’t the only ones; now that we can work anytime and anywhere, many workers want the OK to do so.
This has opened a new world for online talent sourcing that small business recruiting can tap into.
- With mobile platforms in place, skilled professionals can live wherever they want, and businesses can access the best thinkers and innovators from anywhere in the world. No more competing for the best talent in town; there are hundreds of recruiting sources online, so you can find exactly who your business needs—whether a full-time employee or project-based freelancer.
- Smaller workplaces have room for initiative, and that gives workers room to shape their role to fit their interests and values. Younger workers in particular don’t appreciate rigid hierarchies; they want ways to grow and become leaders. While bigger corporations are starting to test different organizational models, small businesses are better positioned for everyone to have a voice, a sense of community, and a purpose.
- Access to the talent you need, when you need it, makes your business more agile. The freelance workforce is on the rise; by tapping into the project-driven marketplace, you’ll have the flexibility to add skilled personnel to your team when you need it, without the strain of long-term overhead demands.
Go Mobile for Long-Term Results
Whatever your organization’s size, the shift from local to global isn’t easy. But staying competitive in today’s economy means having access to the tools and people you need to pivot. Free of the challenges that come with large-scale change, smaller enterprises will meet or beat their competition by adapting to the opportunities mobility provides.
Additional Resources on this Topic:
Should SMEs Be Worried About Mobile Device Management?
Small Business: Going Big on Mobility
Small Business Mobility Meets Big Business Needs
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This article was first published on MillennialCEO blog.