“There’s an app for that!” There sure is, and that statement is probably the biggest reason why I invested in an Apple iPhone instead of any of the other smartphones on the market. Sure, other smartphones have apps but I may just have been suckered in by Apple’s slick marketing. I’m an app fan indeed and although I may not have thousands of apps on my phone, I love that the world is my oyster if I need something specific.
In my business as a marketing copywriter, my iPhone and various apps are invaluable. For starters, the most basic use of my iPhone, apart from calls and text messages of course, is email. Being able to access email when I’m not at my desk affords me geographical freedom and I don’t have to be tied to my laptop or PC. But beyond those basics are other goodies that my business would be lost without.
- Dropbox: This is an online backup system that makes backing up files foolproof and automatic. It’s also available as an app and that means that at any given time, if a client calls me asking for a document while they too are out and about, I can instantly locate it on my phone and email it straight through!
- Internet banking: It’s vital in business to know your financial position at any moment. I can check if clients have paid before I deliver work, check the balance of my account before making purchases and transfer funds between accounts to pay for business items.
- Twitter: As a keen social media advocate, I like to know when a follower has mentioned me or addressed me on Twitter. That way, I can respond promptly.
- HoursTracker: This is a fantastic app for logging hours and minutes spent on individual clients’ jobs. You can even input the cost per hour and it’ll calculate the exact cost based on time spent and you can export to an Excel file afterwards.
- Dragon Dictation: Speak your message and you’ll be able to produce text without having to type it. You can select options to use the text in an SMS, email it, immediately post to Twitter or Facebook or copy it elsewhere on your phone.
- Voice Memos: Similar to Dragon Dictation but without the text option. You can simply play it back when you need to. Great for personal memos, reminders and recording spoken interviews and instructions.
No doubt there are countless other apps that business owners rely on to maintain workflow efficiency, stay in touch with clients, staff and suppliers and to know their financial position. These are my favourites and most well-used.
Having a smartphone has given me mobility, portability and efficiency. My telco is Optus and I have to say that their social media team is the company’s savior in terms of customer service. As a busy business person, the last thing I want to do is spend half an hour on hold listening to banal music while waiting to be answered by a semi-trained, offshore operator with an accent I can’t understand. Thanks to Optus’s social media team, I simply tweet @Optus when I need help or answers and they respond promptly.
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Gina Lofaro aka the wordmistress is a specialist marketing copywriter who relies on her Optus iPhone for productivity, connectivity and functionality.