How to Start a Business from Your Smartphone As communication channels become more simplified, it's easier than ever to start a business.
By Roberto Liccardo Edited by Heather Wilkerson
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The digital age has brought out the entrepreneur in many people. With communication now simple across boundaries that were once difficult to cross — and the internet offering untold connectivity and commercial opportunities — businesses can be started from a smartphone with ease.
The modern breed of smartphone — whether Android, iOS, or Windows — is a powerful tool that can be used to perform just about every necessary action a business needs. Let's look at what sort of business can be started with your smartphone, and what other tools you may need to enhance growth.
What sort of business do you want to start?
Do you have a business in mind, or are you simply thinking of how you can start a business that will succeed? The simple fact is that your smartphone is versatile beyond the limits you may have realized. What sort of business can be started from your smartphone? Let's have a look at a couple of the popular options:
- Drop-shipping businesses can be run from a smartphone. This concept is popular, and many people are making a lot of money selling goods they never even see. By using the likes of Amazon, for example, you can start selling goods that you import to an Amazon warehouse. They handle pretty much everything else. There are fees, of course, but it's a simple way of successfully starting a selling business.
- Outsourced customer services are becoming ever more popular with smaller businesses. Rather than hiring a permanent receptionist, for example, or sales staff to answer calls and emails, they hire you! You answer calls to their template and respond to emails or inquiries and pass the leads on to the right people. This sort of business is easy to run and can be lucrative if you find the right clients.
Related: 3 Drop Shipping Secrets Beginners Need to Know
The above two concepts can be amended and mixed to produce a range of other businesses that can be run from a smartphone. Put simply, any business that involves communication as its primary purpose or requires warehousing services from another source can easily be started using your smartphone.
As your company grows, you'll probably want to move towards a conventional business setup. But in the beginning, a smartphone can be your most powerful tool to get started. Now let's talk about some things you will need to get your business off the ground.
Tools you need to start your business
The main tool you need is your smartphone! However, we recommend that you use a dedicated number for business use, rather than utilizing your personal number. This makes sense professionally and in terms of convenience — plus, it makes a good impression. Some smartphones take two SIM cards that you can switch between, so you may be able to get a SIM-only contract for your business number.
While your smartphone is enough to get you started, you may want to consider a tablet for more versatility. And once your business begins to take off, perhaps a home office may be worth setting up. Nothing fancy, just the basics and you'll have somewhere to run your business from.
Bear in mind that a smartphone can also handle accounting software in basic form. With Bluetooth capability, you can communicate with other devices easily and quickly. There's a lot of scope for starting a business using your smartphone as the central hub, especially if you want to be on the move while doing your latest deals!
Let's finish by running through a checklist of what you need to do to start a business from your smartphone.
Checklist for a smartphone business
Here's our quick list of things to think about when starting your business on your smartphone:
- Choose the type of business carefully, and if importing and selling, ensure you find a product that will sell and has scope for growth.
- Your smartphone will be the central hub for your business. Keep it charged all the time. Buy a good power pack for emergency moments.
- Get a separate SIM for your business number. It looks professional and you will know when you are answering business calls.
That's the basics behind starting a business using your smartphone. It can be done, just think about what you want to do and then put your plan in action.
