Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Top Ten reasons to get an iPhone for your business.

My husband and I purchased iPhones back in November, and I practically sleep with mine now. No, seriously. I'm not kidding. My husband is jealous and threatening to leave me for his iPhone. On any given night we either have dueling laptop dates or tandem iPhone moments. So romantic.

But truly, they are unbelievably handy to have as a business owner, and I'm amazed that I made it that far without one.

I've compiled a short list of ten reasons to run out today to get yours...for a small business they are the perfect tool, and can even be installed with a program that can read your files from your laptop wirelessly, from anywhere. I'd totally do that, but it's another fee per month that just didn't seem as important as my starbucks tall two pump white mocha that is currently duking it out with a gallon of gas.

So, here they are in no specific order. If you have an iPhone and see a glaring omission, please let me know in the comments!

1. Check email while on the road, please refrain from attempting this while driving. Trust me, this is very tempting to do. It can only lead to disaster. Wait until red lights to check. The honking angry man behind you will let you know when it's time to go again.

2. Map button allows you to look up address for business or delivery locations. I've delivered pretzels several times to a location only to find out they moved, or that I had the wrong address. I was able to search the net for the new location without missing a beat.

3. Search internet for phone numbers and hours of operation for businesses. Good for when you have to pick a package up, or drop one off. Also very important when ordering sushi to go. You don't have to wait for the rolling, just pop in and grab. But, as is stated in number 1, eating sushi...not good while driving. I've also used this when in another city to look up where the nearest Thai restaurant is. I am not obsessed with food. Stop looking at me.

4. Check voice mail without anyone knowing with earphones in. This may sound trivial, but while on the treadmill at the gym, or in a waiting room, this can come in very handy.

5. Listen to music and still accept calls with the special iPhone earphones. If you enjoy exercising, or just listening to music while you work, this little gadget is indispensable. When a call is coming in the music dims and the phone starts ringing. (no one else can hear this) You click a button on your earphones and Viola! you can talk and work with headphones in. When the phone call is done, the music resumes.

6. Check weather in California or Texas, or anywhere in the world, before sending a package to determine if you need ice packs or not. If you're not sending a perishable item, you can skip this one. But it is nice to see what weather Paris is having when you're deep in the middle of the frozen Midwest. A girl can dream.

7. Keeps your outlook calendar synced for easy access. I have used this for doctor appointments as well as meetings.

8. Notes option allows you to jot things down easily if you don't have a pen and paper handy. I use this all the time. Mostly to write down cool songs from my Sirius radio that I've never heard before so that I can download them on iTunes later, but have also used it for business things like grocery items for DipSticks, or marketing ideas, phone numbers of sign companies, etc.

9. World Clock shows any time anywhere, if you need to make call to the west coast, but aren't sure what time it is, or use the timer function for keeping track of your schedule.

10. Take photos of ideas or products to review later. I've taken photos, while in Chicago at the Merchandise Mart, of booths to give me ideas on decorations. Or, I've taken pics of my displays at stores to have on record. Comes in handy when your child falls asleep while licking an ice cream cone too.

The one single downside to this thing is that it's not cheap. The first time you drop yours, it's like your life passing before your eyes, and you pick it up and hug it and then take it out to dinner to apologize.

Or is that just me?

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