Guest post written by Jim Secord
Jim Secord is CEO of Kashoo.com, a provider of cloud-based accounting software for small businesses.
With 11.2 million Apple iPad’s sold in Q4 2011 alone and with iPad3 looming, it’s time to make the firm argument that business owners (particularly those that run a small, tight ship) need to integrate the device into their business in a way that’s more than just “I synced my work e-mail to my personal iPad.”
After all, we know the device - and the tablet category as a whole - is capable of so much more, delivering applications that go beyond wondrous novelty to actually improve business. They’re built for speed and mobility - two qualities today’s business owner who’s trained on high-speed fiber to the office and total 4G coverage simply can’t operate without. And much of it is a result of the exponential growth and development of really tight, well-built cloud business applications that are accessible not only by desktop browser but also by seamless tablet apps.
So we’re at the equilibrium point where hardware, software and speed are all on the same page - and for a business owner, that means the tablet is now a must.
But let’s dive in to all the “business” that a tablet can do - and how it can efficiently and effectively improve business...
- Accounting and bookkeeping
As un-sexy as it might be, the iPad is overhauling the way business accounting gets done. Cloud-based apps allow for real-time transaction syncing and bank reconciliation. Double-entry permission lets you give access to your “numbers people,” be they your accountant or in-house expert. And going back to the theme of mobility, tablet accounting and bookkeeping apps let you do whatever it is you need to do (i.e., crank out a few invoices, get a quick P&L) from wherever you are as opposed to being forced to wait until you get back to the office.
- Banking
In the same vein of accounting and bookkeeping, tablets have changed the way we think about (and do) our business banking. In fact, the user experience design of most iPad bank apps is light years better than their Web counterpart. On top of that, plugins like Square are facilitating payments on-the-spot.
- Storage
Cloud-based storage services like Dropbox have changed the game as well. Edits to files no long rely upon dreaded, ever-expanding file tails (i.e., v1.2, v2, v2.2-JimEdits, etc.). And cloud syncing via the iPad is a snap for these apps.
- Meetings
Virtually all tablets from here on out will have video capability. Add any of the various virtual meeting apps such as GoToMeeting or Join.Me and the prospect of having to slog through a two-night business trip for just a few meetings disappears. And as most of us know, with a strong Internet connection, these virtual meetings aren’t choppy and awkward as they were in the early SaaS 2000s. Everything - from desktop sharing to voice to video to file sharing - is smooth and in real-time.
- Sales Management
As they say, “If it doesn’t exist in Salesforce, it doesn’t exist at all.” Mobile, speedy tablets make it even more impossible for the sales team not to get their leads in to Salesforce from the field or on the road.
- Scanning and Printing
Ah. Here’s where a tablet just can’t cut it, right? Not really. There are a handful of apps that use a tablet’s camera to scan hi-res images of documents, charts, reports, etc. And with a few swipes, you can send them off to where they need to go. Adobe’s EchoSign is particularly useful in this capacity when it comes to contracts and agreements. Instead of print, sign, scan, send, you don’t have to take any of those steps.
- The Basics
Most of us don’t tend to think of the iPad as a capable resource for the primary reasons (Web browsing aside) we’re so dependent on our desktop or laptop: Word, Excel and PowerPoint. But the iPad’s got you covered there too. Pages, Numbers and Keynote work seamlessly. And if you’re not on board with those Apple counterparts, OfficeHD gets the job done.
Bottom line: The stars of quick, user-friendly tablet hardware and slick, functional cloud-based tablet software are aligning. And for business, that means utility that’s fast and mobile. If there’s a business owner out there who doesn’t need more of either of those, I’ll retract my argument that a tablet (or tablets) needs to be on your next hardware purchase. But until then, here’s to swiping, tapping and pinching.
