The digital revolution is in full swing, especially in regard to mobile technology. While the rise of smartphones and tablets has typically been praised for enabling consumers to do better product research and buy online, mobile technology is becoming a necessary business solution in day-to-day operations, so much so that a recent survey found nearly every single responding small business owner said they used mobile in some capacity throughout their day. Technological solutions have become standard in business life, and entrepreneurs with limited funds who need to acquire such technology to keep pace with the competition can consider a small business equipment lease as a viable means of procurement.
4G more common among SMBs
In AT&T’s recent 2013 Small Business Technology Poll, 98 percent of the 1,000 surveyed small businesses reported they used wireless technology to run their operations. The survey also found small businesses were using increasingly high-tech solutions, as 56 percent of those with a smartphone used a 4G-enabled device, a major jump from the 33 percent who said the same in a similar survey last year.
Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) were found to be increasingly reliant on their 4G phones. Ninety percent said they were satisfied by their smartphone’s speed and 66 percent believed they likely could not survive without the technology.
“For small businesses today, wireless solutions have become part of their DNA,” said Cathy Martine, executive vice president of Small Business Solutions at AT&T.
Tablet use on the rise
Small businesses weren’t just focused on utilizing smartphone capabilities in business operations; they also upped their use of tablets, another crucial emerging mobile technology. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they have a tablet, with newly established businesses more likely to use the technology. Eighty percent of firms less than two years old used tablets, compared to 69 percent of those in business for more than two years.
SMBs were also found to use more mobile apps than before, with 47 percent saying they could not – or would find it difficult to – survive without using apps. Respondents said saved time, greater productivity, and reduced costs were among the top reasons they used popular apps like GPS navigation (which 74 percent of respondents used), location-based service (43 percent), document management (35 percent), and social media marketing (32 percent).
Technology can be a tricky game for entrepreneurs. Buy the wrong technology, and it will quickly become obsolete. In order to keep up with modern trends, small businesses can consult with National Funding on a small business equipment lease.
