For many small businesses financing is tight, especially during those first five or so years. Owners and managers are always looking for a way to increase productivity and raise revenue all while differentiating the business from others in your field. Finding ways to use personal devices to promote your business is key to making it through the lean years. Having a smart mobile strategy can help you manage security, data management and upkeep. Here are some clever things to think about when using your personal devices for business.
- Keeping an Eye on Costs – Obviously if your company is trying to reduce costs, managing the multitude of devices can get overwhelming. Maintaining an inventory of your mobile assets is critical because, if you don’t know what devices you have in your organization, you won’t be able to keep track of your bills and spending, both for wireless service and for hardware. Have a set employee be the point person who keeps tabs on wireless bills, maintenance and any issues that come up.
- Establish a Company Mobile Policy – Consider coming up with some set standards about usage for personal vs business use. This should include a policy for things such as: installment of Apps, security for business data, social media use, and a policy to report abuses and problems. A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy should also be set before employees can use a personal device for work related purposes. The Human Resources department – or a specialist if you are a small company- can review with your employees problems such as sexting, mobile harassment and driving while texting.
- Data Management – One critical piece that can not be ignored when it comes to using data on personal devices is the management and protection of the business data you are accessing. Make sure your business data, such as contacts, pictures, files and financial information are backed up at a separate site and have security methods in place. This applies to information that could be lost or stolen if the device is taken or lost.
Categorised in: Business Management