Study: SMBs use Mobile for Business More Than Ever

Small-business owners are using their mobile devices for business more than ever before, even when they are sitting in front of their computers, according to a new study from Manta, a small-business resource provider.

Approximately 80 percent of small-business owners use their mobile phone for business at least once a day, marking a 10 percent increase since 2012, according to Manta’s semi-annual SMB Wellness Index.

The study, which surveyed 1,100 small-business owners, found that a quarter of respondents use their mobile device for business at least every hour. And the number of business owners who use their mobile devices while at their computers has also increased by 10 percent, for a total of 78 percent of respondents.

Smartphones have largely replaced the need for pen-and-paper tasks such as appointment scheduling, customer interaction and note-taking, according to Manta. The increasing versatility of these devices is, in effect, changing the landscape of the traditional office as users shift toward a single device for all their business and personal needs.

“Mobile technology is clearly changing the nature of small-business ownership,” said John Swanciger, CEO of Manta, in a statement. “It’s encouraging to see that small-business owners are adapting and taking these seismic shifts in stride.”

While the fact that business owners are using their mobile devices more than ever might not be such revelatory news, it’s important to note how mobile devices continue to shrink the need for traditional computers in the workplace.

And yes, this trend has been taking place for quite a while, but continued advancements in smartphones may make office desktops and laptops obsolete within the next few years, which could be harmful for PC vendors such as Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell as they struggle to remain relevant amid the rapid advances in mobile technology. Couple that with the increasing functionality of tablets and it’s easy to see where this trend could cause problems for many legacy vendors still focused on the traditional PC market.

But the steady growth of mobile also presents numerous opportunities for channel partners who either sell or support the sale of mobile devices. As more business owners continue to rely on these devices for their everyday tasks, channel partners will be required to manage security, provide tech support and supply new solutions to business owners to help them run their businesses. In short, there’s never been a better time to be a mobile services and solutions provider in the channel.