According to a report by Gitnux, 93% of workers under 50 use smartphones for work-related tasks. This is especially true for freelancers and entrepreneurs. Although you probably won’t be given a phone by an employer if you work freelance, you’ll likely struggle to run your business without one. In this guide, we’ll look at how to choose a work phone and its apps.
Essential Apps
For a business, the more channels of communication, the better. Any work phone should have an email client installed, as well as messaging platforms like WhatsApp (and potentially additional industry-specific platforms) and videoconferencing tools like Zoom.
For online security, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is recommended for secure browsing and to protect your data. For example, ExpressVPN’s Chrome extension enables you to use the service from within your browser to keep your data safe. A reliable antivirus app is also important — antivirus in conjunction with a virtual private network is the safest way to use the internet.
There are also apps designed to improve your productivity. Project management tools like Evernote or Trello can help you to organise work-related tasks efficiently.
Choosing the Right Phone
Selecting the right work phone is crucial. Consider factors like performance, battery life, and app compatibility. High-performance phones such as the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy models are popular for their processing power, extensive app libraries, and long battery life.
Other phones may also be ideal for specific purposes — for example, Xiaomi smartphones are renowned for the quality of their cameras, which could be excellent for business owners who need to take high-quality photographs for their websites or social media pages.
Before choosing a phone, determine which apps you will be using and make sure that your chosen model of phone supports all of them.
Managing Privacy
Although you may think that privacy is less important for work-related tasks than for personal uses, it is still an important factor to consider. Work phones can be attractive targets for hackers, and you could even be liable if you store clients’ or customers’ information and neglect to keep it secure.
You should therefore use strong passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA), and keep your phone’s software up-to-date. Xiaomi’s useful guides can help you with this.
Optimizing Workflows
Automation tools like IFTT and Zapier can streamline repetitive tasks. For instance, the Zapier app can automatically schedule tasks in apps like Trello after reading Slack messages. You can also optimize your workflows with simple calendar apps — setting up reminders and notifications can help you stay focused and on track.
Work-Life Balance
Two-thirds of workers report not having a good work-life balance. While working as an entrepreneur or freelancer can give you the freedom to set your own schedule and boundaries, they can be difficult to maintain. Too much screen time a day can negatively impact our health and our businesses — downloading the Digital Wellbeing or Screentime app can help manage this.
Final Thoughts
A work phone is a vital tool for any business owner or freelancer. What’s more, optimizing your phone usage (such as by using apps and tools) can improve your productivity, communication, security, and overall success.
