Talk from the Top

Mobile is changing the face of business. Yet, many business owners have been slow to adopt a mobile strategy despite the numerous benefits. Mobile offers significant return on investment in terms of improving efficiencies and offering greater business flexibility.

Intuit conducted a study in 2014 that found almost two-thirds (63%) of business owners using mobile devices and apps had saved 7.5 hours a week by using the technology. That’s the equivalent of nine working weeks each year!

The research also found 37% of businesses had increased revenue by an average of 8% simply by being able to access their business data on mobile.

Another significant benefit of mobile and cloud technology is flexibility to work outside the office and still have access to vital data and tools needed to perform business functions; this flexibility is highly valued by employees.

A study by McCrindle Research found eight in 10 people would stay longer with an employer that offered the option of working remotely or from home. Further, more than half of employees were willing to take a pay cut in exchange for greater workplace flexibility.

Small business owners tell me time and again that mobile helps them boost productivity. For example, when they use their cloud-based accounting software, which includes a rich app ecosystem, they’re able to perform many tasks on the go like invoicing, accepting payments and viewing business data.

You may be surprised to know that smartphone penetration in Australia reached 85% last year with these devices accounting for a staggering one-third of all e-commerce transactions. If mobile is not part of your business strategy, it should be.

With the rapid pace of change, I predict that businesses not optimised for mobile will be left behind their more nimble competitors. The good news is that once you’ve made the decision to adopt a mobile focus, the shift is quick and affordable for almost any business.

This is especially good news for small business owners that have to do more with less.

Brad is responsible for building Intuit's presence, driving growth and overseeing operations in the Asia Pacific region. He leads a fast-growing, dynamic team to deliver disruptive business management solutions to small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers, and provide best-in-class support to customers.