Look who’s talking

Your mobile phone is more than just a device to speak to your colleagues on, to respond to emails and to check your diary.  It’s a device that enables you to talk to your clients directly, to find out more about what your customers want from you.  We’re talking about social media. 

Social media is an extremely powerful tool.  Much like your mobile phone, no longer is it a ‘nice to have’ it’s a 'must have'. Using social media for your business is a vital part of your marketing strategy and by ensuring you have access to your social media accounts through your mobile phone, you can always stay on top of what your customers are saying about you.

Facebook 

This is the best place to start.  Shifting focus from old fashioned press advertising and printed material, to having a Facebook page means that you can directly interact with your customers.  Small businesses should not be ignoring social media.  It enables people to really engage and to share what they think and feel.  Qualitative data rather than quantitive . 

And, by downloading the Facebook app, you can manage your business Facebook page directly from your mobile phone. 

Twitter 

Twitter is an ideal social tool for helping to expand your business. Tweet something of value and you will soon see your Twitter following grow.  Many businesses are now able to track their social media referrals and have seen an increase the more they’re interacting with their customers. 

Download the app today. 

Instagram 

Another great tool is Instagram.  If you’re business is very product focused then this is the ideal social media network to utilise.  Taking images of your products and sharing them, with the relevant hashtags of course, will help to boost your profile.  Making sure you have a phone with a decent camera is essential. 

Setting up an Instagram account takes just a few simple steps but it could really change the way you do business.   

LinkedIn

Having a LinkedIn profile that you can access at your fingertips means you can stay on top of your contacts and start to expand your network.  All that time traveling between meetings and on business trips can be put to good use by making the most of your social media apps. 

Want to see who’s talking about you and what they’re saying? Use your mobile phone to keep on top of your social media activity and to really engage and interact with your audience.  It’s important to make sure you have a phone plan that includes data usage, otherwise you could find yourself with a hefty bill. 

Speak to us at Fivebars Mobile to find out how we can get you a price plan that suits you and your business needs.  

What you need to know about driving and mobile phone use

Across Hampshire, Isle of Wight and the Thames Valley, over the course of one year, police officers have caught almost 16,000 drivers using their mobile phone whilst behind the wheel of car.  The police haven’t made mobile phone use whilst driving illegal for nothing and here's why:

Did you know, you’re four times more likely to crash your car whilst using your mobile phone? 

Did you know, that your reaction time slows by around 50%?

Did you know, that even the sound of your mobile phone ringing in your car is a major distraction? 

Did you know, that texting whilst driving means 35% slower reaction times and poor lane control? 

We could go on.  

As a safety conscious mobile phone business, we at Fivebars Mobile are not only here to get you a good mobile phone deal, we also want you to be safe.  If you get caught using a mobile phone whilst driving then you could receive a £100 fine and three points on your licence. You could also go to court, be disqualified from driving and receive a higher fine. 

It can be all too tempting to use a mobile phone whilst driving, which is why we urge you to think of your safety, and the safety of others.  We offer car kits that meet the legal requirements and will enable you to carry on driving and operating your car safely.  

Top tips

But there are a few ways you can endeavour to be safer on the roads:

• Consider turning your phone on silent so that the noise doesn’t distract you or be tempting to answer
• Stop, where appropriate, to take calls so you’re not distracted whilst driving 
• Put your phone out of reach to avoid temptation 
• Ensure your car is fitted with a hands-free kit in case you do have to take a call 
• If you know someone else is driving try to avoid calling them unless it’s urgent 

You may see yourself as the most careful driver in the world, but the facts don’t lie.  Do all you can to protect yourself and others on the roads.  We understand just how important it is to stay communicated with others, but there is a time and a place.  That email can wait, that text message can wait, your Facebook update can wait too. Think before you answer. 

Top five iPhone apps that will help you get organised

Is there ever a moment in your day when you are without your mobile phone? Probably not.  We use our mobile phones for calling, texting, listening to music, making reservations, shopping and even to help us stay on top of things.  You can often forget that there is a whole world of apps out there; some to entertain us, some to help us find what we’re looking for, and others to help us run our lives. 

At Fivebars Mobile we are big advocates of anything that helps to organise our life better, which is why we have picked the top five iPhone apps that will help you to stay focused and get things done.  Stop procrastinating now ...

Evernote 

No need to carry an old school notebook around with you, Evernote is the perfect way to create notes and ideas.  Whether you need to keep notes on family life and things you need to do to work projects or inspirational thoughts, Evernote lets you keep them in one place. This means that your notes, ideas and even research are all to hand on one clever app. 

Basecamp 

This nifty project management tool enables you to create areas for your projects, to-do lists and even calendars that you can share with others.  Ideal for work as everything is in one place and email notification means you always know what is going on at any given time.  Basecamp will even give you a daily round-up of what has happened in each of your active projects. Check it out! 

Remember the milk 

Great name, huh? This is a task management app that helps you to create lists, share tasks, share with your Google calendar and to ensure you never forget anything, including the milk. 

1Password 

Tired of searching for all your different passwords for every bank account, app or even social media account you have? Then 1Password is for you.  With security being its number one priority, you only need to worry about logging in to this app in order to have all your passwords at your fingertips. 

Earnest 

Want to keep on track with your accounts and records? This clever, free app means that you can track your income and expenses and help you manage your tax better.  Ideal for small businesses, start-ups and the self-employed. 

There are so many different apps out there to choose from, so go find the ones that are right for you.  You’ll be amazed at how much more power that mobile phone has now.