Seventy-one
percent of small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) are mobile businesses adopting
wireless technology to allow their employees to work effectively outside of the
office, according to Portfolio.com.
The
findings of the proprietary study, conducted by The Business Journals, reveals
the business habits of the rising number of SMB mobile professionals – those
who work outside of the office more than 30 percent of the time.
According
to the study, the average mobile
professional works outside of the office more than half the time, averaging 56
hours per week, and has an average net worth of $1.5 million, compared to total
SMB owners at $1.2 million in average net
worth. Geographically, mobile professionals are most prominent in the South (39
percent).
These
mobile SMBs are adopting and using the latest technology to stay connected and
drive revenue growth in their businesses. Fifty-nine percent of the survey
respondents believe staying connected through wireless services and
applications is critical to the success of their business. And higher sales
figures for the well-connected validate this approach: average sales at most
mobile companies were $10.8 million in 2010, compared
with $5.7 million for those companies that haven’t embraced mobility.
The
study also reveals that 88 percent of mobile professionals use social networks,
with 60 percent of them leveraging social media platforms to market their
businesses. Many mobile professionals, 80 percent of them, feel it is critical
to have access to information while outside of the office. Devices and services
that help them stay connected while away from their desk include Wi-Fi, text
messages, smartphones, apps, notebook/netbook, iPad, and cloud computing.
According
to the study, 43 percent of mobile professionals polled in the study are
familiar with cloud computing, with 14 percent having used cloud computing in
the past year.
64
percent of SMB owners who are considered mobile professionals spend more than
eight hours connected to their businesses via computer, smartphone, or iPad; 38
percent spend 11 hours and more on their devices.
45
percent of SMB mobile professionals make business trips at least once a month
and average almost 15 trips a year for their companies – more than any other SMB
group. However, mobile professionals are spending fewer dollars on business
trips.
Average
expenses for flights fell to $2,642 in 2011 from $5,039 in 2007 per firm
while hotel expenses dropped from $5,380 to $2,796 per firm over the
past five years. As a result, these SMB mobile professionals are staying more
connected to their local communities and sourcing a majority of their sales
locally (71 percent).
By
TelecomLead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
