For years I resisted the temptation to invest in a trendy new Blackberry, as a Technology Coach I've always been a big proponent of only investing in technology that truly has a return on investment, and while I saw the potential in productivity gains, I resisted the idea of having email "on my hip" 24/7 because of fear of losing that precious "downtime".
Well this summer the sleek new Blackberry 8800 was released and I could no longer hold back!
I reasoned with myself, BlackBerries are more than just trendy they are technology that has the potential to really improve productivity! I owe it to myself, no, I owe it to my small business technology client base to do hands on research and find out, will it improve my productivity or make it worse?
Well, it has been six months since I gave in and I am proud to say I have yet to become a “crackberry addict”
For those still unfamiliar with this gadget, the BlackBerry is a hand-held device that sends and receives e-mail literally from the palm of your hand. It is also a great cell phone, address book and datebook calendar. You can surf the Internet, create to-do lists, use it as a calculator and even play games.
I usually receive more than 100 e-mails a day and If my device beeped every time something new arrived in my inbox, I would get nothing done. It is easy enough to check for e-mails at my leisure or between meetings and much less intrusive, of course this also means the blackberry isn't going off during client visits, meetings or worst of all during the of so necesary "downtime" we small business owners never get enough of!
In the last 3 weeks I have been out of the office virtually every day and the BlackBerry was my saviour, there is nothing more gratifying than that one email in the middle of the afternoon confirming a meeting or client appointment for later in the day that saves a trip back to the office before heading out again, it cuts down on mileage, gas costs, travel times and ultimately lowers my total overhead.
But, I have often been told to take good care of my thumbs because with constant use comes the new malady — BlackBerry thumb.
As Web MD’s Arthritis Health Centre points out, BlackBerry owners type by pecking out messages with their thumbs. Many people soon learn to type 40 words a minute and I'm quickly approaching that feat, just never in traffic of course!
The BlackBerry may give the impression businesspersons are forever tethered to it in public — in the elevator, on the street, in a taxi, but its appeal lies in the fact you can get a lot more work done with small intermittent moments throughout the day instead of slaving over a PC in the office and my personal experience and on-going tally shows over 13 hours of travel time saved because I didn't need to return to the office to get that "one email" before heading to the next meeting.
Since entrepreneurs and small business owners often wear multiple hats, they need to be reachable by customers or clients, even when they’re out of the office, at home, or at a ball game with their kids and given the option of carrying a blackberry or giving up that important out of office time, I'm sure you can see why a device like this is so useful.
In this day and age, virtually everyone communicates via e-mail. I have often been out of the office only to return several hours later to find a notice sent early in the morning seeking my response. The person could have simply called me, but these days people are often more comfortable e-mailing than calling.
What about vacations? If you have the Blackberry take it, but try to use it within reason. If you are anxious to communicate with someone you will be glad to have it with you.
As one person said: “Personally, I’d rather spend 15 minutes a day on a vacation on my BlackBerry than face 2,000 messages in my inbox when I return. Plus, what kind of relaxing vacation will you have knowing e-mails are piling up back at the office?”
So, for all those people who are intimidated by the BlackBerry, rest easy. Not only is it trendy, but the device can indeed be considered a lifesaver for small business owners like yourself!
For more information on how you can integrate a wireless email device like a blackeberry into your busy small business schedule call Scott Kendall The Technology Coach today!
Well this summer the sleek new Blackberry 8800 was released and I could no longer hold back!
I reasoned with myself, BlackBerries are more than just trendy they are technology that has the potential to really improve productivity! I owe it to myself, no, I owe it to my small business technology client base to do hands on research and find out, will it improve my productivity or make it worse?
Well, it has been six months since I gave in and I am proud to say I have yet to become a “crackberry addict”
For those still unfamiliar with this gadget, the BlackBerry is a hand-held device that sends and receives e-mail literally from the palm of your hand. It is also a great cell phone, address book and datebook calendar. You can surf the Internet, create to-do lists, use it as a calculator and even play games.
The first thing I did upon receiving the BlackBerry was disable the incoming e-mail alert. That you see is what compounds the addiction.
I usually receive more than 100 e-mails a day and If my device beeped every time something new arrived in my inbox, I would get nothing done. It is easy enough to check for e-mails at my leisure or between meetings and much less intrusive, of course this also means the blackberry isn't going off during client visits, meetings or worst of all during the of so necesary "downtime" we small business owners never get enough of!
In the last 3 weeks I have been out of the office virtually every day and the BlackBerry was my saviour, there is nothing more gratifying than that one email in the middle of the afternoon confirming a meeting or client appointment for later in the day that saves a trip back to the office before heading out again, it cuts down on mileage, gas costs, travel times and ultimately lowers my total overhead.
But, I have often been told to take good care of my thumbs because with constant use comes the new malady — BlackBerry thumb.
As Web MD’s Arthritis Health Centre points out, BlackBerry owners type by pecking out messages with their thumbs. Many people soon learn to type 40 words a minute and I'm quickly approaching that feat, just never in traffic of course!
The BlackBerry may give the impression businesspersons are forever tethered to it in public — in the elevator, on the street, in a taxi, but its appeal lies in the fact you can get a lot more work done with small intermittent moments throughout the day instead of slaving over a PC in the office and my personal experience and on-going tally shows over 13 hours of travel time saved because I didn't need to return to the office to get that "one email" before heading to the next meeting.
Since entrepreneurs and small business owners often wear multiple hats, they need to be reachable by customers or clients, even when they’re out of the office, at home, or at a ball game with their kids and given the option of carrying a blackberry or giving up that important out of office time, I'm sure you can see why a device like this is so useful.
In this day and age, virtually everyone communicates via e-mail. I have often been out of the office only to return several hours later to find a notice sent early in the morning seeking my response. The person could have simply called me, but these days people are often more comfortable e-mailing than calling.
What about vacations? If you have the Blackberry take it, but try to use it within reason. If you are anxious to communicate with someone you will be glad to have it with you.As one person said: “Personally, I’d rather spend 15 minutes a day on a vacation on my BlackBerry than face 2,000 messages in my inbox when I return. Plus, what kind of relaxing vacation will you have knowing e-mails are piling up back at the office?”
So, for all those people who are intimidated by the BlackBerry, rest easy. Not only is it trendy, but the device can indeed be considered a lifesaver for small business owners like yourself!
For more information on how you can integrate a wireless email device like a blackeberry into your busy small business schedule call Scott Kendall The Technology Coach today!
Beyond just technology support,
Scott Kendall The Technology Coach is your
Trust Information Technology Partner!
Scott Kendall The Technology Coach is your
Trust Information Technology Partner!
