No phone? No problem! How you can minimise downtime when you have a mobile mishap

Business owners often rely on their phones to remain connected to everything at all hours, so you need to know who you can turn to in the unfortunate event of a mobile mishap.

If you were to ask the average entrepreneur in 2017 what their most invaluable tool for business is, you’re likely to get a very different answer than if youd asked perhaps even as recently as five years ago.

These days, every business owner, regardless of the sector they operate in, is plugged in to their mobile phone 24/7.

emails, calls, texts, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram? mobile phones are the central communications hub for an entrepreneur, said Sarah McConomy, Commercial Director at iMend.com.

everything is there in one place, even your booking platform can be replicated in an app these days. The days of needing offices and keyboards and computers are long gone when you’ve got your mobile and can work from anywhere.

Indeed, the way we work has been truly revolutionised in recent years. There has been a rise in flexible working, working from home and bring your own device (BYOD) schemes as a result, and some firms have even implemented policies where work emails can only be answered during work hours.

So, if you’re used to running your own business, with everything so easily accessible at any time and any place, what happens when a mobile mishap means that is suddenly taken away from you?

Back to messenger pigeon?

When a mobile phone breaks, it’s always annoying. So many of us have been there the screen cracks, texts are too hard to read and you suddenly feel totally cut off from the outside world. But what about when your business relies on it?

it becomes like an emergency distress situation, especially if your mobile is your primary or secondary form of communication. It all breaks down you’re a bit helpless without it.

you’re no longer connected to your staff, customers, stakeholders etc. This can mean a drop off in productivity and, potentially, you’re going to lose money, said McConomy.

Sending a phone off for repairs can take days, even weeks, and this is spare time many entrepreneurs just don’t have. It was with this in mind that iMend was born for mobile phone repairs.

we position ourselves as the experts in the world of business mobile and tablet repairs, explained McConomy.

iMend offers same-day call-out repairs for mobiles, primarily iPhones. On the occasions that a phone cannot be repaired on site, it couriers them to its own service centre to be returned the next day.

whether it’s our mail in service or our call-out service, we guarantee the speediest turn-around service in the UK.

The importance of Data Protection

McConomy suggests asking business owners to think for a second about the importance of the information stored on your mobile it’s not just the personal information but the trade secrets and customer details too. Before you hand it over for a repair, you need to know who you are dealing with.

iMend is a data protected facility, and all the technicians undergo though background checks. For on-site repairs, which usually take around 15-20 minutes, customers never even have to leave their phones unattended. In addition, iMend offers a 12-month warranty.

Mobile phones are undoubtedly part of the very fabric of the way business owners work these days, and it’s important to have a back-up procedure in case disaster strikes.

When you have plan B in place, you can rest assured that a cracked screen isnt going to result in a week’s downtime, and you can get on with growing your business.

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest from Business Advice.