In partnership with Microsoft, Smart Hustle is sharing this article on 12 Tips and Tricks to Make the Most of Your Tablet for Business

When you envision “success” for your Business, what does it look like? Is it a team that works as one cohesive unit? Is it a company that optimizes productivity and maximizes output? Is it one that can work from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone?

Regardless of your industry or area of expertise, there is one common thread that ties all business success stories together: efficiency. The more you can rein in on the excess or extraneous and create a streamlined and nimble experience—for staff members as well as customers—the easier it will be to focus on what you do best.

Most business owners are already aware of the vital role technology plays in business efficiency. For those of you reading this, you are probably wondering how your Tablet can take on that role and transform your business. Here are 12 tips to help you make the most out of your tablet.

Why You Should Use Your Tablet for Work and 12 Tips to Do So Successfully

Tablet technology is not new, but many of the ways in which we use today it are—especially as it pertains to the workplace. If you think about it, over a decade ago most of us were tied to our desktop hardware and software.

• Restaurant servers had to dash back to stationary point-of-sale systems before they forgot their table’s order.
• Salespeople often had to sacrifice attentive client conversations instead of careful notetaking as they listened to clients tell their story/explain a problem/etc.
• Business owners had to give prospective clients their business cards because they did not have their portfolio of work on hand.

Work was much different before mobile technology became a welcome piece of business technology. Now with the tablet, business professionals no longer have to choose between the mobility of a smartphone or the reliance of a computer. They can have both in a single device.

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If you are wondering how your business can make use of this versatile, nimble, and mobile technology, read on for some tips, tricks, and best practices.

Enhance Workplace Efficiency

#1: Spread Out

While it may seem like it only takes a few seconds to open and close new windows or tabs within a single monitor, you would be surprised at how much quicker and focused you will be if you spread all your work across multiple monitors. By turning your multi-purpose tablet into a second display, you can save money on having to buy additional hardware, too.

#2: Remove Distractions

If you enjoy reading the news, looking at social media, and responding to emails throughout the day, you may want to designate a particular time, place, and even device to it. By pushing your personal emails, “read later” news stories, and more onto your tablet, you can leave those fun diversions for later (like during your commute).

#3: Track Inventory

For anyone who’s ever tried to manage and track inventory with pen and paper, you know how tedious that can get. Not to mention the fact that too many sheets of paper hanging around have a tendency to get lost or force you to spend time searching for the specific list you need. With a tablet, you can input your inventory data digitally and in real time.

#4: Point of Sale

If you run a business that conducts sales on the go or just outside of a traditional workspace, tablets can serve as your point of sale. They help businesses:

• Give customers a secure way to pay for services or products.
• Increase order accuracy.
• Improve customer service.
• Process payments anywhere.

Work on the Go

#5: Take Notes

For tablets equipped with a pen (like the Surface Pen), you can take notes or annotate images wherever you are. This comes in handy if you are already using your tablet as your go-to productivity and communication device. Just use the pen to capture your thoughts at the moment.

#6: Stay Connected

Whether you work from the office, home, or while on the road, a lightweight tablet helps you seamlessly transition your workspace to any environment. The Surface tablet comes built-in with all the desktop and professional Windows software you would use at the office, which makes it even easier to stay connected and on top of your work.

#7: Track finances

If you or your team travels a lot, tablets make staying on top of finance-related matters easy. Just scan them into your tablet and upload to whatever expense or project management software you use to track such items.

#8: 24/7 Portfolio Access

With a tablet, you can carry high-resolution, digital copies of your work—or even spec sheets and other service-related sales sheets—on the device you already use for everything else.

Be Creative

#9: Update Content

Whether you have a creative who needs to update your content on the fly or you are a business owner wanting to make updates to your website as you wait for that next meeting, a tablet is a helpful tool to have around.

#10: Impromptu Video

Did you know that video is one of the most powerful forms of marketing today? If you are looking to increase conversion rates, you will do well to have a tool to help you record a high-quality video for use on your website, social media, email, and other marketing collateral. Tablets give you the power to not only record video but to edit and post, too.

Improve Client Engagements

#11: Event Signups

Similar to inventory tracking, event signup forms can be a pain to manage when you are trying to gather people’s information on sheets of paper. If you are looking for a less cumbersome, lower-risk collection method, and you want to enhance the user experience, use a tablet for a streamlined and quick form signup system.

#12: Wait-Time Distractions

Much like how restaurants use tableside tablets to keep guests occupied as they wait, other businesses can use tablets too for customers, job applicants, and anyone else left waiting for service or assistance. You can give them an educational and entertaining video to watch about your company, or you can leave them to browse the web while they wait for their scheduled meeting.

There’s no longer a need to carry around a bulky laptop or to gather around a single team member’s screen to collaborate. The tablet goes wherever you go and can address a wide range of business needs while helping to reduce inefficiencies and improve productivity. If you are willing to take some time to acclimate yourself to working on this nimble device, you may soon find it's an essential part of your business.

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