In the past, small businesses were only rarely able to take advantage of cutting-edge technology, usually because of the cost. Now, thanks to rapidly improving mobile communications and internet technologies, more powerful laptops, mobile handsets and other wireless devices, that has changed.

With the spread of Wi-Fi and mobile broadband, these are enabling a growing number of small businesses to operating in a more flexible, mobile way than would have seemed possible only three or four years ago. But there are still plenty of small firms that are not yet taking full advantage of these technologies, either because they don't realise what they're missing or because of concerns over the anticipated costs and operational upheaval.

The increased popularity of mobilisation among small businesses can be attributed above all to two things: the ubiquity of mobile phones and the ever-greater importance of email. In July 2008 Vodafone released the results of its annual critical time response index, which examines changing attitudes to email. It showed that one in 10 companies now expects emails to business partners to be answered inside 30 minutes, and that one in three expected a response in less than two hours. Over a third (36%) of those questioned could also recall at least one instance when a lack of mobile email had led to stress and conflict in the workplace.

Meanwhile, earlier this year research carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Research In Motion (RIM), which manufactures the BlackBerry platform and handsets, revealed that 48% of small business owners attributed winning at least one piece of business to having been contactable while on the road.

‘A lot of people who had voice have been turning to BlackBerry and other devices to use mobile email. The other big take-up is in internet connectivity. Use of the internet through the phone is growing and with 3G that experience is getting faster and better'
Oliver Chivers, head of business marketing at T-Mobile, says the last three years have marked a noticeable change in the way small business customers use mobile communications. "A lot of people who had voice with us have been turning to BlackBerry and other devices to use mobile email," he says. "The other big take-up is in internet connectivity. Use of the internet through the phone is growing and with 3G that experience is getting faster and better, and handsets have better functionality."

Mobilisation can also lead to changes in the way small firms operate in the office. Simon Devonshire, head of small business marketing at O2, cites a London-based customer that employs 12 people but only accommodates eight at its office, because at least half the team are usually out. "Having that small office in London is key: if they increased their office size it would cost tens of thousands of pounds more per year," he explains.

Information overload
One of the biggest problems facing small businesses considering using any form mobile technology - from equipping staff with mobile phones to selecting a mobile broadband package - is the dizzyingly wide choice of technologies and service packages from which to choose.

Those who represent the operators, like O2's Devonshire, say they now aim to provide a more consultative type of service. "It's about educating the marketplace so they can make an informed choice," he says. "I want them to make the right choice. If they do, they'll be more satisfied and will stay with us for longer."

This minefield of information is what prompted Russ Wheeler to set up tariffsupermarket.com, a price comparison service that enables businesses to compare packages from the various providers, based on criteria such as the number of minutes, handsets and length of contract required, for voice (both mobile and landline), data and mobile broadband services. "If I had to lose either my phone or my BlackBerry, I'd rather lose the phone," he says. "Two years ago I wouldn't have said that, but now I'd rather not be able to talk to people than lose the ability to use email."

Antony Coleman, head of convergence propositions at BT Business, says small firms should start by trying to pin down what they hope to achieve. "If they just want to keep in contact with the office via email then they would be best considering something like a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device so they can keep in touch without having to power up a laptop," he says. "On the other hand, with a sales automation system, a salesperson won't want to complete a 50-field form on a BlackBerry so a laptop would do the job better."

Those who decide that a mobile email device is what they need are likely to end up choosing between a BlackBerry and a phone or PDA based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform. RIM's research suggests that the typical user puts an extra 60 minutes back into their day as a result of using BlackBerry.

One typical BlackBerry small business customer is Derek Champion, the founder and owner of Champion Forklifts, a Bournemouth-based business that services forklift trucks used in warehousing. Switching from using a mobile phone and laptop to a BlackBerry means he and his staff don't have to worry about missing calls while they're repairing a vehicle, and can access email without needing to power up a laptop and look for a Wi-Fi hot spot. His four field engineers now use BlackBerry to order spare parts online, access the customer database and update work schedules from remote locations.

Growing demand
Sarah Probert, director, enterprise segment, EMEA at RIM, says the small business segment has become a more significant user of the BlackBerry in recent years, in part as a result of a sharp rise in demand from smaller professional services companies such as lawyers, accountants and consultants.

At the start of this year RIM launched a new package for the BlackBerry: a slimmed down version of its enterprise server designed for up to 30 users. Costs tend not to be too frightening, with data tariffs and voice packages bundled together. "You're getting packages with all-you-can-eat data, for email, browsing and so on at a flat rate, so end-users can predict costs," says Probert.

‘The advent of mobile broadband opens up a range of possibilities. It makes laptop broadband use much more widely available at an affordable price, and that then opens up a raft of applications you would have at your PC in the office'
One argument that has been used against flexible working in general, and against the BlackBerry in particular, is that rather than improving your work/life balance it can mean work starts leaking into leisure time. But the BlackBerry does at least offer the chance to deal with communications while travelling; surely preferable, says O2's Devonshire, to the model favoured by a small business customer he met recently who spends up to two-and-a-half hours dealing with emails when he returns home each evening.

The spread of mobile broadband, whereby an extra piece of hardware enables the use of broadband on a laptop without the need for a Wi-Fi network, is starting to drive a big change in the way small firms use mobile technologies. "I think the advent of mobile broadband opens up a range of possibilities," says BT's Coleman. "It makes laptop broadband use much more widely available at an affordable price, and that then opens up a raft of applications you would have at your PC in the office."

Companies can also now choose from many different technologies that enable secure remote connection to office networks. Outdoor leisure retailer Go Outdoors, for example, uses Radmin, a small piece of software produced by Famatech that can be implemented in almost any system. Until now, the software's primary use has been as a means of controlling PCs by remote control but it can also be used to link laptops securely to applications on desktop PCs. Available for $49 per licence, it offers a secure way of accessing data compared to the potential risks of using an unencrypted link from a laptop at a Wi-Fi hotspot.

"It's time-saving, very easy to configure and inexpensive," says Paul Lyon, IT manager at Go Outdoors. "It's about being able to respond quickly to events. We need our buyers, marketers and key departments to be able to access things quickly as they move from store to store. Our head office function is really quite small now."

Money worries
Cost concerns can still inhibit mobilisation. "A lot of small businesses think they pay too much for mobile communications," says T-Mobile's Chivers, referring to his company's research. It's certainly a good idea to visit websites like tariffsupermarket.com to get a feel for the pricing deals available, and to evaluate tariffs in detail. It may also be worth investigating other technologies and services that offer alternative ways of controlling costs. For example, Truphone routes calls over the internet from Wi-Fi handsets, cutting out roaming charges.

The good news is that technology continues to get cheaper. That's why mobile broadband is being used more widely now than it was a year ago, and will probably be more widespread still next year. "You'll find a lot more of what we take as standard on the internet becoming standard services on the mobile device over time," says Renato Bottini, head of small business offerings at 3.

"Mobile email and technologies like Instant Messaging are very well used in the professional segments of the small business community," he continues. "The professional segments are very savvy and always looking to save money. The challenge is persuading other small firms to take advantage of these technologies."

Operators will be helped in meeting this challenge by the fact that small businesses are persuading each other of the benefits of mobilisation, while the fact the operators are being forced to become ever more competitive is good news. If you're not already doing so, you really should be trying to find out what these technologies could do for your company and ensuring you get the best deal for your business.