Tablet technology for business

I have been following tablet computer technology, specifically iPad and android powered tablets especially since the recent release of the iPad 2. As a computer person I am by default a geek who loves to play with new technology, particularly technology that looks as cool as the iPad. After playing with a new iPad in Best Buy I decided that one day if I found one cheap enough, I would purchase it and figure out how to best use it to my advantage in business.

What would you know, but a couple days later I found a great steal on Craigslist and am now the proud owner of a bouncy baby iPad. After the initial “omg this is so cool look what I can do” excitement wore off, I sat down and started seriously researching how I can leverage this new technology to help me in my business. Quite honestly i was surprised at the extreme versatility of this amazing machine. I am really good at forgetting paperwork and documentation at client meetings, so now all my documentation has been loaded and stored in PDF format for easy access on my iPad. Using an offline viewer application, without having Internet access I can pull up a live view of several of my portfolio sites to show clients who want to see examples of my current work. This eliminates having to have access to computers and the sometimes awkward scenario if trying to share a small computer monitor with two people while trying to showcase your work to a potential client.

However the big life changer for me with this newfangled iPad is that I now have the ability to have clients sign contracts right on the spot. I simply have taken advantage of a PDF reader that allows for annotation of PDFs, and uploaded my basic contract. Now when sealing the deal I can pull out the iPad, point and ask them to sign on the dotted line. Then I can instantly email myself and the client a copy of the signed contract.

If you are considering a tablet based computer to supplement your business, I highly recommend into looking into the iPad and all it has to offer. Research and investigate the many uses this awesome computer can introduce to your business model.

Not to mention, iPads just look impressive to potential clients