A new survey has found that three-quarters of small businesses and self-employed people rarely send invoices by post, instead using apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Microsoft Teams.
The survey also found that 97% of traders believe their mobile “pocket office” helps improve their business, while Vodafone Business research found that 79% said their work would be hindered without mobile.
More than half of the small business owners surveyed said using traditional communication and billing methods was time-consuming, and 83 percent revealed that switching to app-based methods had helped them retain customers.
Using these systems for internal or external communication appears to be a big draw for these professionals: 45% said WhatsApp was the most important app for running their day-to-day work, while 20% said Microsoft Teams was most important for messaging.
The findings come after the release of the latest episode of Vodafone Business' Digital SOS documentary series. Starring Vodafone Business brand ambassador and entrepreneur Stephen Bartlett, the series aims to help SMEs make better use of digital technology to accelerate their business.
In the latest episode, Stephen visits DAY, a small fashion boutique based in Peckham, South East London, to help boost their online sales with support from Vodafone Business' V-Hub, a free online support service providing expert guidance, knowledge, tools and training for small businesses.
Maria Koutsoudakis, brand director at Vodafone UK, said: “The survey results show how important applications like Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp are to small businesses across the UK. Whether they use apps to communicate with customers, generate invoices, train employees or perform other business activities, businesses need connection to thrive and grow. As a national network connecting more than 550,000 businesses across the UK, we know that strong, reliable mobile connectivity is vital for SMEs to stay connected to their customers, employees and the places that matter to them.”
With such a strong emphasis on using these apps for daily work, Vodafone Business research also found that many businesses and employees would struggle greatly without them.
21% concluded that if they took a job without these apps or systems, it could have a significant impact on their livelihood, and 9% thought it would “threaten the survival of their business.”
Additionally, 9% feel they “might lose their business,” and a further 3% frankly admit that they “can’t survive without them.”
“I remember creating my first business group chat and feeling proud of what I'd built as an independent founder,” said Joe Roberts-Walker, founder of Mejuicer. “To this day, I can clearly see that we're growing every time we add people to our network.”
“We now use group chat on a daily basis and it has made the day-to-day operations of our small business much more efficient. We use it for everything from instant communication and sharing content to instructions, feedback and handovers.”
Survey participants said that these apps have most improved their ability to communicate externally with customers, with 46% believing this is the biggest benefit these apps bring to their business.
The majority of businesses (80%) use apps such as WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams for work, with almost half (46%) using them most often to communicate with customers and 20% using them most often to talk to staff.
“Group chat has been essential to building community at Apex Gym, improving our ability to communicate with external clients, and having one central point of communication to streamline our activities,” said Amelia Lawes, founder of Apex Gym. “Without group chat, we would be lost.”