Mobile phones are an essential part of an entrepreneur's working life. Small firms started to rely on them with the introduction of 2G, which allowed people to call and message each other wirelessly. Then came 3G, offering mobile internet access, which freed individuals from the confines of the fixed workplace and gave businesses more flexibility and connectivity via smartphones.
4G offers communication speeds five times faster, the opportunity to submit data instantly and wirelessly, and the chance to use digital photo and video capture to simplify processes and reduce paperwork.
Fraser Doherty is one entrepreneur who has high hopes for 4G and what it will continue to do for his business. The founder of SuperJam, a company that makes 100% fruit jams now sold in many UK supermarkets, is optimistic that faster internet connections and the improved ability to work on the move will be good both for his enterprise and his lifestyle.
He said: "4G internet has opened up all kinds of opportunities for companies to sell things to people. The increase in mobile shopping is inevitable, as is the ability to target special offers to people in your local area. But what's exciting for me as a young entrepreneur is that faster mobile internet makes it even more possible for me to live my life how I want to. If I can work from anywhere, I want to work from everywhere, completely blurring the lines between travel, fun and work."
Futurologist Ray Hammond insists that 4G networks are set to continue having an impact on society that will be far more profound than most people realise. He explains: "4G networks will extend high-speed connectivity through the air to allow businesses of every size to use the marketing, organisational and efficiency opportunities that will make business truly democratic. A small restaurant on the street corner now has the same opportunities to promote itself and attract customers in the super-fast world of 4G as the biggest chain of fast food outlets. The same is true for almost all other types of business."
Experts are keen to emphasise that 4G is very much more than a faster version of 3G. According to the European Union, faster internet speeds drive economic growth because they increase business efficiency and lead to the development of new services and markets. 4G's five times faster service makes mobile speeds comparable with average fixed-line connections, making it much easier for employees to work with larger files while they are on the move.
There are other practical advantages. A 4G connection makes it possible to broadcast high quality video from a smartphone. Sharing a connection becomes more feasible too. That means a small team can create a pop-up office using one connection to create a shared wireless network and thus collaborate with greater efficiency.
Doherty has found that 4G yields great rewards in terms of staff motivation and productivity: "There are all kinds of online tools that make it possible to collaborate with your team, no matter how far apart you all are. And I've found that the more independence I give to the people I work with, the more motivated they are to do a good job. If you treat people like entrepreneurs, they act like them."
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