After years of being slightly embarrassed at dinner parties to admit I was a Banker, it was time for a change. It might have been that the guilt money was rapidly diminishing, that the hours were too long or that my first child was born, but in 2012 that feeling of "there must be more to life than banking" became overwhelming. Lots of people have that feeling, and it might have been a slightly unplanned and spur of the moment decision, but within a week, I had quit.
What a relief! I could see light at the end of the tunnel and I was preparing a bonfire for my oyster card, suits and ties. Over the years, I worked evenings and weekends on random businesses I created with friends and I was lucky that most broke even, but I was luckier that during that time I learnt more than anyone on an MBA (so I hear), built an awesome network of people and created the right habits that entrepreneurs need to succeed.
So I decided to take all that and make apps. "Why?" you might say. Apps are the future. It's a massive cliché, but having a Mobile First way of thinking about your business is increasingly important. Think 5 years ahead:
1. Won't we all be walking around with Google glasses doing image recognition on the people we meet that tells you how you could get introduced to this person through your Linkedin network?
2. Won't we be asking our phone to find out the quickest way from A to B, that both avoids traffic but gives you the chance to have a McDonalds, and of course as you get closer the GPS on your device will order your favourite Big Mac meal, and iBeacons will detect when you walk in and pay automatically (and safely)?
3. Won't our watches be more than status symbols but health devices monitoring your blood sugar levels, heart rate and daily exercise? In a couple of taps you'll have reset your home thermostat and told your fridge to give you an update on the groceries needed for the week, and then to buy them of course!?
All of the above can already be done. In fact, watch any Star Trek movies and realise the future is coming. Having a Mobile First way of thinking is rapidly becoming crucial when you have a business - and makes business sense.
Now decide how you want to handle this: be scared of the future or embrace the future.
In creating a Mobile business, I decided to embrace the future and see how I could help businesses take advantage of this massive opportunity, through creating apps that leverage the presence of your existing business (online and physical), work in some Mobile innovation and put your client at the centre.
When you think about it like that, the future is bright, the future is Mobile (apologies for the blatant copy of that famous catchphrase!)
In the next instalment, I will discuss how to create a unique app that becomes a profit centre, gets you new clients and enhances your brand.
By Patrice Archer, app entrepreneur.
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