Mobile Enables New Businesses … Can You Name One?
I was in San Diego airport this past weekend on my way home to San Francisco. A nurse in the airport was offering vaccinations and flu shots. Not so interesting I know. What was interesting is that she was using an iPad with a "Square" (see product description or https://squareup.com) to collect payment with a credit card. I stopped, of course, to talk with her about her experience.
A year ago they accepted cash or check only. Now they accept credit cards. They used the software provided by Square to build out an application that allows one to choose the vaccinations. The application compiles an itemized bill. The card is read by the Square and processed. The customer signs with a finger on the iPad. And . . . the customer can get a receipt via email immediately. End result? More accurate records. Real-time bookkeeping. More revenue b/c more payment options.
Intuit and others offer payment mechanisms through mobile phones and other portable devices with connectivity. These innovations will continue to enable small businesses and entrepreneurs to pursue new ideas . . . and in this case simplify the payment process. Totally cool. I love seeing ideas like this. Please post comments to this blog if there are others I should see.