I was just wondering if any of you manage your calendars with your cell/smartphone? If so, I have some questions:

1) how is it working?
2) Have you been able to completely phase out your paper calendar?
3) Are you using a special software, or just Outlook/Exchange?
4) Are you able to have both your work calendar and personal calendar running at the same time?

In my ideal world I would love to give up my paper calendar completely. My whole life is in my window's mobile smartphone, and carrying just that would be so great! Just curious who out there have been able to make it work for you and if so how.

Thanks in advance for any help/info you can provide!!

Anne

hth's

this may be a dumb question, but how do you schedule appointments when you are on the phone?? just put them on speaker??

I don't take client calls on my cellphone EVER. NONE of them have my cell number. It's strictly personal. I don't want to be harassed on my personal time if I'm out and about with my kids.
They have my home phone, on which I have call display and answering machine to screen my calls with so that I only take client calls during business hours and the rest is devoted to my family.

BUT having my 'calendar' with me when out, with friends or whatever, makes it super easy if they ask me if I'm available for such and such a date.

I used to use a palm for scheduling clients and LOVED it as it functioned just like outlook and I could back it up on my pooter to have a copy.
It's dead technology now, and so I bought a 'netbook' to leave at my manicure table (small enough to fit in my purse though, 8.5") and use the outlook on there. When not actually using it, it runs a slideshow clients can watch of different nail pictures.

But my blackberry phone is my 'backup' to my netbook so if either goes dead, I still have a copy of contacts & calendar. I will never go back to paper after being babied by outlook which I can set reminders with alarms and everything (for client's bdays, tasks etc).
It can do inumerous things, it's FABULOUS.

I have never used a paper diary, I started my business in 2004 and came from an IT background and always used my mobile phone calendar then too. It's configured to synchronise every 15 minutes when both the PC and phone are on.

For me it works perfectly, and has never let me down. I have a Nokia mobile phone which has a PC Suite to synchronise all the data (appoitments, contacts, texts, reminders, photos, etc.) to my PC. In the early days I had an IPAQ too and had everything in 3 places (laptop, IPAQ and phone) just in case but I never used the IPAQ so gave up with it.

I put my clients on speaker phone if I need to book an appointment with them, usually they've watched me do it when I've answered calls whilst doing their nails so they know what I'm doing.

I put all my personal stuff in there as well as work appointments so there is no confusion about what time slots are spare or not.

Yes I have a spare phone, it's last years model which I kept when I upgraded this year, I save the previous years each time so I always have a back up in place.

I suppose because I've done it for about 8/9 years it's second nature to me now so trying to use a paper diary would drive me nuts

I use my iPhone with the MobileMe service. If a client calls me when I'm out I can view the diary while they are on the phone and add the appointment. As soon as I get home this updates my Outlook diary too!

If I'm at my desk I add an appointment and that is automatically synched to my phone within 15mins.

Works absolute wonders for me! Same goes for all my contacts, have all my client and supplier details in my phone and these are synchronised too.

Mat

1) How is it working? Spot on
2) Have you been able to completely phase out your paper calendar? Yes
3) Are you using a special software, or just Outlook/Exchange? Yes but it is own product, it's designed for the hair and beauty industry but can be adapted to anyone's needs.
4) Are you able to have both your work calendar and personal calendar running at the same time? Well I combine the both but you can have different ones