Aldain Reid
Contributor

This is a palm-size marvel, which can do wonders. A close business associate recently shared an interesting story about how she secured a contract for her small start-up while in hospital waiting for her baby to arrive.

Another colleague outlined his experience of averting a major catastrophe for his local consulting firm in Kingston, as he sat in the departure lounge of the JFK Airport in New York City.

How was that possible? Well both stories share a common thread: the BlackBerry. In both instances, my colleagues' ability to respond and address their unique situations with immediacy made the difference between business success and potential failure.

Pricey but effective
I would be the first to admit that the BlackBerry Smart Phone is perhaps one of the priciest, but if success in business is your ultimate goal, you will find that investment in this gadget will bring you handsome returns, well beyond your initial cash outlay.

Ingrid Riley, tech entrepreneur of the blog SiliconCaribe.com, swears by her BlackBerry device. "Life would simply not be the same without it," she says.

Stay Connected
No one could argue the increasing importance of email to businesses. Email communication accounts for the majority of business transactions that take place daily.

The BlackBerry employs a 'push' email methodology which is simply revolutionary. Emails are instantaneously received by your Smart Phone the minute it hits your mail server.

No waiting around, the BlackBerry does not require that you log in to check for emails, instead, your messages are 'pushed' to your device once they are received.

Productivity Gains
The BlackBerry facilitates the conversion of downtime into productive time through the access of email. Even when you're on the go and away from your computer, you still remain firmly in the loop.

For the aspiring entrepreneur, increased productivity equals increased earning potential.

Studies have revealed that the typical user recovers about an hour of work per day. And with the added calendar-synchronisation feature, life has become so much easier.

Instant feedback
Clients demand quick responses to questions or concerns. Instant feedback is essential and increasingly, clients don't care that you have taken the day off, or for that matter, that you are having dinner with the family. They need information and they need it fast. The BlackBerry creates the ability to respond from virtually anywhere in the world, in a matter of seconds.

The BlackBerry has been a liberator for entrepreneurs far and wide, and happy customers translate to strong balance sheets.

Avoid addiction
In this electronically connected 24/7 world, there is technically no downtime. The BlackBerry certainly opens up the risk of stress-related illnesses due to an overexposure to work information.

Entrepreneurs are advised to give their BlackBerries a break during those critical periods of rest and relaxation, to ensure sustained physical and mental health.

This, however, may be wishful thinking, particularly with the recent launch of the BlackBerry Bold, which, I'm sure, will end up on many Christmas wish-lists this year, including mine.

Aldain Reid is a serial entrepreneur and is currently serving as the president of the Young Entrepreneurs' Association of Jamaica. He may be contacted via his entrepreneurship blog at www.aldainreid.com