Crazy Places Where We Conduct Business, Thanks to Our Phones


crazy places to conduct business

What’s the craziest place you’ve ever chatted with a customer or business partner or taken part in a conference call? We’ve got some answers about what other business owners have said. We’ll reveal them in a just a few moments.

But first a little background. Earlier this summer, we here at Small Business Trends conducted a joint survey with Verizon. The goal of the survey was to see how small businesses use technology today, what the key points of reliance are, and the concerns. The survey was in honor of Small Business Week and surveyed owners in the Philadelphia area.

One of the things that stood out is just how much entrepreneurs rely on tech for keeping customers happy. A whopping 88 percent of business owners surveyed said that without technology, they wouldn’t have been able to serve customers as well.

Maybe that explains some of the other interesting findings.

Almost everyone has a tale about some unusual place where you’ve taken a call to close a deal or handle some other important matter. Most of those surveyed mentioned taking calls during personal errands or social events or family activities — proving that when business calls, entrepreneurs answer.

Some of the more unusual places included:

  • while standing in line at a movie
  • during a child’s birthday party
  • at a wedding reception
  • at a funeral
  • at trade shows
  • attending a craft show
  • “at the pool in my boss’s apartment building”
  • “on the casino floor”

And what about vacations? Well, nearly half of business owners conduct business on vacation. Yes, that describes me — and probably half of you reading this, too.

None of these surprise me. I have to admit to handling business in the middle of the grocery store on more than one occasion. And of course airports are another place I can be caught conducting business. I’ve also been known to text during conferences.

Tell us the most unusual place you’ve taken a business call — have fun with it below in the comments section.

This was a small survey, so I wouldn’t read too much into the results insofar as reflecting the entire small business population. But they’re interesting results from those who were surveyed, as this graphic shows.

Technology Small Biz Relies On

7 Comments ▼

Anita Campbell Anita Campbell is the Founder, CEO and Publisher of Small Business Trends and has been following trends in small businesses since 2003. She is the owner of BizSugar, a social media site for small businesses.

7 Reactions
  1. I’ve taken business calls on the side of the road so I’m not driving while on the phone.

  2. The second to the last place made me chuckle!

    There’s nowhere I’ve taken a call so far that I consider unusual, unless you consider the bathroom unusual 🙂

  3. 1. In the lobby of one of New York City’s high-traffic post offices. Got the account!

    2. On the sidewalk in Chinatown, also in NYC, while fire engine sirens screamed down the block. The sound was deafening, but I got that account as well.