Smartphones are an essential tool for running a small company. In fact, many of the most successful business owners are migrating more and more of their work to their smartphone. With this trend comes the need to get the most from your phone—using it for what pays back and preventing drains on your data plan that are avoidable or don’t benefit you. If your plan provides a limited allotment of data, this is especially critical.

Review these tips to find smart ways to make the most of your phone’s data plan.

Data downloaded over Wi-Fi won’t count against your data cap, so save any data-intensive actions, such as streaming videos, for when you have Wi-Fi access. To make sure your phone logs on to your home and office Wi-Fi automatically, go to your phone’s settings, turn your Wi-Fi on, and save your phone and office network passwords. While it’s a good idea to use Wi-Fi as much as possible, remember to exercise caution. Only connect to a WPA2 encrypted network (as opposed to an unsecure network, or one with WPA or WEP security). Unprotected hotspots may put your business data at risk.

MaineWorks is a temporary employment agency specializing in industrial construction placements and works with people facing barriers to employment like substance abuse recovery and reentry from prison.

“I have a recruiting background, and when I was volunteering at the Cumberland County jail I noticed how underemployed a lot of the pre-release inmates were,” said MaineWorks owner Margo Walsh. “They were working in the community but barely getting by or making enough money to get by. So I saw that there was a really critical transition from being let out of prison or jail. Re-entering the community, there are so many obstacles.”

She launched MaineWorks in 2011 as a for-profit company with a social mission. “Our for-profit entity is a staffing company, but our social mission is that we provide infrastructure and support to all of our employees as they are re-entering the workforce,” said Walsh.

“Everybody deserves an opportunity if they’re willing to show up ready for work, they deserve a dignified experience.”

Along with job placement, MaineWorks’ employees participate in a comprehensive social needs evaluation through its WorkWell program so that they can be directed to appropriate social services within the community.

Tax deductions for small companies change from year to year. In 2015, some deductions that were expected to expire were extended instead, and, like most years, other rules and limits were modified. Your tax adviser can help you determine where your business stands for 2015, but being informed can help to ensure you’re asking the right questions.

Some changes in the tax rules for 2015 include:

The dollar limit for business purchase deductions has bounced up and down in the past few years, most recently to $25,000—a historic low—before it became permanently set in 2015 at $500,000. This means that your business can write off the total cost of your 2015 business equipment purchases for up to half a million dollars. For example, if you bought $60,000 worth of new point-of-sale (POS) terminals for your retail stores as well as $2,000 in new tablets for your employees in 2015, Section 179 may allow you to write off the entire $62,000 total if those purchases meet the definition of business equipment purchases.

Take a look at your purchases from last year and tally up what might qualify. Anything from off-the-shelf software to the truck you use for deliveries might be deductible.

Do your business processes support innovation and productivity, or are they getting in the way? Here are five warning signs that a process might be doing more harm than good.

If you find yourself (or your employees) telling customers, “I can’t help you because …” and the reason is a process that isn’t critical, it’s time to rethink that process. Maybe you need a technology update or overhaul that allows customers to buy online or track their purchases. But if it’s simply a bad case of that’s-not-how-we-do-it, it’s time to rewrite the rules.

If a process demands that every decision requires multiple approvals on multiple tiers, would-be decision makers become stifled and feel as if they aren’t trusted to carry out their jobs. It becomes easier to simply stop making decisions. Innovation suffers, as does morale.

Staying in the loop is important, and the multiple viewpoints and skill sets that meetings bring together can facilitate solutions to problems. But if you’re meeting just because it’s on the calendar and process demands it, you may be wasting time and limiting individual productivity.

Consumers have embraced digital wallets and mobile payments such as PayPal®, Apple Pay®, Google Wallet™ payment service, and Groupon®. Small businesses that want to satisfy customers would be wise to ride the wave.

Consumers already use their smartphones for just about everything, including searching for deals while shopping. Most consumers (69 percent) said they expect to use mobile devices to find deals while in and outside of stores. If you accept mobile payments, you’re giving your business a competitive edge.

Millennials in particular love mobile payments; about half surveyed said they use them to speed up purchases. About 44 percent of millennials also indicated a preference for mobile payments over cash for small items. Mobile payments, in fact, are most frequently used for low-cost items. About 26 percent of mobile payments are on purchases of $10 or less; 44 percent of them are on purchases between $11-30.

Want to make customers smile? About 60 percent of consumers who make mobile payments said they would be more inclined to do so if they received instant coupons.

As with any technology, your business runs the risk of fraudulent transactions.

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