iPads are no longer just for school and play. Apple’s iPad Pro line has earned its place in the business world as a worthy addition to anyone’s work arsenal, and though an iPad might not be a full replacement for your business laptop, it’s a great tool to keep around. Your iPad Pro 12.9, ensconced in the best iPad Pro 12.9 case money can buy, is a great way to keep on top of your work life wherever you go.
But how exactly do you use an iPad for business, and what are the apps you need to get started? What works well on the iPad, and what is not even worth starting on? Consider this your quick-and-dirty guide to using an iPad for business, with all the tips and tricks you need to know as you’re getting started. Let’s break it down into a series of dos and don’ts.
Do consider buying accessories for your iPad. It’ll work straight out of the box, of course, but you can be much more productive with either an Apple Pencil or a keyboard— or, depending on your workflow, both. They’re not cheap, but if you can write it up as a work expense, why not maximize productivity? Of course, you don’t want to skimp on the case, either, whether that’s a iPad Pro 12.9 5th generation case or an iPad Pro 12.9 inch case for a different generation.
Don’t try to save all your work files on your iPad—- take advantage of iCloud, and you’ll have everything you need no matter what device you happen to be working on at any given time. Extra bonus: if something happens to your iPad, you don’t loose your valuable data
Do backup frequently, both on iCloud and with iTunes to your computer. You can set up frequent automatic syncs, and tell your computer to run a new backup whenever you plug the iPad in. If what you’re working on is valuable, you’ll want multiple layers of protection just in case there ever is a problem.
Do take advantage of Focus. This is a brand new feature of iOS and iPadOS 15, and it allows you to customize your home screen and notifications for different periods of your life. Set it up by visiting settings and clicking on Focus. After its setup, you’ll be able to start a Focus session by swiping through to the control center and clicking on the word “Focus”.
Don’t allow notifications from every app you have installed. An iPad can be great for productivity, but it can also be incredibly distracting, especially if you allow every game app you ever downloaded and all your social media to send you notifications on a whim.
The key to getting your iPad set up for business is installing the right apps. You’ll find apps for organization, for networking, and for creativity. Here are a few of our top recommendations:
Apple’s iWork Suite is free and built for the iPad. You can download the iPad versions of Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, and though you can save on your iPad the default will be the Cloud. If your work computer is a Mac, Pages is the best option when it comes to word processing, and the iPad version offers a smooth, well-focused mobile version.
If you use a Windows computer, you’re likely to want Microsoft Word and the rest of Microsoft Office on your iPad too. You can get Microsoft’s Office iPad apps—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook— as a bundle for a subscription price, billed monthly.
If your team uses Slack, you’ll want to download the iPad app. It’s a great way to keep up with what’s going on in channels, groups, or one to one convos. There’s an integration for almost any app you might want to integrate, and dozens of plugins. You can also do file transfers and video calling right in Slack.
Quickbooks allows you to take care of your accounts when you’re on the go, and you can even scan receipts if you don’t want to put in the numbers. It’s easy to keep track of payments, expenses, and sales, and you’ll be able to customize your sales forms as desired. Want your own logo up there at the top? No problem.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is a basic app you’ll want to have installed if you deal with pdfs, and allows you to view, annotate and sign your pdfs right from your iPad. You can also download Adobe Scan, which allows you to take a picture of a document and then import it directly into your Acrobat Reader app as a pdf.
We know we’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: keep your business iPad well backed up, because accidents happen. That said, a great case can go a long way to keeping your iPad in one piece and fully functional. We recommend our own Zugu case, and have a line of business-friendly cases especially made for the iPad 12.9. They’ll fit your device like a glove, and offer shock protection from every side if you ever drop your iPad or knock it, accidentally, against a hard surface.
One nice feature of the Zugu case is the multi-angle stand that works to keep your iPad at exactly the orientation you want it. Other cases have two, three, or four possible angles, and that’s fine if those happen to be the angles you want— otherwise, it’s just frustrating. With the Zugu case you get 10 secure viewing angles, so no matter what your application, you should be covered.
Once you’ve got your iPad in a professional case, loaded with the right apps and set up for distraction free work, you’ll be in business!