Small Business Smartphone Etiquette

As Blackberrys and iPhones become more popular in the pockets of small business owners and their employees, the etiquette rules that apply to texting or Web surfing during meetings are starting to change. While a few years ago it would have been considered a major faux pas for your employees to answer e-mails or text clients during a company brainstorming session, many small business owners are starting to let up on those policies.

According to this New York Times story, technology advocates say the old rules about leaving phones at your desk during meetings no longer apply. Waiting a few hours to respond to an e-mail or text message is no longer acceptable in a constantly connected business world. So where do we draw the line now?

The small business owners in this story agree that phone use during a company meeting is one thing, but texting or checking e-mail during a client meeting is completely unacceptable. Be sure to communicate these rules to your employees--but first make sure they put their phones away. Otherwise they might not hear you.