How to turn your iPhone into a business workhorse: Add these apps and accessories, and tweak these settings

Consumer demands are very different from those of business users. While not having the right app, or running out of storage space is an inconvenience for regular users, these sorts of occurrences can put a serious dent in productivity, and can mean the difference between getting that vital contract or not, or getting the job done or letting down a client.

Get your iPhone ready for the task before it lets you down!

The first must for any iPhone that's used for business is to make sure that the data on the device is protected.

At the very minimum I recommend that the device makes use of a strong passcode rather than a PIN code, and that the Require Passcode setting is set to "immediate" so the device locks as soon as it is not used, and that Erase Data is set to "on" so that tampering with the device results in erasure.

These settings can be found under Settings > Touch ID & Passcode (or Face ID & Passcode on the iPhone X).

Don't rely on encryption that's not under your control. If you're not supplied with a VPN, it's a good idea to get one yourself and use it.

My VPN of choice is F-Secure's Freedome, but there are others out there that will protect you from eavesdropping in insecure Wi-Fi or cellular connections.

I used to think of cloud storage as a luxury, but nowadays I see it as a necessity. I use Dropbox (which supports two-factor authentication through a variety of means, including Yubikey hardware and Google Authenticator).

For added security, you can sue a service such as Boxcryptor to add end-to-end encryption.

You'll need to be able to handle a variety of documents, from word processor files to spreadsheets, to presentations (ugh, I know).

You can choose from Apple's own suite of tools, or go third-party with something like Microsoft's Office 365 or Google Docs. Whatever you choose, get familiar with it so you don't look like it's your first day on the job when using it!

The iPhone doesn't come with support for dual-SIM out of the box, but you can add this easily using an adapter such as SIMore Speed X-Twin.

Having two SIM cards is a great way to separate work and home life without having to carry multiple handsets.

Cloud storage is great, but there are times when it's either just not an option (such as when you have a poor internet connection) or is unfeasible (for example, when you have large files to handle).

This is where external storage comes into play.

While I like the "flash drive" type accessories that plug into the Lightning port, I find the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick to be far easier and less hassle to use. This is a flash drive - with capacities ranging from 16GB to 256GB - that has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and battery, allowing you to access the data when you're out and about.

The drive can be recharged using a USB-A port, and can stream to three devices simultaneously.

There's nothing like a flat battery to put a massive dent in your productivity. But portable power banks mean that this should never be an issue.

These power banks come in a range of sizes - and prices - ranging from a small device you can slip into a pocket that costs about $20, to a huge computer-controlled charging station that costs $200.

I consider a decent, hard-wearing, robust case to be a must-have for my iPhone. If I break it due to a drop, then I'm out of action for some time, and that's just not an option.

I've tried a lot of iPhone cases, and settled on the Unicorn Beetle Pro. It's tough and stylish, and offered a high level of protection against both drops and the elements.

It also adds much-needed grip to the iPhone, which is about as grippy as a wet bar of soap.

If the worst does happen, and you break or lose your iPhone, having an up-to-date iCloud backup will be your friend when it comes to getting your replacement iPhone back up and running quickly.

Dumb passwords like ABc123 or pa55W0rd just don't cut it these days. Either make use of Apple's built-in Keychain password manager, or invest in a third-party tool such as LastPass (which I highly recommend, because it not only helps keep passwords secure, but also helps you generate strong passwords, and prevent unauthorized access to your data).

Don't, whatever you do, use a program like Notes to keep your passwords in. No. Just don't.

Seems simplistic, but having a good document scanning app on my iPhone has saved my bacon more than once Sure, you might be able to futz about with the Camera app to take a picture of a document, but a dedicated app does a much better job.

I recommend Microsoft's Office Lens. It's one f the best apps that I've tested and the one I use.