The tech world is buzzing over the release of Apple’s new iPhone 5. It’s supposed to be slimmer, lighter, faster and equipped with all the other advanced features you might expect from a new release. Apple and tech fanatics will undoubtedly be lining up and perhaps even sleeping outside retail stores to get their hands on one.

Of course, the smartphone is no longer just a gadget. It’s becoming more and more an essential business tool. Whether you’re checking and responding to email on the go, conducting a video conference, keeping track of your schedule and contacts, or communicating via social media, the smartphone has become part of the uniform of the business entrepreneur.

If you’re a small business owner, in particular, you may take advantage of your mobile device even more than the average person. You might work out of your home, move often from one new client prospect to the next, or maybe you’ve streamlined your technological needs to the point where you can conduct most of your business on the phone. For some early adopters, the desktop computer is becoming almost outdated. Many of you may not work out of a traditional office environment.

SurePayroll understands that running payroll and making sure your employees are paid on time is certainly one of the capabilities you should have from your mobile device. We were the first in the payroll industry to develop an iPhone payroll app, and we have one for the Android™ too. Our mobile apps cover both employers and employees.

Whatever business function you need to take care of, in today’s digital age it’s almost essential you’re able to do it from wherever you are, whenever you want.

The iPhone 5 gives us evidence this trend is only picking up steam. Some people have already begun camping out, partly to promote their new business. Pre-sales lifted Apple’s stock price to a record high.

Not that you should feel bad if you’re sticking with the smartphone you already have. Some would tell you the iPhone 5 is only marginally better than the previous version and others are happy with their Android phones. But the sensation surrounding this latest launch tells how much technology will continue to be the center of our business universe.

It’s starting to seem like everyone has one. And, at the same time, everyone needs a new one.