It's hard to imagine a Millennial entrepreneur or startup leader without a smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device lurking near.

Just 28 years after the first IBM personal computer debuted, the business world—and especially the small- and emerging-business sectors—is embracing mobility, with 59 percent saying wireless services are essential to their business, according to a survey conducted by The Business Journals of 2,223 business owners, CEOs, and presidents of companies with fewer than 500 employees.

“There’s no doubt that businesses are relying more and more on mobile technology to stay ahead,” says Pamela Springer, CEO of Manta, a Columbus, Ohio-based online company profile and search tool. “Nearly one third of small-business owners tell us that they check their mobile device before they brush their teeth in the morning, which really signals the growing importance of mobile devices for conducting business today.”

Even companies like Apple, which markets mostly to consumers, has seen huge acceptance of its products on the business end, according to The Business Journals' brand survey published in March. Now, Apple is pitching their wares more strongly to businesses. Apple has a dedicated site for commercial needs and has started to advertise its iPhone business apps, reports the San Jose Business Journal.

Those adapting to the new way of conducting business on the go are bringing in double the revenue of those reluctant to adopt mobile technology as part of their day-to-day business practices. On average, mobile-fluent firms earn $10.8 million annually, compared with $5.7 million for mobile laggards, according to the survey conducted in early 2011.

“In order to grow and meet the new needs of today’s market, businesses need to be found where their customers are,” says Springer. “Whether it’s developing key relationships, connecting with customers, prospects, and partners, or finding new customers, companies that have mobile apps and can master the mobile sphere are the ones that are most successful.”

Still, with all the technological advancements that mobility brings, business travel has taken a hit. With tools like Skype, and Facebook’s newly announced video-conferencing capabilities, on top of existing conferencing tools, startups and even established companies don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive trips.

The Business Journals—like Portfolio.com, owned by American City Business Journals—found that while more mobile professionals spend time out of the office courting and developing local partners and vendors, expenditures on air travel fell to an average of $2,642 per firm in 2011 from $5,039 per firm in 2007. Hotel expenses fell from $5,380 per firm to $2,796 per firm over the past five years.

“As our study indicates that more SMB mobile professionals are connected via their smartphones and tablets, this enables them to work outside of the office more seamlessly, and it encourages mobile professionals to nurture a connection with their local communities. In fact, 74 percent of SMB owners believe that it’s crucial to be actively involved," says Godfrey Phillips, vice president for research at The Business Journals.

Technology fuels connections with clients and business prospects no matter where mobile professionals may be, says Phillips.

And it isn't just mobility, but the social revolution is changing the way business is done. Social media is playing an active role in keeping brands plugged into what’s going on with their ecosystems. “Incorporating social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter into their marketing plans and business models is helping them stay connected," Phillips adds.

With the recent introduction of Google+, brands will soon be able to interact with customers on that platform as well. And as more and more options emerge, it is critical, experts say, for companies to find ways to manage these new tools, especially cloud computing, which the majority of businesses are still painfully unaware of, despite the multitude of access and tools the platform has to offer.

Still, 41 percent of companies believe that wireless services and apps aren’t critical to their business. Springer sees that as a big, and costly, mistake. “From business generation to networking, from lead creation to customer service, mobile devices are playing a critical role in the startup and small-business space. It’s such an essential tool that, even while they’re on vacation, smart executives use their mobile gadgets to propel their business forward.”