How to Purchase Software for a Small Business
Many business software choices are available and most small business owners/operators have little experience with computer software. They want something that is easy to use, reliable, inexpensive and meets all of their needs. Think of the process in these terms: if you were going to purchase a suit, you already know your shirt, pants and suit coat size. You would have some idea of the material for the suit, its cost and where you would be wearing it. Use the same approach for selecting software!
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Instructions
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What Your Business Does
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Think of the daily activities in your business: customer contacts, postal mailing, email mailings, receiving payments, making payments, processing sales, managing inventories, sending out invoices, viewing reports, marketing and project management. How many of these functions do you want to have on your computer? How often do you and your employees perform these functions? A good starting point for your software requirements is a task inventory.
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Now that you have thought about your business tasks, let's discuss what software will perform these tasks. If your business sends out letters, you need word processing software. Integrated accounting packages can handle your invoices, accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory, sales and report creation. If you have a large number of customers, a customer relations package manages all of the names, addresses, emails and label-making tasks. These tasks can all be placed on the computer, but how can you choose the correct software to match your needs at a reasonable price?
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Several sources of information can help you with your software selection. You can ask friends in a trade association what they have successfully used. Your accountant has contacts with many businesses and probably knows what they use. You can surf the web and find information there. Trade magazines often review and rate software. These information sources will guide you toward your final selection. The cost of the software should be measured in the productivity it will provide for the business.
Some additional considerations: depending on what software you install, you may have to upgrade your computer system. This may also involve purchasing addition equipment, such as a router or printer. You will now have security and backup considerations. Your plans to expand your business in a few years would affect your current software choice.
By thinking about purchasing software, you have shown that you want to improve the productivity and profitability of your business.
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Tips & Warnings
Selecting the most popular software is usually a good choice.
