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The Ultimate Software Guide for Small Businesses
The Ultimate Software Guide for Small Businesses
As a small business, there are thousands of different types of software available.
Frankly, it’s a bit overwhelming. And what business owner has the time to sift through all of the available options? Well, the good news is you don’t have to.
Integro Software has compiled this list of the top softwares for making running your small business a breeze. So let’s say we get started.
What is Small Business Software?
Small business software is like a silent employee. They take the boring tasks most of us dislike and perform them perfectly, every time, for free and without complaint. Hard to beat that, right?
Software takes what used to require many hours and automates those processes. Because of this, they are absolutely essential in running a streamlined business in the modern world.
But how do you choose a software? How do you know if it’s worth the time and money? The good news is the answers are pretty straight-forward.
Signs Your Business Needs Software
If you’re noticing any of the following, it’s likely time to invest in some software solutions.
- Projects and tasks fall behind
- Opportunities to make money get missed
- Processes are clunky and inefficient
- You’re unable to keep up with business growth
- You struggle to keep track of transactions
- Your team is unable to meet requirements and deadlines
How Software Can Help
Below are notable benefits attributed to utilizing the right software.
- Automate tasks and cut costs
- Improve efficiency
- Replace paper processes
- Streamline operations
- Increase productivity
Once you get started, it’s truly astonishing the positive impact excellent software will have on your company.
What Software Does My Company Need?
Knowing where to begin with business software can be confusing. So, to help you make the best decisions, we’ve listed some of the most helpful.
However, it’s useful to start by sitting down and laying out what your business needs most. Ask your employees what your business needs most. (If you don’t know, they will.) Then, check out the following options.
Communication Software
Do you struggle to communicate with your employees? Is it tough to keep everyone on the same page? Are you continually backtracking due to lack of communication?
As a business owner, one of the most critical aspects of your role is making sure everyone is on the same page.
Communication software helps you streamline communications, increase productivity, and increase employee performance. And these days, messaging platforms let coworkers communicate via text in their own time. This let’s teams get things done with remote workers and even those across different time zones.
It’s also worth noting that a key to good workplace communication is choosing a single platform. Trying to use multiple programs is a complete nightmare, so be sure to pick the one that makes the most sense for your teams. You won’t regret it.
Slack
Launched in 2013, Slack has become a go-to solution for many frustrated business owners.
Slack’s communication is organized into multiple channels and allows you to create specific channels for teams, projects, office locations, etc. This enables everyone to be on the same page and feel included.
After creating a channel, you can select if that channel is public, private, shared, or multi-workspace. Another great feature is the security level. You can share data within the platform knowing you’re protected and things are tightly secure. Plus, you can download it both for mobile apps and desktops!
Slack also allows you to make video and audio calls to team members—eliminating the need for other calling apps.
To date, Slack is being used by Target, Intuit, Kiva, and DevaCurl, to name a few.
A simple three-step process makes it easier than ever to get Slack set up.
- Sign up
- Invite your coworkers
- Try it out
With the positives also come a few cons. Here’s what you should probably be aware of before installing Slack.
Like every form of communication, Slack can easily become a distraction and you can get sucked into multiple discussions if you’re not careful.
There’s minimum file storage, meaning it can be frustrating when your files get deleted over time. You can, however, choose to pay for more storage, depending on your company's needs.
Overall, Slack is a fantastic tool to communicate and streamline all your team's communication!
Project Management Software
After communication, it’s time to look into good project management software.
Project management tools help you keep track of multiple projects and deadlines to ensure everything is done on time and in order. In other words, they make life easier.
Instead of needing to manually keep track of every individual project, you only need to update your progress in a project management solution. You’ll be able to better manage all your tasks in an orderly way, plus save valuable time and money.
And when you find the right project management tools, productivity is bound to increase by helping you and your team work faster and more efficiently.
With that said, let’s look at leading project management tools in today’s marketplace.
Trello
Trello is a web-based project management software solution that helps you consolidate all of your projects by dividing them into smaller tasks. Specifically, It helps you keep track of each project's progress while also tracking time.
Trello is best for small businesses and teams. It’s incredibly easy to use and is simple for beginners and new users.
You can create new boards with one simple click, name and add content, and move content to different categories and/or lists. With just a few clicks, you can include images and file attachments, deadlines, and track relevant data. You even have space to store notes and can include team members when tracking various tasks.
Trello is known for its easy usability, making it possible for new users to quickly learn how to use the platform—and training new team members takes only minutes!
Perhaps best of all, Trello allows you to upgrade as your business grows. You can start with a free version, then move to business class priced at $9.99 a month. When you outgrow that, Enterprise is just $17.50 per month.
Teamwork
Used by over 20,000 companies—including Paypal, Spotify, Disney, Netflix, and HP—Teamwork gives you the space and tools needed to keep track of projects, task management, file storage, time tracking, schedule, and reporting.
With Teamwork, you can manage both individual and team tasks. You have full visibility over your list of to-dos, can keep track of progress and receive immediate status updates. You’ll be able to quickly access reports showing where each task is in the process and use integrations to manage your files such as DropBox, Google, Jira, and Box.
Pricing starts at $10/per user per month. You can test out the software via a 30-day free trial before becoming a committed user.
Accounting & Bookkeeping Software
Software for small business accounting can save you hundreds of hours in manual tracking. It not only makes keeping track of finances more efficient, it’s also a lot more organized and accurate.
In other words, good bookkeeping software gives you peace of mind. The key is finding the right fit for your company. Here are a few of the best for small businesses.
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is one of the most popular business accounting software out there—and for good reason.
QuickBooks lets you manage your income, expenses, and financial health all in one place. You can also use Quickbooks for invoicing customers, paying bills, generating reports, and preparing taxes. The software provides multiple solutions to support anyone from a freelancer to a mid-sized business.
Here are eight tasks small businesses use QuickBooks for:
1. Record Bills and Expenses
Frustrated with the lack of a process for streamlining your bills and expenses? Quickbooks connects your bank and credit card to make your workload easier. You’ll enjoy the simplicity of paying bills via Quickbooks with your banking connected. Enjoy the convenience and knowing everything is being processed on time!
2. Financial Statements
Are you finding it difficult to track your finances? Quickbooks creates a space you can easily access to print financial statements that’ll provide you with all the information you need to evaluate how well your business is doing financially.
3. Track Employee Time and Expenses
Tired of employees continually complaining about tracking time and expenses? Continually finding mistakes and tired of all the stress it adds to your leadership role? QuickBooks allows you to track employee time and expenses in a simple, quick form from your computer! You’ll have a simpler system and your employees will thank you for it!
4. Payroll
Are you wasting hours entering your payroll manually? Struggling to find the time and constantly feeling pressured to get it done? Or maybe just afraid of making mistakes?
QuickBooks lets you to pay your employee through either check or direct deposit. It also calculates federal and state payroll taxes, provides payroll tax forms already filled in, and E-pays your payroll taxes directly from QuickBooks.
5. Track inventory
With QuickBooks, you’re able to keep track of all your quantity and inventory costs. Plus, QuickBooks sends reminders when your inventory quantities are running low.
6. Taxes
Do you feel stress every time tax season comes around?
Feeling the weight of filing taxes is never fun. With QuickBooks, you’ll ease your stress and simplify your taxes like never before. QuickBooks Online lets you invite your tax preparer to receive access to your accounts directly. This allows them to see, review the numbers, and print all the information they need.
7. Store on the Cloud
Have you thought before about what would happen if your computer crashed, was stolen, or suddenly decided not to work? With QuickBooks, all your data is stored on the cloud—allowing you to access all your information from anywhere with any device.
8. Mileage Tracking
Do you struggle to document mileage tracking? Does it feel easier to just pay the small amount rather than keep track? It may feel as though you’re not spending much, but small amounts add up fast—and give you a generous tax deduction.
QuickBooks Online makes mileage tracking easier than ever! And the mobile app automatically senses every time you’re in a moving vehicle—and keeps track of mileage for you!
Choosing Your Software
Below are four simple steps to choosing the right software for your business.
1. Prioritize Your Needs
You won’t know what software is right for you if you don’t first prioritize your needs. Take a moment to write down your business’s processes. It can be helpful to write out a list dividing things into essential, conditional, and nice to have. That way, when looking at your budget, you can better know what software is your priority.
2. Budget
Next, make a budget. And remember that sometimes spending more money upfront will save you hundreds of hours in the long run. It’s also important to keep in mind whether this will help your productivity levels, and if so, how much?
3. Trial/Demo
Trials are your best friend. They enable you to try out software and see if it works well with your business before committing. When you find software that increases productivity, streamlines your processes, and eases your stress, you can rest assured it’s probably a go!
4. Big Picture
Keep in mind the big picture. Remember, spending a little more money in the short term can be worth it to increase your productivity, efficiency, accuracy, and dependability in the long term. Also remember, your business will (most likely!) grow, so find software that’s able to grow with you into the future.
Go Streamline Your Business!
Congratulations! You’ve now found your silent business partners. Using these software solutions will take your business to the next level by impacting sales and growth and allowing for a smoother on-ramp experience.
Still not sure where to start? No problem.
If you’re looking for custom, construction, or off-the-shelf software for your business, contact us today. We’ll walk alongside you to help you find the perfect fit for your company.