7 ways to find the best software for your small business

By Henry Brown

The right business software can help you to organize your business more efficiently as well as speeding up complicated processes like accounting and design. The problem is that there are so many business programs out there all competing for you attention – which one do you choose?

The perfect piece of business software needs to be affordable, easy-to-use and practical for your needs. There’s no use paying hundreds a year for a complex program you’re rarely ever going to use. Here are just a few ways to locate the perfect software.

[amazon_link asins=’B075B2RMT2′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingin-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’132889c0-1afa-11e8-ad85-f34c07adb4e1′]Read reviews

By reading reviews of software you can see what other users think. These could be professional reviews in tech publications and in tech blogs as well as comparison guides – such reviews can give you the in-depth opinion of an expert. Sites like Capterra, meanwhile, offer reviews from fellow business owners, which can also be useful for gaging the general opinion.

Watch Youtube walk-throughs

On Youtube, you’ll find plenty of people offering walk-throughs and tutorials of software. This can allow you to see how a piece of software looks on the screen as well as how easy it is to use. Some of these walkthroughs can be very detailed such as this two-hour walkthrough of Intuit QuickBooks.

Make use of free trials

Free trials allow you to test out the software for yourself. Many software companies offer these on their site to download. Be wary that some free trials may only have access to limited features. Make sure that once the trial ends you don’t have to automatically start paying for the product.

Book a software demo

Some programs offer software demos such as legal entity management software – Symfact. These are events in which a sales rep guides you through everything positive about the software. The sales talk itself will always overly biased; however, the advantage of these talks is that you get to ask questions directly to a professional, allowing you to fully get to grips with what the software offers. Software demos can also be great business networking events and you may be able to get advice from other business owners.

[amazon_link asins=’B075XYXR33′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingin-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’22e35536-1afa-11e8-971a-ef5bdd755698′]Get help from an IT business consultant

IT business consultancy companies can help to make your business more efficient by recommending various things that you should be doing digitally. This includes recommending the best software for your business. IT consultancy companies can also help to streamline your business, helping you to remove software that you don’t need so that your computers are less cluttered.

Create your own software

If you can’t find the right software out there for you, you could always develop your own. By working with a software developer such as Marrable Services, you can build a program exactly to your dream specs. It can be as simple or as complex as you need – although bear in mind that complex software is likely to cost more to build. Many businesses create their own software as a way of simplifying their business rather than having lots of software for lots of different tasks.

Involve your employees

Finally, you may want to get your employees to offer their opinion – especially if they’re going to be using the software too. Get them to have a go at free trials or invite certain employees to software demos with you. They may be able to help tell you if something is too complex or not complex enough.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.

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