What software options are available to help a business stay organized?

Start by asking yourself, what are some things that I need to do as a business owner that can be made simpler by using software? You need to have a tried-and-true process in place before you should think about automating it. Build a system that works on paper, or using spreadsheets on the computer, and then automate it with a software program that closely aligns with the process that you developed on your own.

Accounting software is one option. Another option is Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. There are some CRM software that are free, except you risk being held hostage to the field that they offer as it may not be modifiable.

I recommend business owners develop a way to prompt how often you should contact customers and manage the revenue stream per account. Develop the relationship between you and the customer using a system, and then automate it within a CRM program – not the other way around.

There are also software programs called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Some ERPs are set up so that they could integrate seamlessly with whatever CRM system or accounting system you bought. These also address things like pricing and production scheduling.

An ERP essentially manages all the resources that a company has: time, employees, customers, suppliers, cash, etc. There are modules in ERPs on production planning, pricing, inventory control, and sometimes have a CRM built into them.

You have to assess how much time you have, what resources you have, how much you can afford for any of these options, and then choose to invest in one or more of them based on the return on that investment.

—Your Personal Business Trainer