Complete Guide To Software

Entrepreneur, Nov, 1999 by Mie-Yun Lee

PARALYZED BY ALL THE SOFTWARE CHOICES OUT THERE? YOU'RE NOT ALONE. HOW TO CHOOSE THE SOFTWARE YOUR BUSINESS REALLY NEEDS

WHAT? YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO TRACK ALL THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SOFTWARE? FOR AN ENTREPRENEUR, RESEARCHING CHANGES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFTEN TAKES A REMOTE BACK SEAT TO THE DAY-TO-DAY TASKS OF RUNNING A BUSINESS. AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. BUT BELIEVE US - IT PAYS TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE SOFTWARE YOUR COMPANY IS USING.

In this year's "Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to Software," we've examined software products in 16 different categories. Some of these products won't change the way you do business. If antivirus and utilities software programs are doing their jobs, for example, you shouldn't even notice they're there. However, a number of these categories include software that has the potential to improve client relationships, streamline finances, replace expensive hardware or revamp your data-handling. In short, these products are designed either to give a nice push to your company's productivity or just to save you money; in some cases, you'll get the best of both worlds.

Small companies have to make the most of their resources, and sometimes that means people have to focus on areas in which they have little knowledge. From accounting to Web site design, software packages can eliminate the need for training or experience. The right software could be your company's best friend.

Exciting, isn't it? But before you rush off to buy a bundle of software, keep in mind that you have several factors to consider other than just the capabilities and costs of the software. Your selections should be based on your company's size, industry, internal organization, computing environment, technical expertise, and, of course, the ever-important user interface. Even a great product can end up being a nuisance if it's not intuitive to you as a user.

WHERE DO I START?

First, re-evaluate your company's staple software. For each program, draw up a wish list of features or enhancements that would make using the package easier. Often, the solution may be as simple as an upgrade to the latest version available. If not, consider the options in our listing.

Second, take a good look at your business and pinpoint those activities that take more time than you'd like - the ones that make you mutter to yourself "There must be something out there that can do this quicker than I can." No doubt, there probably is. For that matter, think about those activities you never seem to have time to do. From tools for creating Web sites to time-billing software, new products could provide brilliant solutions to problems you haven't yet resolved. Make sure, though, that the solutions are worth the money and time you'll have to spend to implement them successfully.

Then it's time to try and buy. Check out the Web sites for the software companies we've listed on our software chart (beginning on page 106) - often, they'll let you download demos that can help you better gauge how easy their products are to use. If a demo version isn't available, there's usually a detailed online tour that gives you a lot more information than a paper-based brochure. And before you buy the package outright, check with the software company to see if it's bundled with other software or equipment that you might be in the market to buy anyway.

Get ready to dive in - a host of products awaits you . . .

GOOD AS GOLD

To get something out of software, notes Lauren Leifer, president of Compdisk Inc., you usually have to put something in. But as Leifer knows, what usually needs putting in is time - a precious commodity for any entrepreneur.

When Leifer realized the employees at her media replication, product fulfillment and distribution company needed a better way to share client information, she definitely didn't want to suffer through a lengthy setup process. She picked GoldMine as her contact-management software with that concern in mind. "We could jump right into it and use it the way it was," says Leifer.

At Compdisk, a $4 million Chicago company, Leifer has everyone from the production crew and the sales team to the technical staff using GoldMine. "We use it for all our internal e-mail, and we use it to e-mail out," says Leifer. "It links our e-mail to whatever documentation we want." Through GoldMine, Compdisk organizes all its documentation for clients and vendors in the same file, maximizing the company's ability to share and link information.

By now, Leifer has successfully encouraged her partner company in Canada and several of her client companies to purchase GoldMine as well. Using the software's remote-synchronization features, Leifer and the companies she communicates with can share any information stored on the system.

Leifer seems assured that she made the right choice. And why shouldn't she? She's found that perfect balance between making the most of her software and making the most of her time.

ADD IT UP

For years, Grace Jordan relied on bookkeepers to manage the finances for her now-10-year-old firm, Sonic Image Ltd., a Carol Stream, Illinois, manufacturer's representative for a company that creates equipment to add audio to video products. When her most recent bookkeeper moved to another state, a client gave her some invaluable advice: "You should try MYOB Accounting."