Planet of the APPS: with so many software options out there, we can't blame you for feeling a little overwhelmed. So where do you begin when choosing the best ones for your business? Our 2004 Complete Guide to Software can make a world of difference

Entrepreneur, May, 2004 by Liane Cassavoy

Security, spam, software patches. Those four words say a lot about the software you need to run your business. Our 2004 Complete Guide to Software includes tools for protecting your computers against these threats and much more. The programs on our list will make you more productive, save you time and even save you some money. We have applications that will help you run a one-person shop or spread work out across your departments. And we've included applications for Mac users, PDA devotees and hosted services that require no software installation at all. Get to work!

APPs FOR SMALL TO MIDSIZE BUSINESSES

ENTREPRENEUR'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO SOFTWARE

ACCOUNTING/FINANCIAL/TAX PREPARATION

ACCPAC

Simply Accounting 2004 PRO

www.simplyaccounting.com

(800) 773-5445, $99 (a five user pack costs $269)

Accounting system includes time-tracking, purchasing, payroll and project-management features. It offers multiuser capabilities and supports online banking and electronic payments.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

ACCPAC

Simply Accounting Payroll 2004

www.simlyaccounting.com

(800) 773-5445, $79

Full-function payroll for an unlimited number of employees. Maintains employee profiles, and backs earnings and benefits, expenses and deductions, advances sick days and bank days. Works as a stand-alone package of with QuickBooks, MYOB of Simply Accounting.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

BEST SOFTWARE

Peachtree Premium Accounting 2004

www.peachtree.com

(800) 247-3224, $500

Double-entry accounting and business-management software that generates consolidated statements for multiple companies, Includes general ledger, account s payable and receivable, and payroll, and a Web-based remote access feature.

Windows 98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

H&R BLOCK

TaxCut Premium Home & Business 2003

www.taxcut.com

(800) 457-9525, $49.95

Software for completing personal and business taxes. Includes forms for sole proprietorships, corporations, 5 corporations, partnerships payroll returns, fiduciary returns and nonprofits.

Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

INTUIT

Quicken 2004 Premier Home & Business

www.quicken.com

(800) 446-8848, $79.95 ($10 rebate is also available)

Complete personal financial suite, with business features such as invoicing ,job trading, accounts payable and receivable, investment tracking and online bill payment.

Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP

INTUIT

TurboTax Premier Home & Business

www.turbotax.com

(800) 446-8848, $7905

Software for personal and self-employment income taxes. Assists you with Schedule C, home office deductions, and calculating and reporting depreciation. It also includes tools for printing W-2 and 1099 forms for employees and contractors.

Mac OS 8.6 to 9.x/OS X, Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4.0/ 2000/XP

MICROSOFT

Money 2004 Small Business Edition

www.microsoft.com/money

(800) 426-9400, $89.95 ($20 mail in rebate available)

Software for managing personal and business expenses. Allows you to create customized invoices with your company logo, to import and export contacts to and from Microsoft Outlook, and to print paychecks from the desktop. A one-year subscription to PayCycle online Payroll service is included.

Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

MICROSOFT

Small Business Manager 7.5

http://mbs.microsoft.com/smallbusinessmanager

(800) 426-9400, $995

Designed for businesses that have outgrown off-the-shelf software, this suite features asset management, order and inventory management, payroll and deduction tools, and financial reporting tools.

Windows 98/NT 4.0/2000/XP

MYOB

MYOB Plus 2004

www.myob.com

(800) 322-6962, $249 ($119 upgrade)

Accounting software with business management tools. Features integrated Electronic Business Services, which supports direct deposit of employee paychecks, electronic vender payments and online payroll services, and allows you to accept credit cards from customers. Offers enhanced financial reporting features.

Windows 98/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP

BACKUP

ACRONIS

Acronis True Image 7.0

www.acronis.com

(877) 825-0953, $49.99

Creates an exact image of your system for emergency backups; system image includes data on OS, programs, software updates and patches, configurations and preference settings. Also supports incremental backups that can be performed daily.

Linux, Novell Netware, Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

DANTZ

Retrospect Professional 6.5

www.dantz.com

(800) 225-4880, $89

Offers automated backups for desktops and notebooks. Saves OS files and settings, device drivers, and applications and settings for local and networked computers to backup devices including hard drives, CDs of DVDs, and tape drives.

Mac OS 7.1 or higher/OS X, Windows 95/98/Me/ NT 4.0/2000/XP

EXECUTIVE SOFTWARE

Diskeeper Professional Edition 8.0

www.executivesoftware.com

(800) 829-6468, $49.95

Automatic disk defragmentation software. Features scheduled defragmentation to speed up desktop and networked computers. Also monitors hard drives for reliability problems due to fragmentation and low disk space.