All The Software That New Small Business Owners Need To Invest In

February 18, 2019

When you set up your own business, you will realize just how much you need to invest in the initial startup process. For instance, if you are going to work out of an office and hire some staff, you will need to ensure that your budget covers rent and the whole recruitment process. It will also be essential to buy plenty of tools and equipment that you need in your workplace in order for employees to do a good job. Some tools that many small business owners find to be invaluable are computer software and programs. These can help to ease large workloads, especially in the first few months of a new business’s life span when you might not be able to afford to hire a full team of employees.
Another reason why investing in software is so important is that it will give you the chance to automate various processes, which can ensure they are each carried out without a hitch. Automated processes are usually a lot more reliable than when you have humans carrying out tasks at various points along the line, as the software won’t be so likely to make any errors or mistake.
Now there is just one question left to answer: which software is best for small businesses to invest in? Here are some that every new entrepreneur will find really beneficial.
Accounting Software
Many small businesses find accounting and bookkeeping software to be extremely useful. This is especially the case if you are unable to afford an accountant just yet. When using this kind of software, you just need to input your invoices and expenses, and the computer program will do all of the workings out for you. In some cases, the software will also write up invoices and send them out to clients for you. Now that there is a big drive to make all tax digital, you will find that using a software can help you with MTD for VAT so that you aren’t caught out once the switch is made to digital filing. It’s worth comparing a few different types of accounting software to see which would be the best for you and your business.
Antivirus Programs
It is also essential that you spend some money on antivirus software and a firewall program. Sure, you could always download free versions of this kind of software, but they usually don’t provide you with the essential protection that your computer network will need. And it could leave you at risk of viruses and attacks from hackers. If you aren’t too sure which is the best kind of antivirus software to go with, it’s worth talking to some IT specialists about your options.
Stock-Check Software
One regular task that can take up a lot of your employees’ time is carrying out a weekly stock check. It can take a bit of time seeing exactly what products are left on your shelves and in your warehouse, but it is one job that you cannot do without. If you forego a stock check then you run the risk of missing items that have gone past their best-before date, which could end in complaints from your customers. Thankfully, there is now a good range of stock-check software that can take this job off your hands. You will need to enter in your entire stock once you start trading, and then is all orders and sales are tracked, the software should flag whenever you have to see to any stock issues in the warehouse.
Marketing Software
Marketing software is actually quite a large umbrella term that covers a lot of numerous computer programs that can be used for almost every marketing task. For instance, you might want to use a keyword software that can track keywords to see which ones your SEO team need to be targeting in their campaigns. CRM software will also come in useful for your content marketing as it can help you stay on top of all your content. Other useful marketing software will help your team with lead management as well as capture and conversion.
Programs To Help Aid Sales
Your sales team can also use software that can aid them in their day to day tasks. For instance, HubSpot Sales can help you build on your current leads and turn them into some sales. You can also use it to automate the whole sales process if you want to. All of the best sales software give you the chance to automate your follow-up emails as well, so you don’t have to waste any time chasing your leads.
Which software will you choose?

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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