Software every small business needs

Lesson 5 - Essential Software for Small Business

Running a small business has many advantages, such as control over your time and more money. It can also be a liability if you are a one person business because there are so many things you need to keep track of.

Set up correctly, your computer can be your most valuable time saving tool.

That's where software comes in, but exactly what programs do you need to run your business?

Before you start spending hundreds of dollars on software you may not need, let me show you what may actually work better, and best of all, most of it's free.

1. Word Processing/Spreadsheet/Database Most PCs now come with Microsoft Works, which has a pretty good collection of tools for small business, especially a large collection of templates designed for a small business.

For most one person businesses, this should work just fine. If you're a freelance writer, for less than $100, I recommend you upgrade to Microsoft Works Suite.

The advantage here is that you get a copy of Microsoft Word, the most commonly used word processing program in publishing today. There's also a copy of Microsoft Works, a thesaurus, dictionary, and an encyclopedia to help you with your writing, as well as basic research.

If you prefer a more comprehensive program, but can't afford the high price of Microsoft Office, then try Open Office. If you want the free version, you can find it here: http://www.openoffice.org

It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database, graphics and HTML program, and a browser. It's a very stable program, you can use it to convert your documents to Microsoft Office. Best of all, it's free.

2. Calendar You'll want to keep track of things to do, appointments, and projects. Works now includes a good calendar program you can use to track your appointments and tasks.

If you use email, most web mail accounts include a calendar and task list. Some even include a notepad for keeping notes.

You can get the same functionality without having to worry about losing data if you have a computer crash.

3. Email Program You have several options here.

You can use Outlook Express, which is easy to set up and is already installed on your PC. If you do, make sure you download all of the security updates and security patches. Although this is an easy program to use, security can sometimes be a problem.

You also have the option to buy Outlook. This offers you both a good and more secure email program, calendar, and task list. I would only recommend this option if you have the money to spend because although it is a good program, it can be expensive.

If Outlook is too expensive, there are some good free programs you can download like Pegasus Mail or Eudora. I recommend you download both of them and try them out. See which one is the best fit for you. Their features are comparable to Outlook Express and Outlook and are a little more secure.

You can find these programs at ZD Net, http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/ or FreewareHome.com, http://www.freewarehome.com. Both excellent places to get free software. (FreewareHome boasts about 7,000 free programs. You will find both Pegasus Mail and Eudora here.)

4. Accounting Program Tracking your income and expenses is absolutely crucial if you want to turn a profit in your business. You have a couple of different options here.

First, you have to choose whether you want to use single entry or double entry accounting.

NOTE: Single Entry Accounting is like using your checkbook. You enter the income or expense and you will either add or subtract the entry.

With Double Entry Accounting, you use Credits and Debits. This is more accounting oriented. You will have two entries: one an addition, the other a subtraction.

Once you've decided on what method of accounting to use, then you just need to select a program.

If you've chosen single entry, your choices could be Microsoft Money or Quicken. These last two programs often come with PCs now.

Banana Cash Book - http://www.banana.ch/banana4/eng/bc4_cashbook.shtml

If you've decided you want to use double entry accounting, get FWA Accounts. It's free and very easy to use and set up. http://www.fwaccounts.com/application.htm)

5. HTML Editor/Graphics If you want to build a web site for your business, it's a good idea to learn some basic HTML.

Evrsoft offers an excellent free HTML editor that works well for beginners, as well as more experienced HTML users.

It offers a lot of really good free javascripts and CGI scripts you can add to your web pages to make them interactive. The tools available are comparable to those you would find in expensive HTML editors like Frontpage.

You can get more information or download both the editor and the ftp client from http://www.evrsoft.com

There are so many good free graphics editors out there that it's hard to choose the best one. You'll find many of these, with ratings, at FreeWareHome.com -http://www.freewarehome.com/

If you are planning to build a web site, this step is crucial. Try out several different HTML editors until you find one you are comfortable with. There are plenty of free drag and drop editors out there you can use without learning HTML, but you'll get better results if you learn a little HTML.

The best tutorial on HTML is HTML teacher. You can download a copy of this tutorial here: http://www.smallbusinesshowto.com/freeware/teacher.zip

6. Promotion Software You can use promotion software for both ad tracking and ad submissions.

Adwizard -http://www.smallbusinesshowto.com/freeware/adwizard32.zip is an excellent program for keeping track of the web sites you're submitting to, as well as when you need to resubmit. A "type-it-in" feature saves you time in retyping ads, and you can add new sites as you find them.

Remember, promotion software is only one aspect of your marketing campaign.

This list is not all inclusive, and as you continue to build your business, you may find you need other programs. Before you add new programs to your business though, I recommend that you try freeware and shareware programs. Not only will they save you money, but you may find them easier to use in the long run.