How to Choose Software Tools for Your Business

Small businesses are the backbone of the Americans economy. They're massive drivers of employment, and they outnumber large corporations by more than 1,000 to one. But the small business owners and managers who run these businesses don't get to rest easy by virtue of their important role in the American economy. On the contrary—small business owners always seem to have their hands full.

Savvy small business owners and managers know that keeping their businesses lean and efficient is essential to staying profitable and growing their business. No amount of outsourcing or software solutions will make life easy as a small business owner, of course, but the right solutions can give you a more cost-effective workforce and free up more time for you and your most talented employees to focus on what your business does best.

Leveraging the power of technology and investing in software solutions is key in the modern business world—but how can you go about doing that? Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you choose your solution.

Consider what your needs are.

You shouldn't necessarily be closed-minded about exactly what you want your software solution to look or feel like, but you should be definite on what tasks you want to streamline and what sorts of inputs and outputs your software solution will have to handle. Knowing what your "use case" looks like will help you determine whether yours is one the use cases covered by a given product. And if you choose to go with a customized or bespoke solution, your use case will determine the shape of the entire software solution. Remember, there are different types of programs even within a given category: Different accounting software solutions, different sales programs, and so on.

Set your budget and understand the whole equation.

The whole point of investing in a software solution is to make your business more efficient. So don't go overboard and spend too much on your software solution. Start with a budget and stick to it.

Of course, you should also understand that you’ll get long-term benefits to using a streamlined software solution. Remember to consider the savings you might reap by limiting the size of your workforce and increasing productivity. At the same time, don't let long-term benefits tempt you to overexpose yourself with a too-large short-term payment. Find a balance, invest in as efficient and effective a program as you can, and stay in business long enough to reap the long-term benefits of a more efficient company.

Consider reputations and reviews.

B2B software is a big business these days, and you'll have no trouble finding established companies and learning about their reputations. Check out trusted review sites such as TrustRadius and really do your homework before you commit to any particular supplier or solution. Software solutions aren't cheap, so don't make the mistake of paying too much for a bad fit. The more reviews you read, the more confident that you can be in the solution you choose.

Follow through with training and support.

B2B software solutions should be well-designed, but they're not always simple, and you're always better off investing in training for yourself and your staff. A software solution is only as efficient as the person using it, after all. Stay on top of updates and keep training up-to-date. Consider paying for support features, too, so that you can get help when you need it. On its own, software that you don't know enough about or can't fix when it crashes will not be particularly efficient. So why pay for it if you're not going to go all the way and invest in the training and support services that you'd need to get the most out of it?