Guest Post from James D Burbank
There are no two same businesses in the world. Every business differs from every other in at least one or two small details. That being said, the ultimate goal of every business owner or manager is the same – to see that business thrive and make more money.
Running a business is never easy, especially since many business owners have little to no formal education in how to actually run a business as an entity. They may know everything there is about a certain industry, but running a business is a job all on its own. Because of this, many businesses hire business consultants which is always a good idea. There is another ally that business owners can turn to when specific aspects of their job are in question –business software.
Office Suites
There used to be a time when office suites such as Microsoft Office package and its cheaper or even free alternatives were not available. There were people with typewriters, giant filing cabinets, calculators, spreadsheets printed out on huge pieces of paper and so on.
Today, the vast majority of offices and businesses in general use at least some sort of an office suite, a software package that will offer text processors, spreadsheets, basic (or advanced) calculators and other aids for the everyday functioning of the company. Like we mentioned, Microsoft Office is still the most popular such software, although alternatives to it are definitely gaining in popularity.
Accounting Software
Another commonly used type of software is utilized by accountants and it has been in use for decades already. Accounting is definitely a field where the help of a computer can come in handy and it is no wonder that accounting software solutions have been around so long and that they are so commonly used. In fact, it is very difficult to find an accountant or an accounting department that does not use at least some sort of accounting software.
Of course, these programs will differ in what they can do, how easy they are to use and to which kinds of businesses they are geared. Sage accounting solutions have been the UK’s favorite for many years now, although there are quite a few other pieces of accounting software that are fighting for their share of the market, such as VT Transaction+, Quickbooks Pro and Xero, a newcomer.
Warehouse Management Software
Not every business will involve a warehouse as part of its everyday operation. In fact, it is safe to say that the majority will not. However, we just cannot avoid talking about warehouse management software and our main reason for doing this is that the vast majority of warehouses in the UK are simply not efficient enough. They waste resources, they waste manpower and they waste time. There was a great article on this in Guardian.
Depending on the size and the type of your warehouse, you may require different types of WMS. Some of the most popular solutions in the UK include OrderWise, MACS Software, Optima and Indigo.
Specialized Business Software Solutions
There are many different types of business software that a business owner might find useful and it is often worth looking for them. For instance, you might need a piece of software that will help your business be more present in social media, something like VerticalResponse. Or, you may be facing insolvency and you could use a bit of help keeping it all under control where you would go for a piece of software like Encompass.
If there is something that you believe might be useful but does not already exist, you can always approach a software development company that will be happy to come to your aid.
In short, do not be afraid to use software in running a business. It will help you reduce mistakes and organize your company more efficiently. Subsequently, this will give you a chance to spend more time on the actual work that will make your business grow and thrive.
AUTHOR: James D. Burbank has years of experience in the trade show industry and marketing in general. He is currently on hiatus, spending time with his family and blogging on his blog – BizzMarkBlog
