Top 10 pieces of small business software

Finding the right software for a start-up has thankfully moved on from the days when Microsoft Office was the most exotic choice available.

Small businesses now have a varied and often highly affordable range of software to choose from thanks in part to the rise in ‘cloud computing.’

As StartupSmart has explored previously living on the cloud is an increasingly popular option for entrepreneurs.

Kevin Noonan, research director of Ovum, highly recommends that small businesses consider cloud services.

“The big advantage for small business is access to well-tested industrial strength systems and infrastructure without the upfront delays and start-up costs,” he says.

“The recent natural disasters highlighted the disaster-recovery capabilities of systems and infrastructure delivered over the cloud.”

Here we run down 10 of the most popular, most effective and most usable software products on the market for start-ups.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a file-sharing and storage program that automatically syncs files across a range of computers. It is free to begin with and it’s installable across a range of computers.

When users are at a computer that is not registered with their account they can log in and gain access to their documents.

Brendan Lewis, CEO of Flinders Pacific, says: “Dropbox is another great example of software that allows you to be always on the move but still allows you to have everything you need.”

WordPress

We recently reported that two thirds of businesses still lack a website. As Renai LeMay, founder and editor of technology website Delimter, points out: “In 2011 if you don’t have a web site you’re not in business.”

LeMay says some people are scared off, thinking managing a website may be difficult and time consuming. But he says they needn’t be.

“There is no easier way to create a swish-looking website for nothing than to use WordPress,” he advises.

“There are thousands of free design packages and add-ons for WordPress and every hosting provider supports it out of the box.”

“WordPress is a must-use for every business – and will support sites as small as a personal blog all the way up to the scale of the New York Times. In fact the NY Times uses it.”

Google Apps

Google originally launched as an internet search business but it now produces software and its online cloud computing apps are being utilised by many businesses, including start-ups.

The main advantage that Google Apps has over traditional IT systems and desktop software is that it essentially places all business data and the entire workflow online, meaning it is accessible from anywhere at any time.

Google docs, calendar and email use its cloud computing form to enhance collaboration, a significant contrast from Microsoft Office products.

Brendan Lewis, CEO of Flinders Pacific, points to the Google calendar as a useful tool for start-ups.

“It’s not the most powerful calendar but it’s free, reliable and for me certainly gets the job done,” he says.

“I only have to update one calendar as it syncs instantly to my computer, any computer I log on to, my phone and my iPad.”

Skype

Renai LeMay of Delimter says smart small businesses almost universally use Skype, an internet telephony tool which lets users call many people for free.

“Skype is a free tool which provides most of the functionality of packages which cost tens of thousands of dollars,” LeMay says.

“It’ll let you take calls to the same landline number no matter where you are – at home, in the office or even on your mobile.”

Mail Chimp

Email marketing is now an important communication technique for many businesses.

Last November Colin McLeod, executive director at the Australian Centre for Retail Studies, told StartupSmart he “couldn’t imagine that there’s a major retailer who’s not thinking about their online strategy”.

Mail Chimp is a cheap and easy-to-use program that allows users to design and produce email campaigns, share them on social networks, manage subscribers, track results and integrate with web services you already use.

It’s so good that even we use it.