It’s nearly impossible to run a business today without using quite a bit of technology. What could once be accomplished with paper, pencil, and an old-fashioned cash register now requires an online presence, computer-based transaction equipment, and a lot of software.
There are thousands of options for software programs that can make your business operations easier, but a few stand out from the rest. These are some of the major software platforms that businesses find most useful.
1. QuickBooks
This is, hands down, the most popular accounting software for businesses of any size. It’s easy to use, analyzes cash flow through reports, and it can be configured to fit multiple departments and accounts.
There are also plenty of resources to answer any of your questions or work you through the nuances of the program.
2. Mozy
Mozy is a backup and recovery system that automatically copies files and archives everything. It keeps you secure from data loss and frees up your hard drive for other files. It’s highly efficient and much better protected than hard copies are.
3. WordPress
For both blogging and website creation, WordPress is an excellent solution. It’s widely supported and has hundreds of plugins to choose from.
There’s 24/7 support for paid accounts and the company sends out frequent updates to keep things running smoothly. It’s one of the more affordable website platforms that doesn’t sacrifice quality, so businesses of all sizes use it.
4. GoogleDocs
For collaboration and an online office suite, you can’t beat Google Docs. As long as members of your team have a Google account, and most people do, they can save and edit files online.
Teams can collaborate on projects in real-time, make edits, and chat live about their changes. It’s limited to a basic text editor and spreadsheet functions, but most businesses find that enough to keep their teams on the same page.
5. Salesforce
Despite a major data crash earlier this year, Salesforce is one of the most reliable CRM systems around. It’s a Fortune 500 company that keeps track of your data, manages sales processes, tracks leads, and follows up in a timely fashion.
6. Microsoft Office Suite
Most businesses can’t operate without Microsoft Office Suite. Even if you’re not a fan of the platform, it’s practically impossible to go without because Microsoft has cornered the market and become the major word-processing and content creation system in business.
It’s a must-have because transferring files from one company or department to another is useless without the same processor.
7. Yahoo Small Business
This service started out as a low-grade online business platform, but it’s turned into a surprisingly simple platform that boasts some high-quality features. Yahoo offers templates, how-to wizards, credit card processing, sales-tax collection, and more for small businesses.
It’s no good if you sell more than 50,000 units, but firms that are just starting out can run their entire business on this platform.
8. Pidgin
Customers have voted instant chat on a company website as their favorite form of customer service communication. But when you have more than one customer chatting with a single representative at a time, Pidgin simplifies the process.
It consolidates the communication into a single tab and helps you keep track of your communication the entire time.
9. Basecamp
For project management, there isn’t a better program than Basecamp, even if it’s on the more expensive end of the spectrum. It enables you to accomplish multiple tasks, including to-do lists, message boards, project timelines, time tracking, consolidation, and other functions.
Team members can work from anywhere and still touch base with their supervisors throughout the day.
10. Avira AntiVirus
A basic antivirus won’t do it for a business, which needs extra protection on multiple platforms. Avira can cover corporations large and small. It will let you know as soon as there’s an imminent threat to your business. Avira can also provide extra security tools for businesses with unique security needs.
