Businesses rely on a number of things for success, but alongside client retention, another important factor to bear in mind is software. Software streamlines many business processes and aids in the management of individual business activities. Think about it: could you imagine your daily working life without the ability to access Microsoft Word or Excel?
Software is essential in any business then and below we run you through some of the must-have essentials most businesses should have.
With hundreds of different systems available it is hard to know which are best for your business and which are unnecessary luxuries. The following list highlights the top types of software you need to make sure that your business runs smoothly and without excess baggage.
Microsoft Office
No business would be complete without the staple of all computers: Microsoft Office. This software offers the best range of functions and ensures that you have all of the relevant programs for conducting your business.
Microsoft Office comprises of a range of different programs which all follow similar formats, making operation easy and effortless. Microsoft Word allows the easy composition of official documentation and business correspondence, with templates to help ensure a professional result. Mail merging options are available to facilitate the sending of correspondence to different recipients.
Microsoft Access and Excel offer spreadsheet and database software which have macro and formatting capabilities. This software allows the easy storing of important dates and the easy calculation of sales figures using formulaic inputs and allowing data to be accurately represented through graphs and charts.
Payroll
Making sure that your accounts and finances stay in order is essential in creating a successful business, so investing in a good payroll software is another business essential. Payroll software is often designed to handle tax forms and facilitates the management of payroll taxes by automating the record keeping process. It is a confusing and difficult process to be aware of unknown deductions, credits and excerptions, so using a payroll system to manage these areas for you offers greater speed and accuracy and uses a minimal amount of human resources.
Customer Relationship Management
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is an easy way to manage all of the aspects of your business from one system. CRM boasts a full range of features for easier running of your business, including: importing and segmenting marketing data, creating and sending targeted HTML emails, generating and tracking leads, accurately forecasting sales, activity management, creating and managing orders and improving the quality of your customer support systems. CRM software, such as that offered by Workbooks, enables your company to be run professionally and efficiently with minimal disruption to your workforce and business and is reasonably priced to accommodate small, or newly established, businesses.
Adobe Photoshop
Although perhaps not quite as essential as the others listed above, Adobe Photoshop is becoming increasingly important for all businesses. Most businesses have a website these days and once you have a website it will need regular updating. Photoshop lets you edit images and format them for use on the web. The software is also extremely useful for any marketing you intend carrying out in the future as you can use it to create your own print or online adverts.
This article was written by Workbooks, leading supplier of web based CRM software.
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