Home
>
Small Business
>
Five Simple Software Tips for Small Business Owners

Five Simple Software Tips for Small Business Owners

The start of a new year is a time for a clean start. Resolutions are made, you clear your files of last year's paperwork, and you swear you are going to start the year off keeping your financial house in order.

It all sounds good when you say it on January 1st. But now, after only one month into the New Year, how many of you have done ANY of the above? I can't raise my hand, can you? Here are a few easy to follow tips that will benefit all business owners.

Learn to use the software you have

If you purchased software last year, and it's still shrink wrapped and sitting on your bookcase, get it open and install it onto your computer. Until you do that, you've done nothing more than waste money. You shouldn't have to hire a professional to handle the software installation.

If it's already installed, but you can't seem to figure out what to do next, read the manual, do the tutorial, ask for help. Do whatever is necessary for you to learn how to use the software that you spent good money on. You had a need when you purchased the software, and until you start using it, the need remains unfulfilled.

Automate common tasks

Once you've got the software you already purchased up and running put together a software budget for this year. Start by making a list of all the work-related tasks you wish were automated. Here are just a few ideas: contact management, inventory management, project management, bookkeeping, billing, appointment and employee scheduling and your new employee orientation program.

Next prioritize your software automation wish list. Put together a realistic budget for each of the four quarters. Then as money allows, purchase one piece of software at a time. Then, remember to actually install it AND use it!

Protect your Data

If you've not already done so, you must install virus checking software on every desktop that receives email. Failure to do this one thing can stop your business dead in its tracks. You don't have to spend a lot of money on this type of software; it's readily available and relatively inexpensive. Regardless of the cost, its cost is far lower than the price you will pay once your computers become infected. The costs of lost productivity as well as lost data will be steep.

Another thing you need to do to protect your valuable company data is to install a backup and restore utility and BE SURE TO USE IT! The price of this type of product will vary, and the amount you spend will probably coincide with the amount of information you need to backup. The more data, the more you'll pay for protection.

So many business owners purchase these types of software products only after a catastrophe has occurred. It's true that it's better late than never. But be smart and be prepared for disaster because it will happen.

Order the CD version

In some cases, you'll be able to purchase and download your new software right from the vendor's website. You'll have your new software installed and ready to use in no time. But, should your hard drive ever crash, you'll need the CD version of the software so that you can reinstall it right away. Most software vendors let download customers buy the CD at a huge discount. It's worth the money because, remember, hard drives will crash.

It's annoying, but important. You'll want to keep informed of such things as new versions and other important software-related issues.

And there you have it ? five simple software tips for business owners.

Copyright ? 2005 Cavyl Stewart. Find out just the programs you need to market, do finances, spiff up your site and more. Visit: http://www.find-small-business-software.com/software-directory.php - Also, be sure to check out my Exclusive, 100% free ecourses.

maide service in Deerfield ...

In The News:

Travel expert Katy Nastro says 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles vanished from her account after someone redeemed them without permission.

Google AI Overviews can't be permanently turned off, but adding -AI to your searches and using the built-in Web filter can help bypass AI summaries.

Attaxion researchers found 30 fake Texas campaign merchandise stores traced to just two sellers hawking gear for competing Republicans and Democrats.

GM plans to debut eyes-off driving in the Cadillac Escalade IQ by 2028, but safety testing reveals how long distracted drivers take to regain control.

Data brokers assign labels predicting your health, finances and religion based on browsing and purchases, then sell those profiles to businesses.

Elon Musk says he'll give one SpaceX share to every kid in America in 2027, but key details about eligibility and distribution remain unclear.

ClearSpace UK's robotic spacecraft with giant claws will chase down dead satellites at 17,000 mph, with a 2029 launch from Scotland planned.

A fake Social Security statement phishing email uses the SSA logo and a convincing layout, but the sender's domain instantly exposes the scam.

A clean credit report doesn't mean your identity is safe. Six ways criminals can steal from you without triggering a credit monitoring alert.

Carolyn Marvin, a 78-year-old retired professor, was arrested after blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot on a Philadelphia sidewalk for months.

The Midnight Mimosa malware campaign hides inside cheap Android phone firmware, giving attackers powerful access before owners even turn devices on.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Meta's Muse AI was built to manage tasks, but users are developing romantic AI relationships and even calling the AI companion their girlfriend.

A Minnesota murder suspect's notebook listed 11 people search websites, raising urgent questions about data broker opt-out and online privacy risks.

Google Universal Cart tracks price drops, surfaces promo codes and uses Google Wallet to match your best credit card rewards before checkout.

Safari's Notify Me feature and Google's price-tracking tools can monitor products and send alerts when prices drop on your iPhone or Android.

George Weiner built PACspam.org to trace who sends nonstop political fundraising texts after blocking numbers repeatedly failed to stop the messages.

A dedicated VPN IP address may reduce frustrating CAPTCHAs and bank login security checks by giving websites a consistent connection to recognize.

Apple Wallet in iOS 27 lets you create digital passes from physical cards using a photo or screenshot, but not every card in your wallet qualifies.

Anthropic's Claude AI submitted a fabricated eyewitness tip about an unsolved murder to a Philadelphia police website during automated testing.

P7 DarkSword iPhone spyware can steal saved passwords, photos, Apple Notes and cryptocurrency wallet data by checking for commands every 15 seconds.

Cybersecurity experts told Fox News Digital that a cyberattack on French supermarket freezers should warn the U.S. about critical infrastructure gaps.

The Oracle Health breach exposed medical records, Social Security numbers and diagnoses of nearly 20 million patients across multiple states.

The new Tesla Roadster drove upside down and launched into the air at SpaceX's Texas facility, but a 2028 production target remains unconfirmed.

Apple's iOS 27 lets you add keywords to iPhone photos, while Samsung Gallery tags and Google Photos search offer similar organization tools.