Many companies just don’t think about this and use MS Office and Sage, because one is on the PC and the other is recommended by their accountant. Stop and think!

In an ideal world you would pick one bit of software that did everything from accounts to emailing. But being tied to one software supplier and one system has many problems. It will be expensive, and there will be bits you dont like. I wouldnt do it.

If you have several systems, on the other hand you end up trying to export and information between them, or duplicate effort. For example you use a CRM System like Goldmine, an email  system like Outlook and an accounts system like Quickbooks. All 3 have contact information for the same people in them. Nightmare!

 Well here are a few things that I that have found work well (together) for me.

Email, Calendar and Tasks

I dont use MS Outlook anymore. Its good, but….

• the volume of emails stored on your own PC becomes too great
• it can be hard to find an email unless you are good at filing things away
• the big issue is, I use more than one PC. You could use a MS Exchange set up - but its complicated, expensive and unecessary.

I believe webmail is the answer. I’ve used gmail for 1.5 years and love it. There are one or two things I miss from Outlook….I( have made that mental note now and then, but as I write this I cant remember what they are - so they’re no big deal).

A superb addition to this is Remember the Milk. Much better than Outlook tasks. It integrates into gmail and google calendar.

RTM and gmail are free.

As for CRM if you want something to intergate into all that, I would either use MS Access, Filemaker (both have template CRM solutions) or Etelos

Office Applications

I use MS Office because I have it - but I’d struggle to justify upgrading it. Alternatives are:

• Open Office. Free and every bit as good as MS Office…except for MS Access. If you need a database application, its it or Filemaker.
• Google Documents and Spreadsheets. Free, but a bit a bit clunky to use the spreadsheet, and not the features of Excel. Word Processing OK

MS Office has my vote, but only if you need MS Access - otherwise use Open Office.

Accounts

This is the tricky one! I have tried Sage and Quickbooks. The problem is they are very powerful, and unless you use them every day you get lost in them. I believe that for a small business who doesnt have a full time management accountant, they are overkill. I am currently trying a system called More which is free and simple. The drawbacks are its a bit too simple, still being devekoped, and you are tied to a supporting accountant. I am close to going back to a custom built solution in MS Access, Excel or Filemaker.

Use something that suits you, not your accountant.

My theories

• Free, web based applications are what you need to consider.
• Make life easy for yourself, not your accountant. Dont leap into using an off the shelf accounting package, especially if you can use Excel or Access. If you can’t, we can help with MS Access solutions.
• Dont use a server in your office - more to come on that!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS