In a time not so long ago, the concept of a computer being the centre of a business’s information infrastructure was completely unheard of. Paper archives and documents were used, typewriters were plenty and pen and paper were the tools of choice or any self-respecting businessman. How times have changed!
Software and computers are now essentially mandatory for any business. You need to utilise social media, online marketing, office networks and a bunch of other technologies to even get your business noticed.
In the past, it was just a case of getting your business listed in a local directory and waiting patiently by your telephone hardline. Now you log on to the internet, post your advert to a couple of sites and wait for potential customers to message back.
If you’re still living in the past or you’ve just started up your very own business, here are some examples of crucial software that no business should be without.
Accounting software
There are hundreds of different types of accounting software that range from expense tracking to bookkeeping and employee payroll management. There are also very general accounting software bundles that cover almost anything money related that your business could encounter. Check up on Avaza details to learn about the different software packages your business can use to increase productivity.
You also have the option of using cloud accounting software to manage your finances. Instead of paying a fixed price for the software, you pay a monthly fee to access the cloud software and it usually contains hundreds of different tools to create graphs, projections and it can be accessed from any smart device.
If you’re constantly on the move due to your work or because you attend meetings in multiple different areas, then it’s a good idea to invest in a cloud solution so you can work from anywhere.
Document processing software
From word documents to spreadsheets, you need to have software that’s capable of more than just writing text. It needs to have spelling and grammar checks, tools to format the page and create headings and footers—you need a complete bundle to handle almost any form of content creation you can think of. Software packages like Microsoft Office are great examples that will cover any form of document that you can think of.
Much like accounting software, you also have the option of turning to the cloud and using a service like Office 365 or Google Docs. The advantage with a cloud service is that you can collaborate on a document with multiple people because it’s hosted online instead of on a local computer. This means you can have several people entering data into a spreadsheet or you can have someone editing and putting notes on a document as it’s written.
Specialised software
This section depends on your type of business. For example, if you run a design studio then digital art software such as Adobe’s Creative Cloud is a good place to start. If you’re designing 3D models, then a package like 3ds Max or Maya is a good choice. Unlike accounting software and documents, there are very few workable cloud alternatives. There are, however, free alternatives such as Krita for art creation and Blender for 3D modelling.