When you start a new IT business, you should aim to lay solid foundations for it. You do this by making sure that you have all the right computer shop software solutions in place from the start.
Here are my top 10 computer shop software solutions that will enable you to get started on the right foot at little or no cost:
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An accounting software package - I’d use the one that your accountant suggests, so that you can easily export your data to him or her on a monthly basis. (Editor’s Note: QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks tend to be perennial favorites in this category.)
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CRM - When you are starting your new IT business, this is the time to try out a variety of solutions that may meet your needs. Integration with your accounting software can be a bonus. Your CRM choice could also provide you with an additional revenue stream through referrals and/or client deployments.
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Order tracking software - It’s important to be able to track tickets, contracts, scheduled visits, and orders.
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An office productivity suite - This will allow you to produce professional-looking documents for everything. My preferred suite is Microsoft Office because of its ease of use and polished results, but you could easily opt for an open-source solution.
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A pdf creator and editor - Adobe Acrobat Pro will meet all of your needs in this regard, but again, you can opt for an open-source solution.
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An antivirus solution - I’ve been to numerous computer shops and Internet cafes that have viruses on their systems. Don’t fall into that trap. It will damage your business and your reputation. Install and use the product that you will recommend to your clients.
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Off-site and on-site backup - It is amazing how many computer shops resell these types of solutions, but do not follow their own advice by backing up their data. Your client databases and correspondence are the lifeblood of your business. So back it up to the cloud, as well as to a local solution that you store off-site.
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Email marketing solution - You’ll find that many CRMs have this facility, or it is available as an add-on for tracking purposes. Integration between your email marketing software and your CRM is useful, but you can use standalone products if that suits you better.
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Website and blogging software - This depends on your business model, what you’re selling, how many products you have, and so on. Go for one of the big three: Joomla, Drupal, or WordPress. In most circumstances, a solution like WordPress is sufficient.
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Diagnostic software - From day one, you need to make sure that you also have the diagnostic software available to provide your service effectively and efficiently.
There are cost-effective solutions that will match your needs. There are also plenty of very expensive ones that are simply not needed at this stage of your business.
Some of the cheaper pay-as-you-go CRMs cover a lot of the functionality we’ve discussed above and are computer shop software solutions that will scale with your business, but that is a conversation for another article.
What are your must-have software solutions, and why? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the Comments section.
And to follow through on the tips introduced in this short post, especially if you also support SaaS and IaaS, be sure to enroll now in our free 7-day eCourse: Go-to-Market Strategy 101 for B2B SaaS Startups and Scaleups.
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