Small Business Software Blog
Custom CRM: So Much More than Sales
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software helps a business stay in touch with its customers. It has come to be known as “sales” software -- tracking sales activities, proposals, opportunities, and closed business. But a CRM is supposed to do so much more, including marketing communications, order fulfillment and tracking, and more. That’s what makes a custom CRM so valuable -- your business isn’t tied down to the features and specifications of an off-the-shelf CRM package that overlooks those other business functions. Let’s learn more about how you can really leverage a good CRM to make your whole business run better and more profitably.
Why You Should Automate Your Business - Now!
Two things to consider when it comes to automating your business: first, your competition is doing it, so you don’t want to fall behind; second, there are opportunities to be had with automation. The time is now to automate your business process and take your business to that next level of profits, growth, and efficiency. What does automation involve? Let’s take a look.
Custom Software TCO Analysis
A thorough Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis is a great tool to help CEOs and CFOs compare the costs of different software solutions. It takes into account the initial and long-term costs of creating new software for your business. Assuming that you’ve determined that your business is ready for custom software and business automation, your next step is a good cost analysis. Let’s take a look at this model.
Lessons Learned: Hertz v. Accenture and Software Development
I recently caught this article about the management company, Accenture, getting sued by Hertz for a botched software development job. Over the years, we’ve covered a lot of topics on what can go wrong in a project like that. But I wanted to use this example to reiterate some of those for you.
In-House versus Outsourced Software Development: Why Hire a Developer
Your business is ready to create your own, custom software. Out of the box solutions no longer cut it. Now, you’re considering building your own in-house team versus outsourced software development. Now, we’re biased, but we believe you’ll see why using an in-house team can get out of hand when it comes to costs and training. Let’s expand on that.
eCommerce: Launching Your Online Store
Whether you’re starting from the ground up or turning your existing brick-and-mortar business into an eCommerce store, you will need to build a solid foundation for your online store. Oh, and don’t forget that business plan!
Costs of Custom Software Development
Once you’ve figured out that your business is ready for some custom software, your planning is likely to turn to budget. How much will the development of custom software cost your business? First, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask the obvious question: how much will it cost your company NOT to build out a custom solution? Think of efficiencies, cost reductions, reporting, etc. Those need to figure into your overall cost analysis. So, let’s take a look at some other things you need to consider in calculating the costs of your software.
Accepting Online Payments
Adding the ability to accept online payments to your website can boost cash flows, create a better online experience for your customers, and even create entirely new revenue streams. So, what’s involved in adding an online payment system to your site? Let’s explore that.
Legislative Update: HB 2259 and User Portals
House Bills 2259 has been introduced in the Arizona State Legislature by Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff. The bill has not progressed at this point, but it’s important for anybody running a website to keep an eye on what our elected officials are thinking. HB 2259 would have the effect of requiring any website with 500 or more users to create a user portal where those users can manage their personal information.
Does Your Business Need Custom Software?
“If only our software did this one thing!” That’s a common frustration with business owners and their team when working with off-the-shelf software. Pre-built software serves a great need -- it’s ready to go and it’s cheap. However, as businesses grow, they quickly see the need to have a more customized solution. That’s where custom software comes in. What may seem like a significant expense at first quickly turns into an investment, as your software starts to make the whole operation run more efficiently. So, what are we talking about here with this ‘Custom Software’?
Online Registration & Accounts
Empower your users. Enabling your customers to create and manage their own accounts on your website or app creates new opportunities for your business. You’ll access new data and intelligence. You’ll save time. And best of all, you’ll create a customer experience that will keep your users around for a long time.
Software Development: What's Coming in 2019
Here’s the thing. Businesses need to learn, grow, adapt, and do their best to see what’s coming at them. Your customers change. Your market changes. The way developers like Sol Minion Development build applications changes. As we look forward to new opportunities in 2019, we see that the year and the expected changes are not in a vacuum. They’ve been in the works for years. Keeping an eye on these trends is part of how we deliver a great solution for our clients. So, what do we see coming in 2019?