Many small business owners associate custom software with larger companies. While it’s certainly more common for bigger corporations to opt for custom software, there are so many reasons for small businesses to invest in custom software. Custom software helps a company of any shape or size to meet their specific needs and is a far superior option to off-the-shelf software.
With this in mind, we highlight seven top reasons why your small business should consider investing.
1. Custom software is designed specifically for your company
The main benefit of custom software is that it’s designed specifically for your needs and requirements. Ready-made software is unlikely to fulfil every need you have, which often results in small business owners changing the way they work just to accommodate the software.
We believe this should never be the case, and instead, the software should be adjusted to fit your work processes. Custom software is tailored to your workflow, and the final result should work as you expect it to without you having to change a thing about how you run your business.
In the long run, this will save you plenty of time and hassle as a company. Regardless of the size of your business, your time is still extremely valuable, and custom software can help you to maximise the resources you currently have.
2. An all-in-one solution
Many small businesses start out by using software applications for every possible need they have. You might currently use separate applications for sales, shipping, and any other tasks. Custom software offers you a much better way of working, and you can have one piece of software that performs all of these tasks together.
This will be a huge timesaver, and you won’t have to worry about various applications talking to each other anymore. When using multiple applications, you increase the risk of errors occurring, whereas, with custom software, everything will be in one place.
3. Saves money in the long run
One of the most commonly cited reasons for small businesses avoiding custom software is the expense. While there may be a higher expense upfront for custom software, it can actually save your company a lot of money in the long run. The increased features and functionalities of custom software can be used to save money and time.
It will also lower your running costs in future. If you are currently completing many tasks manually, such as invoicing and payroll, custom software offers you a solution that will save you time on these regular activities in your business.
Another consideration is that many times when you buy custom software, you are actually paying for features you’ll never use. While you may think they are just something that’s included with everything else in the package, it’s an unnecessary expense you are paying for.
Finally, most applications and software options have ongoing licensing fees or subscriptions. Keep this in mind when you weigh up the costs of custom software, as after a certain amount of time, you’ll find custom software comes out as the more cost-efficient solution.
4. Extra features as your business grows
While you may consider your business to be a small business currently, if you have plans to expand in the future, your new custom software can do just that with you. Ready-to-use software can’t often be upgraded, and so when companies alter their processes, often it has to be replaced.
Custom software gives you more options to adjust your software to fit your current needs and is a more flexible solution for growing companies. While many small business owners look at the short term disadvantages of custom software, such as the upfront expense, the long term benefits far outweigh these.
5. Security
Regardless of the shape and size of your business, security should always be of top priority. Cyberattacks are sadly only increasing year after year, and certain industries are likely targets for hackers. Custom software makes it far more challenging for a hacker to make their way in, as most of these applications can’t be accessed by the public.
A good custom software solution will offer encryption and security codes if required, making your new solution even more secure. It’s far easier for a ready-made platform to be attacked by hackers, as they are widely used throughout the world.
6. Reduce manual processes
Small businesses often rely on manual processes far more than larger companies. While these may play a key role in your day-to-day operations currently, it’s certainly not the most effective way to run a company. Automating manual work is an excellent idea, as it will save time, resources, and costs in the long run.
You’ll also find the chance of error is minimised, as no matter how experienced your employees are, small errors can always occur. Especially when it comes to analysing your work and finances, this can all be completed automatically with your new custom software. You’ll also find it improves processes within your company and helps departments work together with ease when accessing the same system.
7. Ease of integration
With custom software, you’ll find it much easier to work alongside other off-the-shelf solutions. The environment of this type of software means ready-made software can interact without issues, improving your productivity. Your new custom software can be tailored to your current work processes, and if something works really well within your small business currently, this can be integrated into your new project.
When discussing custom software with small businesses, the same reasons for avoiding this solution are always discussed. However, the benefits all far outweigh the disadvantages. We believe custom software is an ideal solution for businesses of any shape or size.
With custom software, you can have a fully customised experience for your company, and it will offer the exact features and specifications that you need. Most companies find this to be a far superior option in the long term, saving them time, money, and resources.
Contact the folks at BSPOKE Software today!
