Guides for people who buy software

The short answer

• Business software solutions are the applications a company uses to run itself: money, customers, operations, people and the automation that connects them.
• Most small businesses should start with good off-the-shelf tools for standard jobs, such as accounting, e-mail and payroll, and only build custom where their process is unusual or where the tools no longer fit.
• The warning sign that you have outgrown your software is a spreadsheet kept alongside a tool you already pay for.
• Typical custom builds: £1,500–£5,000 ($2,000–$6,000) for an internal tool, £4,000–£12,000 ($5,000–$15,000) for one business module and £8,000–£24,000 ($10,000–$30,000) for a custom CRM. Indicative, fixed in writing after scoping.
• Order matters more than brand: fix the process that loses the most money first, then connect outward.