Whether you own a small e-commerce store, or run a seasonal tax preparation service, no business is too small for software. Even if you have a small number of loyal customers, or you do most of the work yourself, you can grow your company and streamline many of your processes by using software. Some people think you have to be a computer genius to use business software, or that it will cost them too much. However, many small businesses could benefit from implementing the use of software programs and applications that are designed with them in mind. Keep reading to learn about applications you might be missing out on, that could be benefiting your small business:

Accounting Software

Accounting software should be a requirement for every small business. Gone are the days of green accounting books and number two pencils. Most accounting programs can easily be integrated with your business bank account, payroll account and the Internal Revenue Service. In many cases, the only thing you need to do is to update transactions, set specific parameters and let the program do the rest. Many business owners use small business accounting programs because they automatically take care of processing payroll and corporate taxes, and can accurately calculate what you need to pay.

Point-of-Sale Systems

If you run a physical store, or you are a freelancer, a point-of-sale system can really help take the mess out of payments by automating the entire sales process. They calculate sales tax rates, the amount of change that a customer is due, refunds, and can automate the reconciliation process at the end of each day. You might think, “I only have a few transactions every day,” or “I can handle all the payments myself,” but if you plan on accepting credit cards, a point-of-sale system is essential to running your business. As your business grows, having an automated system will save you time and precious brain power—two things that every entrepreneur can always use more of.

Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)

Tracking customer information and purchase histories is essential to repeat business. The information stored in a CRM system is often used to tailor marketing to your current customers to encourage them to come back for more in the future. CRM systems are also essential to the sales process because they streamline the entire sales cycle and can help your sales force concentrate more on making the sale itself. Now with cloud technology, these systems are even more accessible—keeping both you and your customers happy.

Payroll Processing Programs

If you stress over spending hours processing payroll and printing checks the old fashion way, it's time for you to update to a payroll processing program. Payroll processing software will take care of calculating hours worked, the amount of commission a sales person is owed, what taxes must be paid and any additional benefits that are included in an individual's paycheck. Once again, you might only have a few employees now, but as your company grows, payroll will only get messier. Take the headache out of this process and change to a processing program before your workforce gets too big to handle on your own.

Collaboration Tools

Collaboration tools are effective for businesses who have individuals working from home, or from any distance. Often included with web or cloud based email services, collaboration tools are affordable and can cut down on the time spent waiting for emails, approvals, edits and information exchange with your colleagues and employees. Even if you have a tiny team that is powering the entire business, your lives will be much more manageable if you can make decisions, collaborate, and discuss without having to call a meeting three times a day. Take advantage of collaboration tools, and you’ll be much more productive and efficient when it comes to completing daily tasks.

Regardless of how small your business is, you can increase efficiency and cut down on overhead costs by utilizing any one of these software programs. Many of them can be purchased as a business package, and companies offer extensive support for implementation purposes. If you want to grow your small company, you need to start thinking big! Don’t go overboard, but consider how your needs will change as the company grows. If you can stay ahead of the game, your business will run and grow smoothly. The information for this article was provided by the professionals at Virtual Technology, who specialize in Oracle third party maintenance support.