Running a small business can be very challenging. One of the hardest parts is acquiring funding. Without funding, it can be almost impossible to hire staff.
Not having enough staff means certain tasks and procedures have to be delayed to a time when you can get around to completing them.
However, there is an alternative to hiring staff, and it’s much cheaper. Software can be used to complete a multitude of different tasks, thanks to modern technology.
If you’re interested in investing in software but don’t know where to start, this post has you covered. Here are the top software solutions for small businesses:
Payroll
One of the most expensive departments to run is payroll. The reason that payroll’s expensive is that you have to employ an entire team of people to send employee payments out, which means you’ll only really be paying them to work for a few days a month.
An alternative to hiring payroll staff is to use the software. There are many different payroll programs available online.
Make sure to read payroll software reviews before committing to one, so you can make sure that you’re making a good decision.
A software program’s reviews will give you a very good idea of what it’s like to use. Bear in mind, some companies pay for fake reviews.
You can avoid these by sticking to gold-standard review sites, like Google Review and Trust Pilot.
HR
HR is another department that’s costly to run. It does need to be noted though, even if you invest in HR software, you’ll still likely need to employ at least one person to work in the department.
This is because HR is responsible for ensuring employee satisfaction. You cannot leave a task as significant as that to a piece of software.
Like with payroll software, you need to read reviews. It does need to be mentioned as well, many HR programs have payroll components, so you can save money by investing in one of these platforms.
Ensure your HR staff are properly trained in how to use your selected program.
Anti-virus
If you don’t take steps to protect yourself online then you could end up getting scammed.
You wouldn’t leave the front door to your business open overnight, so don’t leave yourself open to cybercrime either.
Anti-virus software is one of the most effective ways of keeping yourself safe on the internet.
This is because this kind of software repels hack attempts and viruses. It will also notify you if you download a suspicious program.
There are many different anti-virus programs available to download online. You need to shop around and find the one that’s right for you.
Accounting
Failing to keep track of your business’s accounts could lead to you getting into a lot of trouble with the IRS. Every year, you will be expected to file a tax return.
If your accounts are inaccurate or are not up to date, then the IRS could fine you. Serious tax evasion can actually result in arrest, so don’t take any chances.
However, hiring an accountant can be unaffordable for a lot of small business owners. You can mitigate accounting costs by investing in software.
Accounting software is widely available, very affordable, and a great way to ensure one’s accounts are kept in order.
Training
How do you plan on training new employees? Big businesses can afford to hire out venue halls and give everybody in attendance a day’s worth of pay, despite no work being done.
However, small businesses cannot usually afford to do any of these things. An alternative to in-person training is digital training.
There are tons of platforms that you can download and use to train new staff.
You can also download platforms that’ll help you to train existing staff, ensuring that they are always working at their full potential.
Onboarding
When you hire a new employee, it can be hard to find the time to onboard them. This is especially true if you don’t have an HR team working for you.
One alternative to this is to use onboarding software. Again, some HR programs actually come with onboarding features, so it’s worth looking for such a product.
Using software to onboard employees will save you a lot of time.
However, it is still important for you to personally welcome employees to the company, even if you do not have the time to onboard them personally.
When you run a small business, funding the management of various different departments can be expensive and sometimes pointless.
This post’s advice will help you to ensure your business runs properly, without physical staff being needed.
