Despite the compelling business case for software and a host of readily available solutions, unfortunately it is clear that small businesses are not leveraging software applications to the extent they should.
Why is this? Over the past 2 years, we’ve spoke with a large number of business owners and we keep hearing the same reasons. Put simply, small business owners are busy – they just don’t have the time or resources to properly investigate new software for their business. Many also find IT to be intimidating, and may lack the expertise and knowledge to make sense of the possibilities.
The end result is that far too many small businesses fall victim to one or more of the following pitfalls:
- Keep using inefficient manual processes, work-around methods, and legacy systems,
- Defer or postpone their plans to review their business processes & software
- Make a risky leap of faith decision based on a friend’s referral, brief Google search or limited prior experience
- Reinvent the wheel with a custom-built solution at 5+ times the cost (and often with less functionality) compared to buying an off-the-shelf platform
What has been your experience? Have you seen these pitfalls up close? Are there others you would add to the list?
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Note: Helping SMBs avoid these pitfalls is what motivated us to start Software Shortlist in the first place. If you’d like some assistance in choosing software for your business, why not get in touch with us about our independent consulting services?
