Buying Software as a Small Business
In today’s business landscape, software has become an indispensable part of the job. Whether it is operational, transactional, or simply doing your taxes, we need software applications to help complete the work. The right choice of software can directly impact the success of an organization. Therefore, selecting the correct tool is crucial for achieving desired outcomes.
We all have options in today’s world for nearly anything we want to purchase. And if you’re reading this, you are likely trying to make sense of which software tool or set of tools to purchase for your business. Your purchase is an investment using not only your money, but more importantly your time.
Off the Shelf
“Off-the-shelf” software is readily available and covers a wide range of tasks. For instance, a word processor is a simple well-defined tool that provides common functionality to produce a professional look and feel for any type of document. Personal calendars, password managers, and even accounting software are other such examples of tools that are generally well understood and can broadly apply to most business needs without customization. This type of software is available in a variety of packages, including off the shelf in the old brick and mortar buildings, online purchases or subscriptions, and free licensing generally under GNU or a similar free to use or under open-source licensing.
Pros
Cons
No Code
One of the earliest no-code options was the WYSIWYG (pronounced “wissy wig”), which stands for “What you see is what you get.” This was a drag-and-drop visual website creation tool which has survived the test of time and remains in heavy use today. Over the years it has certainly become more user-friendly and is packed with better functionality. While this is a great tool to use for website building, the key to no-code software is simplicity to avoid any programming.
Pros
Cons
Low Code
Low-code software has been around for quite some time. I can recall customizing the look and feel of my “top 8” for a particular website back in the day. Modern low-code has become more powerful with the ability to inject code snippets with drag-and-drop tools that allow you to edit code or even inject your own to create more complicated workflows, data validation, and data storage.
Pros
Cons
Full Custom
The final variation on buying software is to build it. A fully custom software build is the top tier of software with a design, workflow, and specifications to match the needs of the job precisely. It is of no surprise that is also the most expensive option, typically starting around $5,000 for smaller projects and can take the better part of a year to complete. It traditionally requires a full software development team consisting of roles such as a project manager, designer, software developers, technical writers, and a support staff, not to mention the hosting infrastructure and security.
Pros
Cons
This is it Then?
At this point, you probably have decided or are at least leaning towards which of those four options you prefer. And if you asked me, I would tell you that most of the time, a custom solution will get you a better, more efficient tool. But the cost is a real dealbreaker. Even no-code or low-code options can be unappealing with the thought of diving into coding and time-consuming design tools. Do we settle on the generic tools that kind of get the job done? Or perhaps another complicated spreadsheet will fix it all?
Another Option
What if we had a “shared” custom solution where professional software developers could build custom software, but the infrastructure (all that login, security, hosting, etc.) was already done so there wasn’t wasted development time or money.
You can think of it like renting out office space. The building, plumbing, electricity, security, and everything you’d expect to be in an office is done. You would only need to rent out some of that space and have a professional team build a customized tool you want in it.
That’s the twist that we came up with at JLCM. We’re a small business made up of tech nerds and developers who love designing and writing software. And we want to make it available to other small businesses. So we created a type of shared web application that houses your custom software and offer it at a low monthly subscription, typically ranging from $50 to $150. This means businesses, especially small businesses, can afford that custom tool that otherwise would have been unobtainable.
If things change and you need a new tool, then we can add that into your “office space”. The new software tool can be related to the previous tool while working with the same data or it can be completely unique.
Pros
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Wrapping Up
In a world of endless choices, I hope this provides you with some clarity on your next software purchase. Admittedly, I am partial to recommending custom software and more specifically, the economical variation that JLCM has to offer. However, custom solutions aren’t always the best fit every time. It’s important to understand what your goal is and then choose the right tool for the job.
If you have questions, feel free to send us a message. We’ll be happy to help look over your needs and make a recommendation.
