Small Business Software

Pardon me if this should go in CB, but this is less a question of tech than it is of real world application, so I figured it would do ok in here.

If anyone could make a recommendation for good small business software, that would be awesome. We will need all of the basic functions of course, like invoicing, financial reports, and work orders etc., but seeing as though we are an A/V company with specific needs vs. say, your basic retailer, we need a degree of customization to fit our business type. Ideally, it will all be integrated as well, with the process beginning with customer info, turning into work orders, then invoices, so on and so forth all the way out to weekly/monthly reports without having to fuss too much with moving info back and forth between different applications and the such.

I have some experience with a few different apps but I'd like to hear some recommendations from TNL. You guys always do me right <3, thanks in advance.

I'll be your accountant for 40k a year imo.

Hmmm, sounds like you're going to need some Database software.

Maybe something from Oracle?

Oracle is probably your best bet (they're one of my work's clients, too, along with IBM and Syntax) but I personally just keep everything organized and do it by hand. It's a bit more work and management but it's the most cost-effective thing to do with a new small business. I archive everything by invoice number, date and client name (they all have files I keep in a cabinet). Albeit my business is kind of just me and one other guy then a bunch of sub-contractors I farm work out to that I can't do myself.

I'd like to see how hoahmaru handles his shit.

sap is not just for big business anymore

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Originally Posted by Joust Williams

sap is not just for big business anymore

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i use your mom for big business


pwnt

http://www.sap.com/usa/solutions/sme/index.epx excellent, but its expensive

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Originally Posted by Drewbacca

Oracle is probably your best bet (they're one of my work's clients, too, along with IBM and Syntax) but I personally just keep everything organized and do it by hand. It's a bit more work and management but it's the most cost-effective thing to do with a new small business. I archive everything by invoice number, date and client name (they all have files I keep in a cabinet). Albeit my business is kind of just me and one other guy then a bunch of sub-contractors I farm work out to that I can't do myself.

I'd like to see how hoahmaru handles his shit.

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I will check out the Oracle stuff, thanks for the heads up.

I'm so used to organized database info of clients, invoices, etc. (and being able to easily pull all past work, contact info, etc. with a particular client with a simple search) that I'm not comfortable with doing things in a handwritten manner. In defense of what I'm saying, I foresee tons of one-off clients and managing/digging through file cabinets doesn't appeal to me at all.

I've worked in Xytech extensively in the past, which is an entertainment media/post-production specific software which I absolutely loved, for the obvious reason of it being so terribly good at doing what we do. I don't remember it being quite as good at doing the financials iirc, and the post production house we worked at ended up doing it in Quickbooks. I'd like to lose the data entry if I can when it comes to that aspect. I need to check out the latest Xytech versions though and see whats up.

Oracle isn't a business program, it's a database. You'd have to buy (or write) a business program that runs on top of it.

Doesn't Oracle make front ends as well?

They do take on projects, yes