Top 5 Software Programs for Business

Software for business is huge, so how does a business narrow the field down to those that will serve their purposes? It takes time, but is doable. Here are five types of business software that should help with leads and productivity.

1. Gist (www.gist.com)- This software is a Google App which gives detailed information about the contacts people have in their E-mail. It scours the Internet for news, social media posts and updates, and more. It can be viewed on their website or through a designated Google app domain. It is currently in Beta, and as of yet, there is no price on it.

2. Complementing Gist is Rapportive (www.rapportive.com), It gives you basic information on anyone that sends you an email. It is a little less info than Gist, but almost the same concept. It is a plugin, so it is much easier to set up, and does not require an app domain.

3. Skype (www.skype.com), is a communication tool which allows people to call other users for free. It also has the ability to do video conferences for up to ten people. They are now trying to be a business tool for calls as well, so Skype users can call other landline and mobile phones, for a modest fee. This is a great piece of software for a business that does business internationally and wants to keep their costs low.

4. Quickbooks (www.quickbooks.intuit.com/) The accounting software for all size businesses is a must have. It does everything from invoicing to inventory tracking depending on which package you choose online. There is a 30 day free trial then the monthly fee starts at $9.95 per month.There is also a desktop version which runs around $159.

5. Google Apps Marketplace (www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace) is being lumped together because any small business has a host of FREE tools for a business to use. They are all web based, but what they do is save companies money. Just as the Gist uses the app domain, so does all the apps in the Marketplace. By app domain, it is generally the name of the business, such as Hereiaminc. com. Google then gives an E-mail using that domain, and attaches all the apps to that domain and E-mail. Their basic is free, but for larger organizations, it runs around $50 per year. This fee is for extra features. They do offer a free trial before needing to pay.

The Apps are all free. It should be noted that Google is not doing the hosting.

Most of these tools are web based or have small downloads. They are are also portable, meaning they can be accessed from any computer. This is important for businesses which have travel involved, or where employees are out in the field.

Some of these tools take a little bit of work to set up, but once implemented will prove helpful to any company.