Is free software the most suitable for the growth of your company?

Depending on the stage of your business idea, at some point you will need to choose for tools that will lead your company. The free software has great advantages, but you must consider whether it can offer the collaboration, communication and productivity tools that your company needs. Before choosing what type of software to consider in your business plan, make sure you have the answers to the following questions.

What is your business growth plan?

Think about how you will work without an IT department. Solutions that streamline IT tasks while ensuring data and device security are desirable, so you can focus on growing your business. The automatic updates guarantee that you use the most current and safest versions of the applications and tools that your company needs. Also look for flexible solutions to add users and manage user accounts regardless of the type of computers or operating systems they use.

How do you work and collaborate?

If you and your employees work in different regions, time zones, and devices, they need software that helps people share information and data safely and seamlessly. Each solution has its own maintenance requirements, so more time is required to manage them. And they may not work well together. For this reason, look for applications that have been designed to work together from scratch without the need for third party applications, converters, or workarounds. In this way, you can safely send, receive and store data, as well as view, share and edit your documents. You should also be able to host videos, hold online meetings, create and manage agendas, and manage your business with a set of integrated tools. You should find software that has all of these features.

Do you need custom email domains?

Phishing and hacking have made email a danger zone, and many attacks come from free email domains. It’s no wonder that many people don’t open emails from addresses they don’t know. In fact, according to some reports, 21% of email recipients report that email is spam, even though they know it’s not. Email from a free domain may seem generic at best and a threatens at worst. In addition, the image you present of your company may not be as professional as you would like. Find a solution that allows you to customize your domain to fit your brand and protect your business from suspicious emails.

Should customers trust your security?

You must protect your company and your customers, that means protecting their information and their data. Look for solutions that offer integrated features to make administration easier, are regularly updated to defend against new and evolving threats, and are supported by reputable companies that make significant and regular investments in security research and development.

Do you need to be connected on your trips?

You don’t always work from the office, but you still need all the features to visit clients or work from home. Be sure to choose a solution designed for mobile use, that includes the ability to access and edit your work, regardless of whether you are online or offline, to be able to work from almost anywhere.

Is your software compatible with the software used by your customers and partners?

Much of the free software uses proprietary formats for documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. And in case your clients don’t use that software, you may have compatibility problems. Find a solution that does not force your customers and partners to use converters and alternative solutions to access your deliveries.

Will you need more advanced software features?

If you need to manage contracts, investors, banks, partners and clients or manage finances, make sure that your software really allows you to perform these functions. The software may not offer the professional features that your growing business needs.


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