Small-Business Software Streamline your business tasks by using these bestselling programs.

Streamline your business tasks by using these bestsellingprograms.

Once the domain of only large companies, software that takescare of business needs has become a mainstay for small businesses.Thanks to constantly updated and improved software packages,today's small-business owner can efficiently complete suchtasks as making computerized sales projections, running inventoryreports, creating mailing lists, and developing professionalnewsletters--all without leaving his office.

To choose the right software for your business, first determineexactly what you need your computer to do, both now and in thenot-too-distant future. Do you need a program that will help youkeep track of your current and prospective clients, generateinvoices, and create mailing labels, as well as provide a way totrack your financials? Is a standard word processing programsufficient? Or will you also need desktop publishingcapabilities?

Other questions to consider when you go to buy a program includethe following:

1) Do you need an office suite, or will a single softwareprogram dothe trick? Suites are a group of realprograms--such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel--that arepackaged together and work as a unit. "With an office suite,which includes several software programs in one package, you get alevel of integration that you don't get from buying separatebits," says Linda Mitchell, group product manager forsmall-business marketing in the desktop-applications division forMicrosoft in Redmond, Washington. "Not only does an officesuite localize all programs in one, it's usually less expensiveto buy a suite than the products individually."

2) Will the software be able to run on your computer?Make sure your current computer is powerful enough to effectivelyrun the program you are considering. Most software programs clearlystate their minimum system requirements on their packaging.

3) How easy is the software product to use? "Ahigh-quality software program is intuitive and adapts to you,"says Mitchell. "What you must do to reach a desired resultshould be clear. This is especially important for thesmall-business owner, who is usually working alone and doesn'thave a resident expert on call to answer computerquestions."

It is important that the program is user-friendly anddoesn't require you to speak "Computerese."

Good software programs also come with onscreen tutorials, CD-ROMtraining courses, and ready-to-use templates or onscreen examplesof common business reports and forms.

4) Is the new software compatible with your existingprograms? For instance, if you are buying mailing-listsoftware, will it work with your word processor? If you have tore-enter information, consider purchasing a different software--onethat links with your current programs.

Choosing The Right Program

Do your homework. "Talk to people in your industry to seewhat they use and how they like it," advises Mitchell. Try outthe software at the store, or get a demo disk from the company andexperiment with it.

The following are descriptions of some of the bestsellingsoftware programs on the market today in the categories ofdatabases, spreadsheets, word processing, and all-encompassingoffice suites. The programs were suggested by well-known computerretailer Comp USA and Ingram Micro, the nation's largestcomputer wholesaler.

Note: Windows 95 and Macintosh versions of the samesoftware titles offer different capabilities, options, systemrequirements, and pricing. Ask your local software dealer forinformation on which applications are available for your operatingsystem.

Software Programs

• Database programs keep track of current and prospectivecustomers, generate invoices, create mailing labels, maintainpersonnel records, prepare expense reports, and store a variety ofdata for easy reference.

• Spreadsheet programs enable effective financial planning,expense tracking, forecasting and budgeting. They allow for thecomputation of numerical and statistical information, as well asthe ready preparation of graphs and charts.

• Word processing programs enable the creation of documents inall shapes and sizes, and contain state-of-the-art spellingcheckers, grammar checkers and thesauri. Many now come with fullInternet connectivity.

• Office suites give you the advantage of having several majorsoftware programs combined into one package. Suites usually containa word processing program, spreadsheet and accounting programs, aswell as many added features, such as desktop-publishingcapabilities and information managers.

Database Software

Microsoft Access 97 for Microsoft Windows 95/NT 3.51

Overview: This database program stores a variety ofinformation which can be readily accessed. It tracks the status ofprojects and updates them as you input information. New featuresmake creating databases easier and less time-consuming. TheDatabase Wizard automatically builds more than 20 types of customdatabases. The Simple Query Wizard finds answers to questions,regardless of how data is structured. Other time-savers include thePerformance Analyzer Wizard, which automatically recommends thebest way to speed up database applications. This program alsoconverts data into Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), so users cancreate interactive database pages for a company intranet (a networkthat allows workers within a company to interact with a repositoryof company data) or for the World Wide Web.

Minimum IBM-Compatible System Requirements: 12MB RAM for use onWindows 95; 16MB RAM for use on Windows NT Workstation; 28MB to60MB hard-disk space required; 40MB required for typicalinstallation, depending on configuration.

Suggested Retail Price: $339 for new users for CD-ROM; $109 forupgrade.

Lotus Approach 97 for Windows 95/NT

Overview: This relational database (a database thatstores information in relation to other information) provides aneasy way to query, analyze and report on data. This program allowsthe user to create a central repository of information (such ascustomer mailing lists and billing information) that can beexported into other programs (such as word processing), so thatform letters can be generated. SmartMasters provide templates ofprecreated databases. The user can track, manage and analyzebusiness information, regardless of where the data is stored,providing seamless connectivity to all popular database formats.This program allows users to save a document as HTML and post itonto a Web site, without having to learn the language. Defaultforms and worksheets are created automatically. The Action Barprovides quick access to the commands most frequently used.PowerClick Reportwriter generates professional reports easily,showing how data will appear before printing.

Minimum IBM-Compatible System Requirements: At least 8MB RAM forWindows 95, 12 recommended; 16MB RAM for NT; 18MB hard-disk spaceminimum for installation.

Suggested Retail Price: $105 for new users or upgrade. Availableon CD-ROM or diskettes.

Spreadsheet Software

Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows 95/NT 3.51 (Macintosh versionalso available)

Overview: This new program is designed to makespreadsheets useful for a wider variety of tasks, allowing the userto compute just about anything, especially data that lends itselfto a grid format (such as inventory, sales projections, andexpenses). It also performs charting, analysis and data management,and is able to incorporate information from online sources.Multiple Level Undo provides the freedom to experiment by allowingmultiple actions to be undone. The natural language formulas enableusers to write equations using everyday terminology. Drag-and-droppage breaks make repaginating and redefining print areas easy. Thisprogram also makes working in a connected environment possible.Shared workbooks allow multiple users access to the same documentsimultaneously.

Minimum IBM-Compatible System Requirements: 8MB RAM for Windows95; 16MB RAM for Windows NT; 22MB to 64MB of hard-disk space;typical installation requires 36MB.

Suggested Retail Price: $339 for new users; $109 to upgrade froma previous version or a competitive product. Available on CD-ROM orhigh-density diskettes.

Lotus 1-2-3 97 Edition for Windows 95/NT 4.0

Overview: Designed to crunch numbers and keep track ofeverything from payroll to mailing lists, this new 32-bit programenables users to find, publish and share information across theInternet and within company intranets. Users can collaborate withcolleagues and bring in information from a wide range of sources.Key features include 1-2-3 AutoTotal, which enables the user to adda series of numbers by typing the word "total." DynamicPrint Preview lets users simultaneously edit and preview theirworksheets. The user can instantly see the effects of changes madeto worksheets before printing. And Outlining gives the userthe option to quickly summarize worksheet data into outline format,producing a concise, visual, top-line summary of the work.

Minimum IBM-Compatible System Requirements: Minimum of 8MB RAMrequired (12MB when running more than one application). Minimum of16MB RAM required for Windows NT 4.0. 486 50Mhz or higher.Microsoft Windows-compatible video adapter (VGA or higherresolution) and monitor.

Suggested Retail Price: $329 for new users; $105 to upgrade froma previous version or a competitive product.

Word Processing Software

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows 95/NT 3.51 (Macintosh versionalso available)

Overview: This new version of Word assists in thepreparation of e-mail and documents for the Internet. Users areable to save their documents as either Microsoft Word or HTMLfiles. A WordMail feature allows users to use Word as their e-maileditor. On-The-Fly spell checking and grammar checking allows youto deal with errors immediately or later. Document Map viewprovides an outline of the document on the left-hand side of yourscreen. Hyperlinks allow connection to other office files. LetterWizard automatically suggests layouts and styles for letters,structures the layout, and inserts dates and addresses.AutoSummarize analyzes the contents of any document and creates asummary of key information.

Minimum System Requirements: 8MB RAM for use on Windows 95; 16MBRAM for use on Windows NT; an additional 8MB RAM required to runWordMail; 20MB to 60MB of hard-disk space required; 46MB requiredfor typical installation, depending on configuration.

Suggested Retail Price: $339 for new users; $84.95 to upgradefrom a previous version or a competitive product. Available onCD-ROM or high-density diskettes.

Corel WordPerfect for Macintosh (IBM-compatible versions alsoavailable)

Overview: Corel WordPerfect for Macintosh has a varietyof features such as tables, multiple format columns, an integratedgrammar checker, spell checker and thesaurus, which are all easy tofind and use. Time-saving features include QuickCorrect, whichautomatically corrects typographical errors. The program alsoincludes innovative new additions such as Internet publishingtools, which enable you to import HTML documents from the Internetinto Corel WordPerfect for editing. Or, you can create your ownHTML documents in Corel WordPerfect 3.5 to publish on the Internet,and have the HTML code translated for you. This program also has aMake It Fit feature, which automatically fits documents into thenumber of printed pages you specify.

Minimum Macintosh/Power Macintosh System Requirements: 2MB RAMfor Macintosh; 5MB RAM for Power Macintosh; 6MB of hard-disk spacefor minimum installation; 16MB hard-disk space for standardinstallation; system 7.0 or higher.

Suggested Retail Price: $249 for new users; $89 to upgrade froma previous version or a competitive product.

Office Suites

Microsoft Office 97 Small Business Edition for Windows 95/NT3.51

Overview: This new integrated-productivity suite containsa number of programs used by the average small-business owner.Programs include Microsoft Word 97; Microsoft Excel 97; MicrosoftPublisher 97, a desktop-publishing program; Outlook 97, adesktop-information manager, which tightly integrates e-mail,contact management and task lists, calendar, documents and files;Small Business Financial Manager 97; a journal feature which allowsyou to look back and see what you did on particular days; and thenew Automap Streets Plus, which is a street-level mapping program.Added features include Internet tools, such as Microsoft InternetExplorer, and free time on the Microsoft Network. The new Publisher97 Web Site Wizard makes it easy to create eye-catching Websites.

Minimum IBM-Compatible System Requirements: 8MB RAM for Windows95; 16MB RAM for Windows NT; additional 8MB required for WordMail;more memory may be required to run multiple applicationssimultaneously.

Suggested Retail Price: $499 for new users; upgrade $249.Available on CD-ROM.

Corel Office Professional 7 for Windows 95

Overview: This office suite includes the word processingprogram Corel WordPerfect 7; the database program, Corel QuattroPro 7; Corel Presentations 7; and Envoy 7, an electronic-documentpublisher. This is the first office suite that allows you topublish in the Java Language using Corel Barista technology, whichenables you to publish all of your existing files, exactly as theyappear, on the World Wide Web. The program provides fullconnectivity in all core applications. You can also ask questionsin your own words with the Ask the Perfect Expert feature. Otheradded features include CorelDRAW, which allows you to creategraphics, and CorelFLOW, which creates flowcharts as well astechnical diagrams.

Minimum IBM-Compatible System Requirements: 8MB RAM, with 16MBRAM recommended; 53MB of hard-disk space required for installation;typical is 157MB; 9MB minimum required to install Paradox, ahigh-end relational database that is included with the suite.Double-speed CD-ROM drive. VGA Monitor.

Suggested Retail Price: $449 for new users; upgrade $229.

Julie Bawden Davis examined small-business credit cards inthe January issue of Business Start-Ups.