Ask Dan: What's One Piece of Software Advice Every Business Owner Should Hear?
Q: What's one piece of software advice every business owner should hear?
A: Stop thinking about software as an expense and start thinking about it as an investment in how your business operates.
I know that might sound like something a software developer would say. And, well, that's because it is. But hear me out.
I've spent more than 30 years in software development, and I've seen businesses spend a lot of money on technology. I've also seen businesses lose a lot of money because they didn't invest in the right technology at the right time.
The difference often comes down to how they think about software in the first place.
Your Software Is Part of Your Infrastructure
Think about the physical infrastructure your business depends on. You wouldn't expect your employees to work without electricity, reliable internet, or the equipment they need to do their jobs.
Software deserves the same consideration.
Your database might manage customer information, track inventory, process orders, or support critical business operations. Your internal applications might be the reason your team can do in an hour what used to take an entire afternoon.
When those systems work well, you probably don't think about them very much.
When they don't, everyone notices.
Yet many businesses treat software as a one-time purchase instead of something that requires ongoing maintenance, attention, and investment.
Software needs updates. Databases need maintenance. Business processes change. Systems that worked perfectly five years ago might not meet your needs today.
Ignoring those realities doesn't save money. It often just postpones the bill.
The Cheapest Option Isn't Always the Cheapest
I understand wanting to control costs. Every business owner does.
But choosing software based entirely on its upfront price can be an expensive mistake.
Maybe you buy an inexpensive application that doesn't quite fit your workflow. Your employees develop workarounds. Someone starts maintaining a spreadsheet to fill in the gaps. Eventually, another system gets added to solve a problem created by the first one.
Before long, you're paying for multiple tools, manual labor, and the occasional headache that comes with trying to make everything work together.
The original purchase might have been cheap. The ongoing cost isn't.
Sometimes an off-the-shelf product is exactly what you need. Other times, integrating your existing systems or developing a custom solution makes more sense.
The important thing is to evaluate the total cost and the business problem you're trying to solve—not just the initial price tag.
Don't Wait Until Something Breaks
Here's another mistake I see: businesses wait until their software becomes a serious problem before doing anything about it.
Their database is slow, but it still works. Their application is outdated, but employees know how to use it. Their developer is the only person who understands the system, but everything seems fine for now.
Until it isn't.
A server fails. A critical employee leaves. An unsupported system creates a security concern. A business grows, and the software that once supported it can't keep up.
These situations are much harder to handle when you're already in crisis mode.
You don't have to replace every system the moment it gets old. Changes in software ecosystems often cannot happen overnight; they require time, planning, data conversion, training, and updates to integrations. You need to understand what you're running, where the risks are, and what your options look like.
A little planning goes a long way.
My Advice? Pay Attention to What Your Software Is Costing You.
And I'm not just talking about the invoice from your software vendor.
Look at the hours your employees spend entering the same information twice. Consider the mistakes caused by disconnected systems. Think about the reports someone has to assemble manually every week.
Those are software costs, too—even if they don't show up on a technology budget.
Ask yourself a few simple questions:
Is our software helping us run the business, or are we spending our time working around it?
Does our software vendor’s processes help or hurt the business?
Does our software vendor test sufficiently?
Do they provide helpful responses to support requests, or do we feel like we’re only an inconvenience to our vendor?
If your employees have built an entire collection of workarounds just to get through the day, or your vendor isn’t supporting like they should, there's probably an opportunity to improve something.
That doesn't automatically mean you need a massive software project. Sometimes a small change, a better integration, or a little automation can make a significant difference.
You just have to be willing to look for it.
At the End of the Day
Your business doesn't need the newest technology just because it's available. And you certainly don't need to invest in every trend that comes along.
You need technology that supports your goals, helps your people work efficiently, and can grow with your business.
After more than three decades in this industry, I'd rather see a business make one thoughtful technology decision that solves a real problem than spend a fortune on something impressive that nobody actually needs.
Don't ask, "What software should we buy?" Start by asking, "What's making our business harder to run than it needs to be?"
That's usually where the best solutions begin.
— Dan