What types of software do I need to use for my startup?

You need good accounting software, and you need to figure out how to use it enough to track vendors, customers and items. I suggest Quickbooks which also exports to TurboTax Business. When my business was small I put in the effort to learn enough to do my own accounting and taxes. I am sure others will have other suggestions, but if you make sure that the accounting software talks nicely to the tax software your life will be much easier.

Knowing some accounting is crucial for a small business owner.

I'm confused as to what you are asking.

Do you need software for inventory tracking? Ecommerce? Maintaining customer information and history? Are you going to be doing any non-one time billing?

MeHereYouWhere?! wrote:

I'm confused as to what you are asking.

Do you need software for inventory tracking? Ecommerce? Maintaining customer information and history? Are you going to be doing any non-one time billing?

If you are selling products you will have inventory. How do you expect to buy something, package/repackage it, and then sell/ship it? Between buying and selling it is inventory. You also have to deal with returns when sold products revert to inventory.

The SBA (Small Business Administration offers free business classes under a program called SCORE Business Mentor. Take a webinar and learn in basic ins and outs of the type of business you want to run. Score is a volunteer group of retired business owners, executives and managers. Good luck.

https://www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance/score

https://www.score.org/content/take-workshop

Inventory wrote:

You need good accounting software, and you need to figure out how to use it enough to track vendors, customers and items. I suggest Quickbooks which also exports to TurboTax Business. When my business was small I put in the effort to learn enough to do my own accounting and taxes. I am sure others will have other suggestions, but if you make sure that the accounting software talks nicely to the tax software your life will be much easier.

Knowing some accounting is crucial for a small business owner.

Also take a look at Xero.

Every bidness needs a database to track stuff. I suggest DBASE IV or FOXPRO.

That's good that you're careful with your budget, as I know many startups collapsed because of great costs in the beginning. But without more details in your response it's hard for me to give you recommendations, I can give you only general information about business software. For every company main things will be:

- accounting software which helps you to control and balance your finances, also provides an insight into your customers base (such programs as FreshBooks, Xero, Zoho)

- documentation software which is one of the most important ones because it'll provide all information about your company including documents, presentations etc. (basic Microsoft's Office package, OpenOffice, GoogleDocs and so on)

- inventory management software, it's a basis for high level of organization and control for all your business functions and ut makes your general work much effective (ABC Inventory, Magento

https://marketplace.magento.com/amasty-extension-customer-activity-log.html

, InvenTree)

- programs for developed e-mail network, fast and convinient communication is very important too, and it's the easiest in case of software (Gmail service for example)

Also many such programs can be found for free but they rather often have limits for functions as I know.

The OP asked about why inventory needs to be tracked. The simple answer is that that inventory is not taxed until it is sold and a profit is made. Even if his business is super efficient there are still days between buying something and selling it.

Oh FFS grandpa. Nobody runs a startup here, we're all pathological liars. Try google then go to quora.

like a boss wrote:

Oh FFS grandpa. Nobody runs a startup here, we're all pathological liars. Try google then go to quora.

Wrong, basement dweller. Just because you are a business failure doesn't mean everyone is. Now, knock on your basement door and ask your mommy if she will let you out for a bit.