The top Business Management Software of 2022
In this blog we will be discussing the top business management software of 2022 and compare all available options, looking at the pros and cons of each option we present.
What is a Business Management Software?
A Business Management Software is an application that helps businesses manage ALL aspects of day-to-day business operations. Technically it is improbable to manage ALL aspects of the business operations in a software, so we settle for MOST aspects of business operations, at least those that can be managed by software.
These business operations will include:
- Human Resource Management (Employee Records, Files, Payroll)
- Accounting Management
- Project Management
- Goal setting, tasks management
- Sales and CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
- Client records management
- Business Meetings, notes and documents
- Inventory management
Business Management Software versus specific software for every part of your business
The alternative to using one Business Management Software is using multiple applications for every aspect of your business. You can get an accounting software just to manage business accounting and a CRM just to manage sales and leads. There are certain pros and cons to the options:
Pros of using one platform for everything
- Costs - It is cheaper to pay for one platform as opposed to many different software services.
- Simplicity in integration - with one platform of Business Software, your data is automatically integrated between the applications.
- Data in one place - when your clients ask you where the business data is stored, there is one answer for one server and one geographic location of the data.
Cons of using one platform for everything
- Perhaps the most obvious con is that, it is not always possible to get one platform to cover ALL aspects of business operations.
- Specific applications targeted at certain business processes can be more advanced and offer features that generic business software are unable to cover. Therefore if your business is sales heavy and you require detailed sales support, a custom CRM might be a better fit than the CRM features within a Business Management Software.
Let us get back to counting down the top 5 of Business Management Software in 2022.
Skhokho Business Management Software
Our pick for the top Business Management Software of 2022.
Website: https://skhokho.io
Pricing: Packages start at $20
Skhokho is a Business Management Software that was specifically designed for small business owners, to help them manage day-to-day business activities on one software platform. Skhokho includes: (1) HRMS, (2) Note taking app, (3) Meetings app, (4) Task management app, (5) Project milestones and task management, (6) Sales and CRM, (7) Contact management app, (8) Accounting App - invoicing, expenses, cash flow, management accounts, (9) Email marketing - within CRM app.
All these features are integrated in one easy to use, intuitive platform.
What we love about Skhokho
Skhokho documentation is well done, their platform is easy to navigate with videos on just about every page of the website explaining how to use the features.
The look and feel of Skhokho is very modern, colourful and easy on the eyes.
You get real value for money for the price that you pay.
Challenges with Skhokho
The development team is still working on API integrations with other SaaS platforms for the future.
Oracle Netsuite
Website: https://www.netsuite.com/
Pricing: Not available on website, it is custom priced for your business needs, but some sources report it starts at $999 per month and an additional $99 per user.
Oracle Netsuite is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software with the following features: (1) Accounting software, (2) CRM with Salesforce Automation, (3) HRMS - with Payroll and performance management and (4) Analytics and reporting. Oracle Netsuite is quite advanced and probably overkill for small businesses - it is better suited for larger, more advanced organisations which require detailed approached to their business management.
What we love about Netsuite
Advanced features, like Salesforce integration (If you already have Salesforce)
Ideal for larger businesses with complex processes.
They have an advanced accounting software system with built in automation tools to help automate repetitive tasks.
Challenges with Netsuite
You can not just get started, need to schedule a meeting and speak to a consultant to get started, not ideal for small businesses on the go. There is no free trial.
The pricing is also quite steep, not ideal for small businesses with simple needs.
Old fashioned and too complex to get around. Will require training to get started.
Does not have: other business management tools like task management, project management and goal setting.
Odoo
Website: https://www.odoo.com/
Pricing: $175 a month for (CRM, Sales, Accounting, Documents, Project, Expenses and Employees) - You can add more apps, the pricing is approximately $16 an additional app.
Odoo is an integrated business management software with multiple business applications on one place. The model is flexible and allows for users to chose the apps they like and only pay for what they use. The platform them creates a new subdomain for your business, under the odoo domain, to host your new ERP. View all the available apps here: https://www.odoo.com/page/all-apps
What we love about Odoo
All of your business applications in one place. The set up is seamless and easy, you can immediately get started on their website without the need to organise meetings with sales and demos. You get a trial version, where you can try it out for 14 days before committing to a payment plan.
Challenges with Odoo
The pricing model per application defeats the main reason why small businesses would want an integrated application - which is to reduce costs.
Zoho One
Website: https://www.zoho.com/one/overview.html
Pricing: $90 per user or $35 per employee where you must purchase a licence for all employees that you have
Zoho one is very similar to Odoo, in that it offers multiple business applications that you can purchase to build a set of apps for operating almost every aspect of your business. They offer business applications to help support sales, HR, collaboration, productivity, finance, marketing and much more. Zoho One is much more advanced as it also offers multiple software options if varying complexity for the same function. For example, if you are looking for a CRM - you can get multiple versions of a CRM, depending on whether you are interested in pipeline management only or looking for a more advanced CRM with lead management.
What we love about Zoho One
Their pricing seems to be the lowest we have come across, with the exception of Skhokho.
Challenges with Zoho One
The pricing can add up very quickly, for a company of 10 people, you could easily per paying $350 a month.
The applications are still separate, with separate access and login. The integration between apps needs another app to facilitate.
The complexity of working with different apps is not resolved, working with Zoho One is no different than working with five separate apps for different sections of your business.
Basecamp
Website: https://basecamp.com/
Pricing: $99 per month
We have Basecamp on this list even though it does not really meet the standards of a proper Business Management Software. Technically you can not do HR management, accounting, goal setting etc on Basecamp. Basecamp is more of a project management software on steroids with extra features like CRM, chat functionality, administration, collaboration, teams etc.
There are a few other software products in this same line, products focused on project management but with added features to try and cover other aspects of your business. Asana and Monday.com are in this line of software products comparable to Basecamp.
What we love about Basecamp
They have affordable pricing that is fixed per organisation with unlimited projects and users.
Challenges with Basecamp
As already mentioned above, Basecamp is not a full Business Management Software. You will still find yourself purchasing other SaaS products to cover accounting, invoicing, goal setting, meeting management etc.
Conclude - Top 5 Business Management Software of 2022
After presenting these top Business Management Software of 2022, it is clear that there are many options depending on your business needs and software requirements.
If you are looking for variety - then perhaps Zoho One is a good option.
If you are running a larger business with complex operations that needs a very detailed ERP and cost is not an issue, Oracle netsuite would be a good option
If you are a small business looking for just one (already integrated) software that covers all your business needs, at the lowest market price - then Skhokho is your software.
Get started with Skhokho
Register for a 14 day free trial - https://skhokho.io/authentication/register
