How to Choose the Right Project Management Software for Small Business
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
For businesses that are still on the way to becoming big, how effectively or ineffectively they manage their projects could spell the difference between their business succeeding or failing.
The importance of project management is something that the wider business world is quickly beginning to recognize. In fact, the Bain & Company consultancy firm predicts that by 2027, most work done by companies will be project-based, with workers not necessarily confined to doing just one thing.
The Project Management Institute also recognizes this coming shift. According to their report, companies around the world will need 87.7 million people working in roles related to project management by 2027. The report says that by 2027, there will be 8.8 million project management jobs in the United States, 21.7 million in India, and 46 million in China.
The demand for project managers is going to be fierce, and smaller businesses may find themselves competing with industry giants to snatch talents. But smaller businesses can also arm themselves in advance now by acquiring small business project management software that will give them the tools to manage their projects and effectively compete with other players in their respective industries.
But how can small business owners pick the best project management software that will address their needs? There’s no need to worry as we have come up with some tips that will help make that decision easier to do.
Things to keep in mind when picking the right tool for your small business
As the business world is moving towards a work environment that is more project-based, picking the right small business management software is now more important than ever.
1. Decide on the features you want to use
Businesses are bound to be overwhelmed by the amount of project management software out there that they can choose from. Should they go for simple project management software? Should they opt for more robust yet complicated ones? Do they need their project management software to be more relaxed in its approach or would they prefer one that is more opinionated?
Before you invest money in software like this, you need to first know your business well enough to know what it needs and what will work for it. From there, you can decide on the features you need and narrow down the list that way.
2. Check the feedback from other companies
Oftentimes, businesses aren’t the first ones to use the software they are looking at. There will be others that have experienced it before, such as other businesses in their industry. While there is a lot to be said about trusting one’s gut, it is also good to know what other people think about it. Business owners should check out what similar businesses are saying about the software as those probably have the same needs and requirements.
3. Test out the software
Of course one should test out the software before shelling out money for it. Free trials are usually available for interested users to explore.
But it is better to go into this test after doing the first two tips. Why? Once a business knows what features they need and what a particular software’s strengths and weaknesses are, they can go into a testing session with open eyes.
Businesses can ask more probing questions and avoid being won over by interfaces that look flashy but may not necessarily serve the needs of their business.
4. Ask the team for their feedback
A business owner may think that the software he has picked out is a perfect fit, but the team under him may not think the same. One definitely should not dismiss their concerns either, as these team members will be the ones using the project much more often in the future.
Aside from finding out what they think of the software, business owners should also try to communicate what it is about the software that they like. Not communicating this effectively can have disastrous effects on the business, such as slowed-down processes or, at the worst, staff quitting.
5. What’s the cost of the project management tool?
Having multiple payment options is great to have, but this is not just about the dollar amount the company has to shell out. What this means is that businesses should also find out how long it will take to implement the software and how quickly can teammates be onboarded.
Something can be marketed as the best free project management software for small business, but if implementation and onboarding are so lengthy and complicated that opportunities end up getting lost and work gets delayed, then that’s the cost a business ends up paying. If a software helps a team achieve things like this FinancesOnline.com project management success metrics, then the results probably outweigh how much it costs.
The open-source project management choice
After considering all of these tips, businesses should take a look at Leantime. As a project management solution, it is great at managing ideas and keeping everyone in the loop when it comes to how a project is progressing. Thanks to features like Idea and Research Manager, Task Management, and Milestone Tracking, just to name a few, users can work efficiently and stay on track to delivering projects on time.
Marcel Folaron
https://leantime.ioMarcel Folaron is Leantime's Technical Co-founder. He's a Full Stack Engineer, previous startup founder, and Technical Program Manager. He's also worked at places like Google, Twilio, and Pinterest. He's been an active open source community member, contributor, and user.
