Do Small Businesses Need Custom App Development? (Part 1 of 2)

This is part 1 of a 2-part article. Part 2 is now available to be read here.

Small business owners have a lot to think and worry about. Usually, they need to fulfill many roles, chief salesperson, marketer, and manager amongst them. On top of that, they may have to keep an eye on industry trends, customer behavior, and numerous competitors – including other small businesses and national chains.

However, running a small business doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, if you take advantage of the latest technology trends you can find simple and cost-effective ways to run your company and stay ahead of the competition.

We know this because we have been helping other business owners just like you to develop and implement custom apps and software for just over two decades. During that time the possibilities have only grown. We can help entrepreneurs do things that would have felt impossible just a decade ago. Even better, we can build custom solutions for much less than our clients tend to expect.

Does this mean your small business could benefit from custom software? It's a question more and more owners are asking themselves, and the answer will depend a great deal on your own needs. To help you find the right answer, today we want to present some of the challenges and solutions we work with on a regular basis…

Specialized Apps and Plug-ins

Sometimes, business owners fret because the software they really need to solve a specific problem simply doesn’t exist. It might be that they have a desire for an unusual application, or that they need a plug-in to add extra features or functions to an existing product.

In either case, custom development can be the perfect answer. A good programming team will help you add on to the apps you’re already using, or if that’s not possible, to design what you need from scratch.

Data Monitoring and Reporting

It’s no secret that better data reporting – a.k.a. business intelligence – can give you a real competitive edge. The more you know about customers, expenses, and market trends, the easier it is for you to make the right plans and investments.

Unfortunately, while it’s easier than ever to gather data, aggregating it and deciphering thousands of points of information can be difficult. That’s where a custom app can make an enormous difference and lead to better decision-making at every level of your company.

Financial Reporting

Any business owner will agree that keeping one eye on the bottom line is an important part of the job. But, how do you keep track of things like inventory, employee hours, and energy costs… not to mention hundreds or thousands of small customer transactions?

The answer for many of our clients is to use specialized financial reporting apps that work as standalone solutions or extensions of existing software products. They let business owners get the detailed financial insights they need, updated continuously in real-time.

Document Storage and Delivery

In certain types of businesses and industries, document storage and retrieval can be an enormous challenge. For instance, some of the medical care providers we work with don’t just have to store charts, prescriptions, and insurance records, but also have to do so in a way that complies with HIPAA guidelines.

Luckily, we can build custom software solutions that don’t just make it easy to save, store, and back up important documents, but also to retrieve them by searching criteria like dates and keywords. That can be a huge time-saver for a busy professional.

Contact our team today to let us create custom solutions that are tailored to your small business.

Eager to read more? WebRevelation will take a break from blogging on November 22nd as we celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, but the continuation of this article can be viewed on Thursday, November 29th.