Almost all of the web based CRM software brag of some sort of Project Management capabilities, and billing capabilities. Some of the most popular web based CRM software vendors today are SalesForce.com, NetSuite, Siebel (Oracle), SAP, Sage Software, RightNow technologies, and SugarCRM (which is open source software). Salesforce.com is leading the pack . The larger enterprise software vendors such as Oracle (with Siebel), and SAP have developed solutions aimed at more comprehensive and larger applications. The final choice of an online CRM solution would also depend on your budget, and the level of Project Management you would want in it, and other features such as Campaign Management, E-Commerce, Sales Force Automation, E-Mail Marketing, Lead Management, collaborative intelligence, sales performance management, etc. Most of these allow free trials. so you may want to download a few and then make your selection. Wish the best in your final selection. George @ cogency.us

I would have to second quickbooks. Pretty easy to use with many nice functions.

Missgrits, I assume you don't want to or have the wherewithal to research various programs and solutions. It's very easy to get overwhelmed and spend more time managing the computer than managing the business. You may want to first consider, where technology is going. After many years of discussion about it, web based applications are starting to take hold. There is a major benefit to using web apps in that you don't need to worry about installing software nor about backing it up or crashes, etc. These concerns and tasks can close down a very small business and create levels of frustration that are beyond imagination. Google offers a free suite of applications online that are very basic and easy to use. I think they are great for beginners. They have very few features but if you wanted to get somewhere as fast as possible, common sense says that you don't jump off a bicycle and into the pilot seat of an airplane and truly expect something to happen. Consider what you and your husband know now and take a small step up. I STRONGLY disagree with the suggestion of researching things in depth. You will likely end up learning a lot of things you don't care about and getting confused about things that you don't know IF you should care about. You can sign up for Google Docs at docs.google.com What you need is completely free. You have no need for the $50/year paid options. This will get you a basic spreadsheet and word processor. For accounting, I will say hands down that you should go with Quickbooks. There is a contractor edition that would seem to make sense but I don't suggest it. For now, stay as simple as you can. Here's the hard part... Quickbooks has an online version that costs about $25/month (I think). After a year, this will be more than you would pay for a desktop version, but it has 2 major benefits; 1) It's even more basic than the most basic desktop version (unless things have changed since I've seen it) and 2) just like Google docs, you don't have to manage the application or backup the data. For email, I would suggest using Google's Gmail along with their online interface. There's a slightly nicer looking desktop interface that you can download called GeeMail if you want something brighter. Other people may argue to use Yahoo mail or something else. If you want more info, post back here and I'll write why I feel Gmail is better but Yahoo wouldn't be bad either. If you have your own domain name such as www.joes-construction.com, you can still get your email through the Gmail web page and unlike using Outlook, again, you don't have to worry about backups. In summary, I would avoid bells and whistles. Stay within your husbands comfort zone and reconsider what applications you're using in about a year. Another thing to consider is to have your husband start using an iPhone. I am bias toward them but the point is that they have thousands of free, small and simple applications that you can download to them. For example a bubble level or for $1.00 he can download a plumb line. Yes that's a real working level. There are all sorts of things that he can use. Also things like electronic measuring tapes. This will increase his comfort with technology and having customers seeing him using little things like that adds some flash and it may increase business a little. I hope that helps! Just don't let technology management become the business. It's very easy to do. Good luck! Message Edited by NicoleD on 01-09-2010 12:11 AM

HalJordan-- I would certainly recommend Sugar as a CRM for your business as it is not only user friendly (once you get past the painful install) but extremely cheap. And by extremely cheap, I mean its free, as it is open source, which also means that it has a ton of great plug ins for customization. I am currently struggling with my server and finding a good server/exchange server for a reasonable price. We are a small health insurance company that hosts its own website and Exchange Server is a few thousand. Any recommendations? Health Insurance

For accounting, use QuickBooks Simple Start. There is a free version, and you can upgrade later if you like it. There's a lot of resources on the internet if you need help. http://quickbooks.intuit.com/product/accounting-software/free-accounting... For Project Management, look at Basecamp. For CRM, look at Highrise. These have free, limited versions as well. These tools are very easy to use.

Is anyone qualified to set up a http post from a custom quote page to my crm, so when someone get a health insurance quote their information is automatically entered into my CRM which is currently sugar but we are reviewing others while set up sugar. If so please pm me. Or fill out my contact sheet, thanks. Removed links to website Message Edited by StuartR on 01-11-2010 10:17 AM

Here in India, People use Tally software to record all transcation. It is fast and relaible.

You should also learn the basics of good bookkeeping & accounting practice. A shoe box full of receipts can become a nightmare. A solid accounting software to run your business to get you started right is a good idea. There are really only 2 key players left in the accounting software industry in the U.S. (QuickBooks and Peachtree Accounting). Microsoft has left the market after a couple of tries. QuickBooks is easy to use and is good for those of you who don't like working with numbers. For the number jocks, Peachtree Accounting is a great alternative. The best news is that you can often find the accounting software for free after the discounted by rebates. So it is worth to keep an eye out for the promotions. Otherwise, plan to spend about $200 to $300. Here is a more in depth review on accounting software if you need more information. ---This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

Software will help you track your finances and easily see your ROI on projects. Here is a link to view Mac Business & Finance software that will help & PC Finance Software Good luck Message Edited by CharlotteW on 09-01-2009 04:47 PM

A few suggestions are: MS Office Proffessional Accounting - Great / Comes free and pre-istalled with some IBM notebooks, and incorporates a lot of features for billing, time management, cash flow planning and taxes. Additionally, it integrates completely with your MS Outlook Email, and Business Contact manager, and Calendar. Other easy to use software (Minus the Email/BusContact integration) are: Quickbooks Peachtree Accpac - Computer Assoc. Almos all of them use similar features, for what you want to achieve. Best of luck