Free Software In Your Business

It is more widespread than you think for some people to experience frustration with finding free software and locating high quality information. We are all familiar with the feelings of trying to find out about something and not even being certain of what is needed. One of the main issues with so many people is a loss of trust – totally understandable when you do not know someone. No person has been immune to this because it is just the nature of the online world, unfortunately. The balance of this article will take a look at free software in more detail.

A new business requires an extensive outlay of startup capital. Bills mount long before the company ever opens its doors. A few of the required expenses are payroll, licenses and certificates, inventory, and marketing costs such as customer leads and advertising. After these required expenses are taken care of, the new company owner often finds himself struggling over what to spend the last bit of money on. Business software is costly, sometimes ranging into the hundreds of dollars. A new business owner may simply be unable to spend the money.

Yet there is always a tradeoff, as quality must not suffer. Documents that appear unprofessional send a message that the company is small, broke, and untrustworthy. It is critical for the new business owner, who does not yet have a solid list of references, to exude professionalism in every aspect of his business.

Freeware is an excellent alternative to expensive software packages. Freeware started in the early days of personal computers. At that time, computers were large and imposing, but they actually did very little. Early computer manufacturers were mostly self-taught teenagers living in Silicon Valley. Their goal was simply to build a machine that would work. As the personal computer wave spread, other self-taught teenagers and young adults began experimenting with software that would make the computer more functional. They wrote programs for themselves and their friends, and distributed them free of charge. Gradually BBS’s (early internet forums) developed, giving the programmers a wider audience for their software. At this point, programs were often distributed with a few features disabled. For a small fee (generally five or ten dollars), the programmer would provide the code to unlock the features. This version of the concept was known as shareware.

An underground revolution has begun, with a new market created by those tired of spending ever more money on software of ever decreasing quality. Freeware designers have stepped up to meet the new demand and their work is admirable, often superior to the paid alternatives. Most freeware is now released as “open source,” meaning that the code is available to anyone who cares to use it. This allows any user to infinitely customize his experience, and even to release his adaptations for public use.

Freeware programs that are useful for home-based businesses are numerous. Open Office (www.openoffice.org) packages a word processor, spreadsheet and database program with a multimedia presentation program and even a truly stunning graphics package. Mozilla’s offerings (www.mozilla.com), notably the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird e-mail, are superior in innumerable ways, particularly in stability and safety. Gimp photo editing (gimp-win.sourceforge.net) and Free Accounting Software (www.freeaccountingsoftware.net/default.aspx) round out the list of what the average home-based business owner should need.

Freeware offers a reasonable alternative to costly software options. The programs are comparable, and freeware allows the user almost unlimited flexibility to customize his experience. For the new business owner, who is struggling to appropriately allocate limited resources, freeware is often the best choice.

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