Top 5 Business Software Programs

With wave after wave of viruses sweeping into inboxes and infecting websites, this is must-have small business software. The best anti-virus software programs offer a range of filtering and protection options and make it easy to frequently update the program's files, so your computer is protected against the latest virus versions. My pick; McAfee VirusScan Plus, includes a Firewall and Antispyware protection.

Office suite software saves you time and money through program integration; being able to quickly move data from a word-processing program into a spreadsheet, or to embed one application within another is a real time-saver. My small business software preference is for a complete office suite that also offers contact management and e-mail programs - such as Microsoft Office XP Professional. This small business software suite includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access.

It's hard to imagine a business operating nowadays without some form of contact management software, and for businesses with sales staffs that need to track progress with prospects over time, it's critical. Look for contact management software that is integrated with e-mail programs, and has the capability to import contacts from other programs. My pick, Act!, integrates with Microsoft Office and is quite customizable.

Every small business needs to plan and manage its financial resources, and good small business accounting software simplifies this task. Excellent small business accounting software also simplifies data entry and financial report production, and provides the tools necessary to manage your business's payroll, and tax collection and reporting. Intuit QuickBooks Pro is my preference for this kind of small business software.

If your work day involves a lot of time pounding away on a computer keyboard, voice recognition software may improve your productivity and save you from repetitive strain injuries. Besides creating text by speaking aloud, some voice recognition software programs allow you to manage email and other programs by voice, such as my choice, Nuance's Dragon NaturallySpeaking. It's available in Preferred, Pro and Medical versions.