Using Opensource Technology to Save Money (Guest Post)

Starting a company is no small feat. Although ‘entrepreneurialism’ is something we’ve become more familiar with in the UK – thanks in part to its TV popularity through shows like Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice – the reality is that starting a company is still a difficult task. However, although it is still difficult, the advent of the internet and the increasing popularity of opensource software has made it possible to cut down on many overhead costs – something every start-up company welcomes.

If you don’t already have an office package on your computer – for handling spreadsheets, word processing, presentations and databases – then you don’t necessarily need to rush out and purchase Microsoft Office, or any other commercial package. There are plenty of excellent opensource packages out there which are fully compatible with what your clients will use – Open Office is one excellent example.

Similarly companies can save a few hundred pounds using open source accounting software. GnuCash is a popular option for new businesses which allows companies to track income, outgoings, bank accounts and stocks. It also monitors the accounts payable and can import data from other financial accounting programs such as Quicken and MS Money as well as export the data to spreadsheets. As with your office software package, the saving is only a few hundred pounds, however this is a large amount in a cash-strapped start-up.

Phone calls are one of the biggest expenses to most businesses. If you are running an internet connection in your office you will most likely already have a phone line but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to make all of your outgoing calls through the phone line.

Opensource VOIP software such as that from Skype allows you to make free calls for PC-to-PC users and cheaper calls if you are calling PC-to-Phone. This is particularly cost-saving if you are calling customers or clients in other countries.

It is worth investing in a decent headset in order to improve the call quality and testing it out before making any calls to clients or customers. This and investing in a strong internet connection will ensure better call quality, something that’s always welcomed by any company.

So if you are thinking of biting the bullet and starting your own company – or if you have done so already – opensource software offers a number of great ways to save money, at little or no inconvenience to yourself.

Jennifer is a part of the digital blogging team at cashzilla.co.uk who work with brands like Skype. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in finance news, check out my posts at cashzilla.co.uk or visit my Twitter account, @cashzilla.

Guest Blog Disclaimer

Popularity: 1%