

Management Tips - Simple Answers
This is the third in a series. Click here to read Part 1 and Part 2.
Will the landscape business management software you buy need replacing in a few years? The answer is no - at least not if you choose the right software "partner." In today’s market, it is much important to buy into the right partner than it is to buy the right program. This is a critical departure from the past. The right partner is one who has a product plan for continued investment in the program assuring that the program will not become obsolete.
This means your “relationship” with your software partner will more closely resemble that of your relationship with your power company.
The power company builds the energy plant and distribution system so you can simply flick a switch and the lights come on. Later, you get a bill based on how much power you use.
In the software world, the bill you pay your software partner is called a subscription fee. It can be per-user or by percent of revenue. This fee pays for the data management, software functions and features as well as the all-important reinvestment in the product and user-interface. If you have a partner that does this then you always have the most up to date business management software to run your company for as long as you own the software.
When you choose the right partner, you choose a certain future knowing you will not outgrow the program you buy today.
