How can you Boost your Startup using Custom Software Development?

If you want to cater to specific needs, you probably need specific solutions. Startups and small businesses target small, well-defined consumer groups, and this is why generic software often proves both too broad and not broad enough for their business. Fortunately, custom software development services are here to remedy the problem.

You don’t have to think hard to come up with reasons why generic software for startups just won’t work in the long run. It’s due to possibilities, money, control, and the growth that you expect to see. Let’s start with what matters the most for many small businesses.

Why is it more cost-effective to use custom software development?

For one, off-the-shelf software isn’t cheap, and nowadays it usually comes with a subscription model. This means a lot of things. You can’t just spend money and own it. You can’t adjust it to your needs. You usually can’t get just the things you need – there’s a high probability you’re going to get unnecessary modules as well.

And also, the future of pre-built software isn’t exactly certain. You can’t be sure the provider won’t just stop supporting it. You don’t know if future expansions won’t break it for you by changing a feature that you like, or introducing new elements that significantly raise the system requirements. In this regard, custom-made software is future-proof. It’s yours, so you can take it in any direction you want if a need to develop new features arises. Need a module? Add it. No need to wonder if the developer is going to answer your request. Custom software for startups is completely scalable.

How to use custom software development to your advantage?

There are all kinds of ways you can benefit from custom software. You can tailor the solutions to handle your workflow, perform analyses, or create data projections.

There are different types of software that a software house, or your internal developers, can create for you. Accounting software can handle your bookkeeping, payroll, and taxes. Content management software will help you organize the contents of your websites. Customer relationship solutions are great for answering queries and curating your CSAT, NPS, or other key metrics.

There’s also time tracking software for overseeing your employees, payment transaction solutions for making it easy to use your services, or various marketing or sales-boosting solutions.

A big advantage that comes with pretty much any custom software is automation. You’d be surprised how many processes can be automated in nearly any department, from finance to marketing to customer support. This, combined with company-wide communication getting easier when everyone can track what everyone else is doing, can speed up your work, and, by definition, reduce your costs. So even if you need to spend money first to create your solutions, you shouldn’t wait long until you get a return on your investment.

On top of this, there’s the question of maintenance. Let’s say you have a problem, or you don’t know how to use one of the features. The more popular software you chose, the more companies use it. And this means that the provider’s customer service is more burdened, and your query gets a lower priority. Meanwhile, having your own, tailored solution lets you solve your problems internally. No one’s problem is more important than the one you have.

“Okay, you convinced me. What else should I know?”

Well, hold up there. We’re all for custom software development, but first of all, we need to be honest. If your startup or small business doesn’t really have any quirks or special needs, you may be just fine with an off-the-shelf solution. Do an honest, thorough analysis to determine if you really lack some features, or need additional control that would justify commissioning a custom piece of soft. Don’t exclude ready-to-go solutions just because you have a startup. There’s a chance you don’t need to reinvent anything. A slim one, but still.

You also need to decide how you’re going to get your software. There are basically two ways. You can either develop it internally or externally, hiring a software house just like our fireup.pro. You may think the best way to go about it is to do it in-house, but that may not be the right answer. If you don’t have a development team, you’d have to build it. And if you have one, they are probably busy enough, and a new big project could be quite a hurdle when you consider the amount of their daily work.

External software developers can still ensure the level of control you desire via frequent updates and feedback cycles within an agile work model. They won’t disturb your day-to-day routine, and once your MVP is done, you can transfer further development duties to your people. Or just keep working with the software house. It’s your call.

Alright, but how much are you going to spend? Depending on the complexity of your project, and where you wish to develop it, you can find offers between 40K to even 250K dollars. One great thing about developing in the modern world is that borders don’t really exist. Especially in the time of the pandemic. Nothing stops you from hiring a software house from a more cost-effective part of the world. Let’s say, Poland, which is where fireup.pro is located. What a coincidence!

How much time will pass before you get your software?

Well, that also depends. When you get in touch with a software house, they should show you some kind of a development roadmap with nice and clear deadlines. One thing is certain: unlike off-the-shelf software, custom solutions aren’t readily available. You’re going to have to wait at least a couple of weeks. However, if your developer aims at creating an MVP – Minimum Viable Product – you can expect a working core version quite soon. Additional features can come afterward, and you’ll also be able to apply the feedback of your early users.