•
Today we officially launch the Software Shortlist Directory – a free online resource to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) quickly find relevant software.
Don’t worry, we see the irony. Here is a company that specialises in shortlisting software that is now giving you a long list of software.
But there’s good reason for this. The feedback on our online recommendation and comparison service has been fantastic, but we have also heard from many customers that they wanted to see the full list of software that sat behind it. There seems to be a certain level of comfort people get from seeing the long list of options. Of course, we suspect that when confronted with a long list of available software, you will appreciate even more the value of our shortlisting service 
So, without any further ado, welcome to the Software Shortlist Directory.
The directory includes over 700 products in popular categories such as Accounting, Email Marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Project Management, and Small Business ERP. And more categories are being added all the time.
What is particularly distinctive about our directory is that it focuses only on small business software. With no consumer or big enterprise solutions to wade through, you save time and money not having to consider options that aren’t relevant to you.
You will also find the quality of the listings is better than most. We have applied strict selection criteria as part of a global search process to create a powerful resource for small businesses. Our aim is to build an extensive yet high quality list of software — and if faced with a choice, we have gone for quality over quantity.
What are you waiting for? Go check it out at www.softwareshortlist.com/software/directory.html
•
Firstly, thanks to all who have got in touch with us about our alliance partner program. The response to has been very strong, and we are discussing potential arrangements in a range of vertical markets and specialist areas with people from around the world — including US, Israel, Romania, Singapore, and Australia. We see alliances as an important part of our overall strategy — so if you see a good fit between your business and ours, please get in touch.
In other news, it’s been a busy month since our last blog post. While we had hoped to be live before now, the decision has been made to set up additional content and products before turning on the platform, which means we will launch early in 2009.
Key outcomes in the past month include:
- Our web platform is ready to go, with testing finalised and hosting in the US.
- The setting up of software vendors on the system is well underway, with a healthy number on board for Time Tracking; and Farm Management software.
- Step-by-step guidelines for vendors have been written as part of this process, including Vendor Sign-up Activities and Setting up Google Analytics.
- A base of articles have been commissioned on specific software topics. This will be expanded over time – and you can submit your own for inclusion too.
- Initial work has also started on reviewing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Accounting software for small to medium businesses. An interim report has been sent out to participants in our CRM software survey, and this research is continuing so if you haven’t taken part yet, please do so.
We have also been reviewing and updating our business plan. It’s been a year since we first wrote it, and while the fundamentals still hold true, there have been a number of important changes and lessons learned since then. Among other things, an advisory board is being put in place to provide us with expert input on key areas, provide a fresh perspective, and to challenge our thinking on the business.
There is also some other exciting news in the pipeline. We can’t reveal details just yet but stay tuned…
So, from all of us at SoftwareShortlist, have a wonderful Christmas and festive season. We’ll see you in the new year!
