If you are a freelance designer or you are running a small design studio, you may not see the advantages of using ERP software to run your business. In fact, on first look, setting up such software and working with it can seem like a lot of hustle.

When you have enough design work already, it can seem a bit tedious to put a new system in place. In the short term, it is true. However, in the long term, an ERP will help you grow your business like never before. Here are six good reasons for design businesses to invest in ERP software.

1. Keeping track of your contacts and interactions

Most freelancers tend to rely a bit too much on their memory to remember what they have been discussing with their clients. When they can’t remember, a deep dive into their emails start to find out what has been discussed.

Using an ERP system, you can easily streamline your communication to keep everything in one place and know where you are in your exchanges with the clients. If you are a company with several interlocutors for clients, this becomes even more crucial.

2. Structuring your business better

Using an ERP software to manage your design business forces you to start good habits in terms of keeping track of what you and your colleagues have been doing. This is actually great, as it forces you to think of your business structure and makes it more professional.

3. Improving productivity

Working with ERP tools is a must for productivity if you are more than one person in the team. If you work alone, it is still important to use it for productivity, as it will help you to create templates for all kinds of business aspects, such as marketing or support.

4. Automating processes

If you are a freelancer, this is probably the biggest takeaway you’ll get from working with an ERP software. Automating processes will save you so much time and money that you can invest in something else. Set up your processes properly, and clients’ contacts, marketing campaigns, accounting, or support requests, all these will become much less of a pain for your business.

5. Reducing errors

Centralization, better structure, and automation, among other things, will bring a surprising side-effect that is really enjoyable. All this will concur to help you limit your errors by making the processes easier. As a consequence, you will appear more professional and probably get more work and referrals from your existing clients.

6. Measuring projects

Having all the projects information in one place, measuring your projects’ results will become much easier. Not only this, an ERP software will help you measure all of your efforts, whether it is about marketing, client relationships, or support.

About the Author

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Mirko Humbert

Mirko Humbert is the editor-in-chief and main author of Designer Daily and Typography Daily. He is also a graphic designer and the founder of WP Expert.