I know this site is dedicated to being… well, cheap. To be more accurate this site is here to help you find solutions to common problems that are cheaper than what you may be doing now.
Here is the problem, If you have an at least somewhat successful business, that is you are actually bringing in some money you have to sometimes decide to spend some money.
I’ll give you a scenerio, I just wrote an article on an opensource CRM but in order to use it you have to install the software on your own server. Now, I’m sure you are pretty busy running your business, so you need to decide if you can spare the hours it will take in reality to get this software installed. Even if it’s your IT guy doing it you have to weigh the cost of doing the install yourself vs. paying for a monthly service.
This example can be adapted to many situations. Let’s talk about web design. Sure, if you have some skills you can buy a template or use a free wordpress template and maybe get a pretty good looking site up, but is it good enough? and was it worth the time you put into it?
Keep these questions in mind everytime you are looking for a way to save money or you might end up spending more anyways…. And know when to cut your losses and call it quits. If you have been trying to get that CRM software installed for 2 weeks, you need to go to a hosted solution or call someone who can do it for you. (and yes, PAY them)