ERPBusiness software or ERP: what does a small company need?
Compare invoicing tools, accounting software and ERP using one real workflow. A practical checklist for choosing software for a small company.
GUIDES & TOOLS
Make the next decision.
With a clearer picture.
Choose business software, connect quotes to payment and plan your cash flow. Read a practical guide, try a tool or follow your first workflow in Spona.
01
Start with a real job
Stages · dates · evidence
02
Bring in the right people
Records · roles · responsibilities
03
Make the next step clear
Acceptance · invoices · payment options
Start simple. Add detail when it helps.
YOUR COMPANY, CONNECTED
01
Start with a real job
Stages · dates · evidence
02
Bring in the right people
Records · roles · responsibilities
03
Make the next step clear
Acceptance · invoices · payment options
Start simple. Add detail when it helps.
Better decisions. Clearer business records.
Choose business software, connect work to payment and see when cash is needed. Practical guides with examples and a template for your own plan.
How to connect quotes, work and payment in a small company
Follow a fictional service job from an accepted quote to a partial payment. Keep scope, delivery evidence, invoices and the next action clear.
Your customer pays in 60 days. Your supplier needs payment now. What can you do?
Map a payment gap before comparing earlier collection, supplier payment deferral or working-capital finance. Includes a simple cash example.
How to compare two factoring offers
Compare the net advance, total cost, timing, retained balance and recourse. Use the same invoice and term instead of comparing headline percentages.
A 13-week cash-flow plan: template and example
Build a simple 13-week cash plan in your browser. Enter opening cash, expected receipts and payments, spot a shortfall and print your plan.
Customers paying late? Start with the facts.
Separate an invoice that is not yet due, a late payment and a disputed delivery. Earlier invoice payment is not the same service as collecting a disputed or overdue debt.
- Check the remaining balance. Confirm the due date, partial payments and any credit notes against your records. Work from the unpaid balance, not the original invoice total.
- Confirm receipt and agree the next contact. Check that the customer received the invoice and delivery evidence. Record any objection and an agreed payment date or next follow-up; do not treat a verbal promise as a received payment.
- Update your liquidity plan. Compare expected receipts with supplier commitments. Keep an alternative scenario if payment moves later, rather than spending money that has not arrived.
- Explore financing before assuming eligibility. For a documented transaction, ask whether earlier payment is available and compare total cost, payout timing and responsibilities. A late or disputed invoice requires individual assessment; the calculator cannot approve it. Seek qualified advice for collection or legal disputes.
Spona Sales · Customer responses and outstanding invoices, with the actual receivables graph. Balances are shown as of the capture date.
YOUR FIRST STEPS
Start with one process. Build from there.
You do not need to organise the whole company on day one. Pick the area where scattered records or unclear handoffs slow you down most.
- 01
Choose your starting area
Choose Work for projects, People for employee records, Salaries for pay records, Purchasing and Sales for orders and invoices, or Finance for recorded money, liquidity and invoice balances.
- 02
Agree who owns each step
Decide who maintains records, who approves purchases and who prepares information for the accountant. Give colleagues access that fits their role.
- 03
Add detail when you need it
Begin with the essentials. Use the free standard Power add-ons inside each module when tasks, documents or a more detailed record would help.
FOLLOW THE WORK
A real situation. A clear sequence.
Open a guide to see what to record in each module, how to organise the next step and where you can request financing.
WORKFLOW 01From an agreed job to confirmed delivery.
Active work, pending confirmations and stage values in the actual Work overview.
A client hires your team to deliver a website. You agree the scope, complete the work in stages and keep the commercial records together.
- 01Agree the scope→
- 02Record the work→
- 03Request confirmation
Sales
Prepare the quote and record client acceptance so the agreed scope and price are easy to find.
Work
Organise delivery into stages with dates and amounts. Keep tasks, attachments and evidence beside the work, then request the client’s confirmation for a completed stage.
Purchasing
If a specialist supplier helps with delivery, keep their order and incoming invoice in your purchasing records.
Optional financing: as the supplier, explore earlier payment from an eligible completed stage confirmed by the client. If you are buying specialist services, explore the separate client-side option to pay your supplier later. Each request needs its own review and agreement.
Explore financing and the calculator →WORKFLOW 02From a supplier order to a clear payment record.
Ordered, received and outstanding value. Received value describes delivery, not payment.
Your company buys equipment or services for a client project. Keep the order, what arrived and the invoice easy to follow.
- 01Place the order→
- 02Record delivery→
- 03Review the invoice
Purchasing
Record the supplier and purchase order. Separate preparing the purchase from approving it, so each person knows their responsibility.
Purchasing
Record goods received and retain delivery evidence where needed. Keep the incoming invoice with the purchasing records.
Work
For a related project, keep its stages, dates and stage costs up to date so the delivery team can follow the job.
Optional financing: supplier acceptance opens the financing path on an order. The order shows the amount available to finance; recorded deliveries can change that amount to reflect received quantities. Review the current figure before requesting more time to pay.
Explore financing and the calculator →WORKFLOW 03From an accepted quote to the remaining balance.
Spona Invoices · Recorded totals, customer debt and the company’s expected collection stay distinct. Recurring periods are reviewed before an invoice is issued.
You sell a business service or deliver goods to a client. Keep acceptance, delivery records and invoicing organised as the sale progresses.
- 01Quote accepted→
- 02Delivery documented→
- 03Invoice reviewed
Sales
Prepare the quote and capture client acceptance. Keep the agreed commercial terms in the records used by your team.
Sales + Work
Use delivery notes for goods where needed. For staged services, keep evidence and client confirmations in Work.
Sales
Organise the invoice and check what is still unpaid. A partial payment changes the outstanding balance.
Optional financing: open an unpaid invoice to explore earlier payment. The request uses the outstanding balance, not the original total when part has already been paid. Eligibility, supporting documents, review and an agreement are required.
Explore financing and the calculator →WORKFLOW 04From a new colleague to organised monthly records.
Eight existing employee records, employment details and portal access in the actual People directory.
A new employee joins your company. Give the people handling employment records and pay preparation a clear starting point.
- 01Employee joins→
- 02Records organised→
- 03Accountant handoff
People
Keep personnel details, employment terms and documents together. Set access according to each colleague’s role.
People
Add onboarding, absence or working-time records when your administration needs them. Start with the information your team can keep up to date.
Salaries
Prepare payout and deduction records for the accountant, with restricted visibility. Spona keeps records; your accountant calculates pay.
Keep the roles clear: People and Salaries organise employment and pay records. They do not initiate payroll payments or a financing request.
Explore Salaries →MODULES + OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
Keep the essentials simple. Add useful detail.
Standard Power add-ons extend the module you already use. They are included free, so you can choose the depth your process needs. Open a module guide to see its core tools and available add-ons.
Work
Need more detail for a stage?
Add tasks, attachments and evidence to explain what needs doing and what has been delivered.
Explore Work →
People
A new colleague is joining?
Use onboarding alongside personnel records. Add absence or working-time records when you need more detail.
Explore People →
Salaries
Preparing information for the accountant?
Use payout and deduction records and the pay-prep sheet to prepare information for the accountant, with access limited to the right people.
Explore Salaries →Purchasing
Need to document a purchase?
Use delivery evidence, equipment records or requisitions where they fit your purchasing process.
Explore Purchasing →
Sales
What happens after the quote?
Use delivery notes, credit notes or recurring invoices to manage the next steps agreed with your client.
Explore Sales →
Finance
Preparing your monthly finance review?
Complete incoming invoice records with their documents, review P&L categories and recognition periods, then save the report. Compare it with your Liquidity plan and prepare the separate accountant package.
Explore Finance →
Marketing
What is ready for review?
Plan a campaign, prepare content with your team and approve the current version. Publish on your chosen channel, then record the link and results in Spona.
Explore Marketing →
CRM
Who needs a follow-up?
Review due activities, assign the next step and keep notes with the opportunity. Start with a contact or import your existing records.
Explore CRM →
Insights
What needs attention this week?
Review the weekly insights, check the amounts and dates behind each result, and open the relevant record to take action.
Explore Insights →EXAMPLES FOR YOUR BUSINESS
See the same tools in your industry.
Explore agencies, construction, wholesale, logistics, IT companies and startups. Each company-size guide includes module examples and separate financing scenarios for clients and suppliers.
Small businesses →
Put the basics in place.
ONE WAY TO USE SPONA
Track an agreed service job, its confirmed stages and the invoice.
Growing teams →
Make shared responsibilities clearer.
ONE WAY TO USE SPONA
Follow a packaging order, the delivery and the supplier invoice.
Larger companies →
Organise work across a broader team.
ONE WAY TO USE SPONA
Review transport jobs, their costs and the cash needed for the next run.
BEFORE YOU START
A few things worth knowing.
Do I have to activate every module?
No. Start with one module or several, then add other areas when you need them. All available modules and standard Power add-ons are free; financing and expert services are optional and priced separately.
Can I use Work for internal projects?
Yes. Organise internal projects privately within your company. Internal projects cannot be financed.
Does Salaries replace my accountant?
No. Spona organises pay records, payouts and deductions. Your accountant calculates pay. Recording information does not initiate a payroll payment.
Can I ask about financing without starting in a module?
Yes. The platform also offers a direct questionnaire. Prepare the relevant offer or invoice and business details. A calculator estimate or completed questionnaire is not approval; supporting documents, review and an agreement are required.
What happens after I choose my modules?
Review your selection, then continue to the ERP registration form. Your module choices carry over. Create your company account, verify your email and sign in. If your company already uses Spona, ask its administrator for an invitation.