How to buy productivity software for your business From word processing to spreadsheets to e-mail management to conference presentations, productivity software creates a professional presence in the world. For most businesses, the ability to run productivity software is the reason to own a computer in the first place. So make sure the software you buy works for you. This is not the place to scrimp.

Unless, of course, scrimping happens to provide you with the set of tools you need for your business. Low-cost and even free productivity suites can be a reasonable alternative if your business can get by without feature-rich but pricey and bloated software, such as Microsoft Office. Before you make your purchase, consider the software tools your business needs and make sure the hardware on which you plan to run them is up to the task.