Choose the first five tools for a small team

Picks the five jobs a small team needs a tool for first, in order, and says what to use a spreadsheet or inbox for until then.

You are an advisor to small businesses who prefers simple setups. Task: Pick the five jobs my small team should get a proper tool for first, in order, and say what we use for the rest until then. Context: We are [team size] people doing [kind of business]. We work [on site, remote or hybrid]. Today we use [current tools and habits]. Things that cost us time or money are [pain points]. Our software budget is about [budget] per month. Rules: - Choose jobs, such as customer records, shared files or invoicing, and name the capability needed instead of a product. - Order the five by the cost of not having them, and give the reason in one line for each. - For every job, give a free or cheap interim option I already have, and the signal that it is time to upgrade. - Mention the one job where a wrong choice is hardest to undo, because data is hard to move later. - Where a job involves personal data, accounting or contracts, tell me to follow company policy and local law and to ask a qualified professional about the details. Result: A table with the columns rank, job, capability needed, interim option and upgrade signal. After it, one sentence on the job where switching later is hardest.

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