Choosing software to run your firm is a decision you'll live with for years. Switching later is possible, but it takes time and goodwill from your team. A little care up front saves a lot of trouble.
Start with your work, not the features
Before looking at any product, write down how work flows through your firm:
- How does a new client come in, and who decides the price?
- How is work planned: by project, by stage, by month?
- Do you bill by the hour, a fixed fee, milestones, or a monthly retainer? Usually it's a mix.
- What has to be filed or reported, and by when?
The right software fits this flow. The wrong one forces you to change how you work to suit it.
The checklist
Local tax and compliance
- In India: GST invoices with the right place of supply, CGST/SGST or IGST, e-invoicing if your turnover requires it, and TDS on payments you receive.
- In Singapore: GST-registered and non-registered invoices, the right tax codes, and payroll with CPF.
- Invoice numbering that follows the rules (in India, a continuous series of up to 16 characters each financial year).
Billing the way you charge
- Time and materials from approved timesheets.
- Fixed fees by milestone, with the milestone invoiced when it's done.
- Retainers and recurring fees.
- Expenses re-billed to clients.
Your clients' experience
- Proposals clients can accept online.
- A portal where they can see invoices, pay, and upload documents.
- Online payment options that suit your market (UPI and cards in India; PayNow and cards in Singapore).
Your team's experience
- Timesheets that are quick to fill in, including on a phone.
- Leave, attendance and, if you need it, payroll in the same place.
- Roles and permissions, so people see what they should.
Your accountant's experience
- A clean export to the accounting system (Tally, Zoho Books, Xero) so nothing is typed twice.
Questions to ask before you sign up
- Where is our data stored, and can we export all of it at any time?
- What happens if we stop paying? Do we keep read-only access?
- Can we try it with realistic data before entering our own?
- How do prices change as we add people?
- What support do we get, and in which time zone?
Try before you decide
The best test is a real month of work. Pick one or two projects, set them up, log time, raise an invoice and record a payment. If that feels natural to your team, you've probably found the right fit.
MSMEPulse is built for service firms in India and Singapore, with GST, TDS, CPF and payroll built in, and sample data from your own industry so you can test it properly before adding your own records.
