Choosing Business Software in Sri Lanka: The Notebook vs Software Checklist

Do not start by choosing software. Start by writing down the three things that annoy you most in your business each week. Common answers include double bookings, customers who forget to pay, not knowing what is in stock, end-of-day totals that never match, and calls asking whether an order is ready.

If you cannot name a clear problem, the notebook may be fine for now. If you can name three, software may repay you quickly. The clearer the problem, the easier it is to judge whether a tool solves it.

Take each question in turn and answer honestly.

1. Does it fit my kind of business? A tuition class, a salon and a hardware shop need different things. Look for something that names your type of business, not just a general tool.
2. Can I try it with one small part first? You should be able to start with one class, one counter or one room.
3. What does it cost per month, and what is included? Ask for a clear price in rupees and see what each plan covers.
4. Does it work when the internet drops? This matters most for shops and busy counters.
5. Can my staff learn it in a day? If your helper cannot use it comfortably, it will go back to the notebook.
6. Who owns my data, and can I get it out? Your customer list and sales history are yours.
7. Does it handle how my customers pay? Cash, LankaQR, bank transfer, card and credit are all part of real life.
8. Does it do what it claims, and does the maker say what it does not do? Honest limits are a good sign.
9. Will it cope if I grow? More staff, more products, more bookings.
10. Can I leave if it does not suit me? Monthly plans make that easier than long contracts.

A subscription feels like a new expense, but it is better to compare it with the cost of the problem. If a double booking costs you one lost customer a month, or an unchased fee costs you a few thousand rupees, the sum quickly looks different.

PlanzEvo Biz plans are Starter at LKR 3,000 a month, Pro at LKR 5,000 and Premium at LKR 7,500. If you pay annually, the year is billed as 10 months. The platform does not take a cut of your sales; you pay the plan fee and your income stays yours. You can see what each plan includes on the pricing page.

Whatever tool you consider, ask the same question: what is the total cost for a year, and what do I get for it?

Software designed for office desks can struggle in a busy shop. Check the real conditions of your day. Is your signal reliable? Do you have power cuts? Does your helper use a phone, a tablet or a shared computer? Do you work from a counter, a veranda or a van?

PlanzEvo Biz is a web app, and it works in a browser on a phone, tablet or computer; there is nothing to download from an app store. The customer web app can be installed on a phone like an app. The till has an offline mode that queues sales and replays them when the connection returns. It is in English only, so make sure that suits you and your team.

Being clear about this is part of choosing well. A tool that works in English on the web may be perfect for one owner and not right for another.

Look at the main job your business does and check that the software has it.

• Booking businesses such as salons need a staff and services calendar with no double booking.
• Classes and gyms need fee plans, attendance, overdue lists and memberships with expiry-aware check-in.
• Shops need a till with decimal quantities, variants, batches, a Z-report, returns, expenses and a credit book.
• Workshops need job numbers, quotes that turn into jobs and customer tracking.
• Rental, stays and leasing need availability, deposits, calendars and tenant records.

PlanzEvo Biz covers 29 types of business across 10 families, so a single tool can often serve several parts of the same owner's life, such as a shop with a rental side line.

Whatever you choose, give it a fair test. In week one, enter your basics. In week two, use it alongside the notebook. In week three, use the system as the main record. In week four, review: did it save time, did it catch mistakes and would you miss it if it vanished?

If the answer is yes, keep going. If the answer is no, you have lost very little and learned something about what you need. Both are fine outcomes.

Some businesses are perfectly happy with a notebook: a one-person stall with a handful of regular customers, or a seasonal sideline. If you have few transactions, no staff and no real problems, there is no shame in staying with what works.

The notebook is a good tool. It simply stops scaling at a certain point, and the signs of that point are usually the three annoyances you wrote down at the start.

Run the checklist, circle your three annoyances and decide which one you would fix first. You can read about the whole platform on the PlanzEvo Biz page or join the waitlist. When you are ready to try it, create your PlanzEvo Biz account.