ERP Software for Small Businesses
ERP systems for SMB & small businesses need to be cost effective, scalable and improve key business KPI's such as customer satisfaction and productvity.
At ERP Research, we help SMBs & small businesses to find the ERP software which will take them to their next stage of growth with 100% vendor agnostic advice.
Top 10 Small Business ERP Software Report
Get our free in depth comparison of the Top 10 ERP solutions available on the market for small businesses including Netsuite, Acumatica, Oracle, SAP and more.

ERP Systems for Small Businesses
For small and medium sized businesses growing at a steady rate but still on a budget, it's important to be more scalable whilst looking after your wallet. Here are some cost effective, yet highly scalable solutions which many small businesses have adopted.
Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct ERP works well for small businesses operating in services industries and with global ambitions. Intacct provides ERP functionality spanning financial management, projects, billing and more.
SAP Business ByDesign
Whilst SAP is often not associated with small businesses, SAP Business ByDesign is. The solution offers rich functionality for orgsanizations in the professional services, manufacturing and life sciences industries.
Oracle Netsuite
Netsuite is synonomous with small business ERP solutions, offering a low barrier to entry for smaller companies, whilst offering a rich ecosystem and room for growth in almost any industry space.
SAP Business One
SAP Business One is a popular solution for small businesses in the product centric industries including manufacturing, wholesale and retail with many industry specific addons and solutions.
Odoo
Odoo ERP works well for small businesses that are looked for a low cost, adaptable and scalable ERP solution. Odoo is used by small and medium sized businesses in several industries.
Infor Cloudsuite Industrial
Infor CSI, also known as Syteline is another popular ERP solution for small businesses with complex, product centric business processes such as manufacturers and retailers.
FinancialForce
FinancialForce is a powerful financial management and services focussed ERP which provides strong integration to Salesforce as it's built on the same platform.
Priority ERP
Priority ERP is a flexible, cost effective ERP solution for small and medium sized businesses which can be deployed On-Premise or in the Cloud.
SYSPRO
Syspro is a popular ERP solution for small businesses in the retail, manufacturing and distribution space. It provides capabilities for
Cloud ERP for Small Businesses
Small businesses are well suited to adopting true software as a service ERP solutions, also known as Cloud ERP software. Here are some of the top Cloud ERP solutions for small businesses:
Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct ERP is a native Cloud ERP solution that was built for small businesses.
SAP Business ByDesign
SAP Business ByDesign is one of the top rated SaaS ERP solutions for small businesses, running natively in the Cloud.
Oracle Netsuite
Netsuite is a powerful all in one Cloud ERP solution for small businesses. Netsuite is a true SaaS Cloud ERP.
Odoo
Odoo Cloud ERP is used by many small businesses around the world and is low cost and flexible.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Dynamics is a popular Cloud ERP software for small businesses.
Infor Cloudsuite Industrial
Infor CSI or Syteline is a powerful Cloud ERP solution for product centric SMB's.
ERP Systems for Scale-Ups
ERP for SME companies that are growing rapidly and have their sights on becoming multinationals enable you to drive efficiencies and further fundraising events whilst giving you tight control over your growing SME organization.
SAP S/4 HANA Cloud
For ambitious SMBs and scale-ups in hypergrowth mode and with multinational ambitions, SAP S/4 HANA Cloud offers huge functional scope and flexiblity to deal with any eventuality. Rock solid financials plus global capabilities set S/4 apart.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
For SMB & SME companies scaling up, having integrated financials, customer engagement and productivity apps often pushes them to Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP. Dynamics offers best of breed customer engagement plus finance in one.
Workday
Fast growing SMBs & SMEs depend on hiring and retaining top talent whilst also looking after their finances. Workday rises to the challenge with their integrated platform for financials, spend management, human resources and analytics.
What's the difference between PSA & ERP?
In the professional services world, many organizations are adopting professional services automation tools to increase productivity. But what is professional services automation and how does it differ from enterprise resource planning?
ERP Requirements Gathering (RFI, RFP) Template Excel
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ERP Project Budget Calculator Template
Calculate the costs of your ERP project with our prebuilt budget calculator.
Small Business ERP Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best ERP for small businesses?
Small business ERP software is extremely popular and there are many vendors as well as many solutions available on the market. Small business ERP vendors include the likes of SAP, Oracle, Netsuite, Workday, Odoo, Infor, Sage and many more.
Deciding on the best ERP for small business depends on many factors including your industry, business size, growth ambitions, geography and more.
How much does Small Business ERP software cost?
Small business ERP software typically has a mixture of costs including ERP implementation, ERP software licenses and support.
Starting costs for SMB ERP can be very low, with some open source and free ERP software on the market, but typically small businesses can expect to pay a minimum of $10,000 per year for software licensing and 2-5X that figure for initial. implementation.
Costs for small business ERP software can grow quickly however and for a midsize organisation quickly enter six figures in year 1.
Key Features of Small Business ERP
Small businesses need a slightly different approach to larger businesses when it comes to ERP software.
One of the key features of small business ERP software is typically to have it as a SaaS or Cloud ERP solution, which can save you and your colleagues a lot of time and money.
Secondly, small business ERP software should come with predefined processes and ways of working which help to standardise your business and also speed up your small business ERP implementation.
Another key feature of small business ERP is scalability. Whilst your business may be small today, in a few years it could be very different as well as much larger. It's therefore key to have a scalable solution which can adapt with the times.
How should I compare small business ERP software?
It's important to consider what is important for your small business ERP solution before starting this exercise.
Based on this, we recommend building an ERP requirements document which details the needs of your small business ERP software. This can then be shared with vendors and SMB ERP providers.
Implementing ERP for Small Businesses
Implementing ERP software for small businesses can often be done quickly. This is largely because small businesses often have less employees, complexity, sites and processes. A small business can expect to implement an ERP system in as little as 4-6 weeks and up to 12 months depending on various factors.
Benefits of ERP for Small Businesses
Small businesses can benefit from implementing SMB ERP systems in multiple ways including:
- Scalability
- Increased profitability
- Increased consistency
- Process standardization
- Increased investor confidence
- Increase compliance to regulations
- Decreased wastage
- Increased employee satisfaction
- Increased financial reporting & business intelligence
- Increased cashflow
How does ERP help Small Businesses?
Small businesses tend to use a series of applications, tools, spreadsheets and accounting systems to operate their businesses. Naturally, they acquire these processes through sporadic changes and growth spurts, but unfortunately the price of this is data siloes and inefficiencies.
Modern ERP systems designed for small businesses and SMEs provide integrated functionality across the following modules:
Accounting and Financials
Unify financials across your business and grow into new territories with multiple companies using modern SMB ERP.
Purchasing
Control spend and optimise requisition processes using popular SMB ERP solutions.
Asset Management
Manage business assets with ERP for engineering to easily capitalise and monitor your assets.
Reporting and dashboards
Develop a single view of your engineering business in order to increase transparency, decision-making and ultimately drive results.
Expenses management
Automate expenses requisitions and approvals with integrated expenses management to help your engineers be more productive.
Customer service
Review your customer service history and provide better cross-selling, up-selling and post-sale customer support to help deliver products more accurately.
Inventory management
Deliver comprehensive inventory management that provides insight into your entire flow, from purchasing to transportation and delivery.
Sales management
Track & plan sales pipeline, score leads, prospects and forecast opportunities in real-time across territories, accounts and teams.
Global management
Compile global financial, manufacturing, project and process information into a central location.
Engineering management
Combine your sales, customer service, and engineering processes into a single solution designed to meet the needs of a broad range of engineering tasks.
Customisation
Flexible ERP software that's built on an open and extensible foundation, allowing you to choose the features that suit your business needs.
Mobility
Access your ERP data at any time so you're more available to customers and take advantage of unexpected opportunities as they surface.
Development tools
ERP software for the engineering industry features all of the tailored solutions an organization needs to design, build and document their projects faster.
Updates and maintenance
Backed by the consistency of market-leading vendors, ERP software regularly updates to ensure an optimal user experience.
Versatile deployments
Connects customers, partners, and employees through real-time digital relationships to improve the way you do business.
Unlimited support
ERP implementation is a longterm strategic partnership and vendors provide free unlimited technical support for clients.
Small Business ERP Evaluation Process
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Build An ERP Business Case 2-3 weeksA solid business case is a foundation you need if you are going to persuade your organization to consider enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation. Download Business Case Template
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Compare ERP Vendors 2-3 weeksIt’s critical to understand which ERP vendor is right for your business. Before you decide on the vendor for your company, take a look at our solution pages to find out which vendor would be best. Compare ERP Vendors
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Get Pricing Estimates 1-2 weeksOur exclusive process removes all the salesmen from the equation and gets you real pricing estimates from every qualified vendor. Contact Us For Pricing
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Organize A Solution Demo 1-2 weeksDuring a demo, you will learn about how large corporations are making use of ERP software and how they are improving their business practices. Book A Demo
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Build ERP Requirements 3-4 weeksIf you're looking to buy an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or upgrade your internal systems you will need a clear definition of all the functions, features and capabilities that you expect. You can approach this challenge by building what's called an ERP requirements document. Download ERP Requirements Template
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Shortlist 4-8 Vendors 1 weekOne of the most important phases in the ERP project lifecycle is selecting the right software vendor. Ideally, you should shortlist 4-8 vendors - based on their credentials and your requirements. Contact Us To Shortlist Vendors