Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive

It's clear that a home office needs the basics, like a desk, a good chair and a computer with Internet access. Your computer probably offers good basics for a startup business, but you may find that your business requires just a little bit more software to function efficiently.

Here are some good (and sometimes free!) software options for the home-based business:

Microsoft Office

This software bundle offers Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and more. It's also one of the most popular software package used by office workers on the market today.

For that reason alone, using Microsoft Office programs (www.microsoft.com) allows the home based business to open documents and files commonly shared on the Internet. The price tag isn't cheap and this bundle may set you back $200 or more, but there are options to only get what you need.

You'll need Office programs for administration tasks and writing up documents like proposal letters to clients. Try to get Excel too, as its spreadsheet function may come in handy as well.

If you really can't splurge, opt for Open Office (www.openoffice.org), a free software package that mimics Microsoft Office almost identically. Quickbooks Keeping track of orders, money, service sales, inventory and expenses is vital to clean books. Many professionals use a spreadsheet for a while, but that often backfires when business picks up.

Hiring an accountant is an option for bookkeeping, though professional accounting costs money. A good accounting software like QuickBooks (www.quickbooks.com) can help keep track of revenues and expenditures, as well as produce reports on your business' health or create budgets and forecasts. Setup is easy, cost is low (around $200), and the savings are well worth the price of the program. Don't skimp by passing up this software option.

Basecamp

Basecamp is great project management for small business needs. This web-based program created by 37signals (www.37signals.com) helps keep track of to-do lists, scheduling, milestones on a project, messages and notes, and also provides a whiteboard service for concept development and ideas.

The basic service costs around $12 a month but the benefits of handiness at having everything you need to stay on top of in one place, even when you're not at home, far exceed the price of the service.

Email Manager

Many PCs come pre-installed with Outlook Express, but that email management software is limited. A business needs more options, flexibility and capabilities. One great email manager that has plenty to offer the home-worker is Thunderbird, a free email manager program offered and created by Mozilla (www.mozilla.com), the award-winning makers of Firefox web browsers. Thunderbird comes loaded with features, is customizable beyond belief, and also has plenty of plug-ins for extra efficiency.

While you're at the Mozilla site, pick up the Firefox browser for free, too. For all software needs, visit download sites like www.download.com or www.sourceforge.com. These two sites offer tons of software downloads, from free to trial to paid versions, and they both also offer editor and user reviews so you know just what you're getting into.

If there is something that you can automate with a program, chances are these two sites have it. Have fun!

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