How the Lord of the Rings is Ruining Your Business

Sometimes there are beliefs so pervasive that we don’t even know we’re running our businesses according to the deep belief in fiction, instead of facts.

So here you have it, the Lord of the Rings is ruining your business if you avoid investing in software for your business or waiting for the next big thing before making a transition.

There is no “one ring” software solution which will host your website, manage your email, fold your laundry and do your taxes. The closest we’ve come is the advent of API – or Application Programming Interface – which is the ability to program separate software to communicate. More on that later.

But first, there is no longer a need for the one software and specialization is the way to go. Your “one ring” software would likely be too cumbersome to learn, filled with unless elements that your business doesn’t need and would be unaffordable.

I understand the desire to hold back – often we’re afraid of investing time and money in the wrong solution and get frustrated when something new and great comes along. It’s a natural worry but that can’t stop you! Otherwise you’d still be holding on to VHS movies because DVDs are not as good as BluRay and once you buy BluRay something new will come out.

Find what will work for your business stage now, and trust that when you outgrow this solution another will be available and you’ll have the capital to invest in the transition.

As new software companies emerge they often know they’re not the only game in town and the smart ones will incorporate a seamless and painless way to convert your data.

What the heck is an API and why do I care?

Well, API integration is the reason why you can stop worrying that your software company doesn’t have all the features you want. If that company has an “open API” then they will allow developers access to select information in their code so that, with the right programming, software can “talk” to each other.

Now, I am not a developer but that should help keep this explanation simple! Let’s say you want to keep using QuickBooks but are interested in Infusionsoft. Neither company has worked together in the past but you want them both. Well recently an API developer on one of my teams created that very bridge and so a solution exists! Best case scenario is that a developer has already done the work and you pay a fraction of the original cost to build to access it.

If there is no existing API in the configuration you want it may be a five figure investment to build but as API integrations become more common that price may vary.

While it may be more exotic to think about the “one ring” software that will make you the most powerful business in all of Middle Earth, the truth is that if you let that hold you back from investing in software that can help your business now then you’re letting Lord of the Rings ruin your business.