From Overwhelm to Confidence: Your Software Decision Framework

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You’re listening to Elevated, the snackable, weekly podcast helping Kitchen & Bath Designers build a better business. I’m your host, Brandy Lawson and in this episode I’m shining some light on a problem every business owner has, but few actively understand - choosing software.

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Episode Transcript

(00:05):
This is Elevated, the snackableweekly podcast helping kitchen
and bath designers build abetter business.
And I'm your host, BrandyLawson.
In this episode, we are steppinginto the work of choosing the
right software for yourbusiness.
Right now, most of you areeither using software someone
else chose, or you might beparalyzed by the endless options

(00:25):
out there.
You're not alone.
I heard from a design businessowner that they spent six months
trying to choose a projectmanagement system.
And still hadn't made adecision.
Growth requires change.
Change requires action.
And six months of research withno decision certainly is not
action.
That's why I created a frameworkthat turns this overwhelming

(00:47):
process into five clear steps.
Think of it as your personalconnect the dots for software
decisions.
And the best part?
It takes less than an hour towork through.
This framework isn't just aboutpicking software.
It's about making confidentdecisions that actually move
your business forward.
Remember that client I mentionedpreviously?
Once we worked through thisframework and implemented their

(01:08):
project management software,They went from 16 active
projects to over 60 with justone additional hire.
That's the power of choosing theright software with intention.
Now here's how it works.
You'll score five key areas andI'm going to break down exactly
what we're looking for in eachone.
First up, problem definition.
This isn't just about saying ourproject management software

(01:31):
sucks, it's about gettingspecific.
Are you losing track of clientapprovals?
Struggling to coordinateinstallers.
Missing deadlines becauseinformation is scattered.
The clearer you are about theproblem, the easier it becomes
to spot the right solution.
Then we'll look at solution fit.
I can't tell you how many timesI've seen a design business buy

(01:51):
software because it worked greatfor their friend's accounting
firm.
That's like buying arefrigerator because it looked
good in your neighbor'scraftsman when you live in a
modern high rise.
This step is about matching thesolution to your specific needs.
Next is cost versus benefit, andI'm not just talking about the
monthly subscription fee.
We need to look at trainingtime, setup costs, and most

(02:12):
importantly, what it will costyou if you don't make a change.
Remember what we talked aboutpreviously with those hidden
costs?
This is where that comes intoplay.
And then on to future impact,and this is an aspect often
overlooked.
Businesses will choose softwarethat solves today's problems,
but fail to consider how well itwill work for them in the
future.
This can happen if the softwareis too specialized, has

(02:32):
limitations on team size, ordoesn't support additional
integration.
And then finally, we'll look atImplementation Plan.
Because, let's be real, the bestsoftware in the world is useless
if your team hates it or doesn'tuse it properly.
This is where we get practicalabout training, rollout, and
making sure the change actuallysticks.
Each area will get a score of 0to 5, and you're aiming for a

(02:53):
total of at least 15 points.
You're not looking for perfect,but you want to make sure it's
in the ballpark.
Let me share what this lookslike in action.
A kitchen design firm wasstruggling with their CRM.
Customer Relationship Manager.
Their team hated using it, andthe leads were falling through
the cracks.
Using this framework, theyrealized their current CRM only
scored 8 points total.

(03:14):
No wonder it wasn't working.
They evaluated alternatives,focusing specifically on their
actual problems and the teamneeds.
The new solution they chosescored 21 points.
And within 3 months, their teamwas actually using, and loving,
the system.
But here's what really made thedifference.
Because they had used theframework, they could clearly
explain to their team why theywere making the change and

(03:34):
exactly how it would make theirlives easier.
It wasn't just another randomsoftware change, it was a
strategic decision everyonecould get behind.
This isn't just about avoidingbad software choices, it's about
making decisions that directlyimpact your bottom line.
When you choose the rightsoftware, you can handle more
projects, serve more clients,and grow your business without

(03:55):
burning out your team.
Ready to try this yourself?
Head to FieryEffects.
com slash choose to download theframework worksheet.
Pick one software decisionyou're facing right now, whether
that's a new CRM, projectmanagement tool, or even AI
software, and work through eachstep.
In the next episode, we'll spendsome additional time on that
first crucial step.
Really understanding whatproblem you're trying to solve.

(04:17):
Trust me, once you start usingthis framework, you'll never
feel overwhelmed by softwaredecisions again.
You might even start lookingforward to them.
Okay, that's pushing it, but atleast you won't feel the need to
avoid them.