[b][/b][b][/b]Re: how to choose software package
You are describing several functions which require different approaches. I'll try to help with some of them.
1.Be able to write letters to the customers or suppliers.
Any word processor can do this and most new PCs come bundled with one. I would suggested upgrading such a bundle to MS Office Small Business or Pro.
2.Be able to record sales and purchase of inventory on daily operation.
There are loads of such packages on the market. You might want to check with trade mgs for similar retailers. You might also want to look at Quickbooks, which may be the best small busines accounting package.
3. Be able to make financial statement.
See comment about Quickbooks
4. Be able to print the receipt.
Quicbooks should be able to handle this. You may need a POS (Point of Sale) addon or separate software.
5. Be able to setup a customers and supplier database.
There are loads of customer database apps. But you may want use Microsoft Access (which comes with Office Pro) to grow your own.
6. Be able to create promotion flyers and send them by mail or e-mail.
I recommend AGAINST doing this. Marketing is NOT an area where you want to stint. You want your marketing materials to be professional. Your skills will be running a store, possibly not marketing. However, you can use a good word processor (like MS Word) for this.
7. Be able to make list of weekly best sellers albums and some special discount albums, which will be put outside of our CD shop.
This depends on what you use for Inventory. Whatever you use should be able to produce such lists.
8. Be able to create our website.
This is a totally different thing. For this I would strongly suggest using a WEB host service that offers an e-commerce package. They can design the site for you (I assume you will want to sell from the site). In many cases they will be much more cost effective then doing it yourself.
9. Be able accept the on-line order from the customers; also buy CDs on-line from suppliers.
See my answer to 8. You will need to have such a site designed for you. As for buying from suppliers, that depends on what facilities the suppliers offer. As long as you have an internet connection, you should be able to do that.
10. Be able to let the customers could leave their opinions about our CD shop on our website. Also they can send us e-mails.
This will all be part of the website design.
11. Be able to update our website, such as scan the new CD covers put into the website, new weekly special discount CDs.
In most cases, once the site is designed you can maintain it yourself. Just make sure this is included in the package.
12. Be able to create a singer database to make it easy for the customers to find their favorite singers new CDs.
I assume you are referring to this being on the WEB. If so, this is again something that is part of the WEB site design. You will NEED a pro to do this for you.
13. Be able to have self-protect ability against computer virus.
Nothing is 100% secure, but there are several good anti-virus utilities that provide a lot of protection. However, the best protection is common sense.
14. Be able to create a password system for security (protect company finance records).
Most accounting software has such protection, but you do NOT want to put your accounting data on a PC that is exposed to the Net, at least not without some firewall protection.
15. Be able to create a song search engine in our website. Once you type a title of the song you will be able to locate the CD.
See my answer to 12.
Some other points here. You WILL want to use a WEB host service to host your web site. It will be MUCH more cost effective then you providing the connectivity, security and maintenance required for an e-commerce site. So your WEB site will not reside on your PC, but on a PC at the WEB hosts. You will still be able to update it as needed.
Obviously there are already many CD distributors online. You have to figure out how you will compete with the likes of Amazon and CDNow. That won't be easy.
Good luck.
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