Editorial Guidelines – BusinessNewsDaily.com

How we review and select our recommended products

1. Review the product category and identify potential solutions.

For each product category we cover, we start by assessing the market as a whole before diving deeper into specific focus areas. We take into account the varying needs of different types of small businesses and how one industry uses a particular service over another. With this information in mind, we study the market to identify solutions that can address different business use cases. We study not only market leaders, but also lesser-known brands whose services have the potential to be a game-changer for small businesses.

2. Participate in product demonstrations with service providers.

After establishing which products or services are most likely to meet the needs of small businesses, our hand-picked team of small business experts meet with the businesses behind them for a personalized overview of the offerings. During these demos, we leave no stone unturned to ask vendor representatives about pricing, hidden fees, basic and advanced features, usability, customer service and much more. We’re using this time to see how the product works and how it can better serve small businesses in various industries.

3. Independently test and research products.

Our reviews are based on more than just corporate sales pitches. Live demonstrations are followed by extensive independent research to confirm or deny vendors’ claims and see if the products actually work as described. To evaluate whether services deliver what they promise, our small business experts sign up for trial periods and conduct testing as if they were small business owners. We study customer service resources and calculate how much a product or service is likely to cost after additional fees and add-ons are taken into account. We also evaluate ease of use and review user reviews and complaints from trusted customer databases.

4. Review, compare and choose the best products.

All the hours spent reviewing products and services in a category lead to this: comprehensive reviews and direct comparisons so we can confidently tell you which solutions are best in general and for specific use cases. When developing our reviews, our experts analyze software and tools against each other to see where each excels or falls just short of expectations. We give small business owners confidence that all of our recommendations are reviewed and backed by thorough, objective analysis and first-hand experience.

Check out our roundup of the best accounting software and our review of Intuit QuickBooks Online accounting software for a sample of the quality you can expect from Business News Daily.

What you can expect from Business News Daily reviews and buying guides

When you turn to a Business News Daily review or buying guide, you can count on recommendations that are accurate, fair, informative and comprehensive. More specifically, we undertake to provide the following:

Small Business Expertise

Our small business experts have decades of experience as entrepreneurs, product specialists and business operations consultants. They imbue every product or service investigation with their personal knowledge of what it means to use a given software or tool. Their institutional knowledge, combined with hands-on testing and up-to-date research, allows them to guide small business owners to the cream of the crop.

Direct comparisons

It can be daunting to realize that there are dozens of products competing for your money. We make the purchasing decision easier by narrowing down the huge range of options and comparing them with each other. You can discover, for example, not only how simple QuickBooks is to use, but also how its usability compares to competitors like Xero and FreshBooks. With clear comparison tables and alternative suggestions, we take the mystery out of it and allow business owners to quickly see how different services compare.

Overall Editor’s Rating and Individual Criteria Ratings

Before diving into an in-depth review, we know it can be helpful to have an at-a-glance idea of ​​a product’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s why, at the top, we rate each solution based on a number of factors. This ranges from general areas, like pricing and feature set, to specific uses, like invoicing and bill paying for accounting software. You can check out our rating chart and let the numbers speak for themselves: we even include an overall editor’s rating so you can compare and contrast product ratings within a category.

Here’s how our scores break down:

Rating on individual criteria

1-3: This area constitutes a significant gap in the attractiveness of the product.

4-6: Although the product may be limited in this area, it can get the job done.

7-10: The product offers near or high-end quality in this area.

Overall Editor’s Rating

1-3: We cannot confidently recommend this product or service to business owners.

4-6: This product can meet basic needs but is far from being the best in its class.

7-10: The product is among the best deals available for small business owners.

Suffice it to say, we only recommend services with an overall rating of 7 or higher. After all, if a product doesn’t rate well in the majority of areas, it has no use in your business.

Specific use cases

Although Business News Daily provides product recommendations for small businesses in general, we recognize that needs vary by industry, business size and budget. This is why we tailor our advice to specific audiences. You’ll notice unique use cases in our reviews, such as “best for restaurants” or “best for growing businesses” or even, in the case of accounting software, “best for invoicing.” This way you know exactly which products are best suited to which businesses and, therefore, what will serve you best. You best.

Careful and exhaustive analysis

Our multi-step review process is not left to one, two, or even five people. Business News Daily’s expanded editorial team and our team of small business experts work together to ensure that every review is fact-checked and edited to meet our standards for accuracy and quality. Through multiple cycles of research, testing, writing and editing, our product recommendations and buying guides must adhere to our core principles of reliability, accuracy and objectivity so that small business owners receive unrivaled advice on the things that matter most.