About Owner Field Guide
Owner Field Guide is a research-based guide to what business software costs and when an owner-operated business actually needs it.
Who the site is for
Owner Field Guide is for owner-operated businesses where the owner still does the admin. There is no dedicated office manager, bookkeeper, or IT person. In practice that means one to ten people, in any industry.
The questions here are about business functions that every small business shares: keeping track of customers, sending email, sending invoices, and keeping the books. The site does not cover any single trade.
The editorial view is simple. Buy fewer tools, and buy the right tools at the right time. Software is worth paying for when it solves a problem you already have, at a price that makes sense for your size.
Methodology: how software is compared
Every comparison on this site is built from what vendors publish themselves. That means pricing pages, plan pages, help centers, terms, changelogs, and app-store listings.
What every price shows
- The list price.
- Any promotional price, with its length or a note that none is stated.
- The plan name as it appears on the vendor's US pricing page.
- The date the figure was checked.
How often prices are re-checked
Prices and plan limits are re-checked on a 60-day cycle. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on the vendor's own site before you buy. If you spot a figure that is out of date, tell us and it will be checked.
What the site does not do
- No paid placement. A vendor cannot pay to be included, ranked higher, or described more kindly.
- No hands-on testing claims. The guides are research. They do not claim that anyone here tested or used the software, and they contain no invented ratings, testimonials, or user counts.
- No hidden affiliate links. Some links earn a commission. They are always disclosed, and the affiliate disclosure explains how they work.
"Not yet" is an answer
Sometimes the right amount of software is none, or a free plan, or the spreadsheet you already have. When "not yet" is the honest answer, that is the answer this site gives, along with what would change it.
Who is behind Owner Field Guide
Griselda K., Founder and Editor
Griselda K. is the founder and editor of Owner Field Guide and a small-business owner based in Miami, Florida. She created Owner Field Guide to help owner-operated businesses make clearer decisions about software, tools, and business systems as they grow. Her background includes more than a decade of experience in client-facing service businesses, entrepreneurship, and digital visibility strategy.