When to Use a Quote, Estimate, or Proposal: A Small Business Owner’s Guide

I’ll never forget the day a frustrated client called me about a “quote” we’d sent him three months earlier. “Mohnish, you said it would cost ₹50,000,” he said, clearly annoyed. “Now you’re telling me it’s ₹65,000?” The problem? What we’d sent wasn’t actually a quote—it was an estimate. But we’d labeled it “Quotation” at the…

Is GST Registration Mandatory for a Private Limited Company?

I remember sitting across from Rajesh, a first-time founder who’d just incorporated his design agency as a private limited company. He looked genuinely worried. “Mohnish, I got a letter from my bank asking for my GSTIN. Do I need to register immediately? My CA said I might face penalties if I don’t, but my revenue…

Best Invoicing Software in India with Inventory Management

Best Invoicing Software in India with Inventory Management

I wasted three months picking invoicing software for my first startup back in 2015. Demos looked flawless, pricing seemed straightforward, then reality hit—GST compliance headaches, inventory sync failures, and support that vanished when deadlines loomed. If you’re a small business owner or startup founder drowning in manual invoices while trying to track stock levels, this…

Free vs Paid Accounting Software in India – Which One Should You Choose?

Last month, I was consulting with Priya, a startup founder in Bangalore who’d been using a basic spreadsheet to manage her growing e-commerce business. “Mohnish,” she said, clearly frustrated, “I spent three hours last night trying to figure out my GST returns, and I’m still not sure I got it right. My chartered accountant friend…

Best Vyapar Alternatives for Small Businesses

I wasted three weeks last year helping a client migrate from Vyapar to something that could handle their growth. What looked simple on paper—invoicing, inventory, GST compliance—turned into a maze of hidden costs, migration headaches, and feature gaps. If you’re running a small business or startup and hitting Vyapar’s limits, you don’t need another generic…