How To Start An ERP Software Company In 6–12+ Months
To launch an ERP software business, define a narrow customer segment, build a secure MVP, prepare implementation support, and sell paid pilots before broad release A focused MVP often takes 6–12+ months, depending on module depth, integrations, data migration, and security review The researched planning assumptions use Year 1 pricing of $299, $799, and $1,999 per month, plus one-time fees of $1,500, $3,000, and $7,500 Check the financial model before hiring ahead of demand, because Year 1 marketing is modeled at $150,000 with a $2,500 customer acquisition cost
Time to Open6-12 monthsSetup windowLaunch Sequence5 stagesICP firstKey BottleneckIntegration gapData migrationFirst Revenue StepPaid pilotInvoice paid
Launch timeline
This is a short web summary of the launch plan, and the XLSX export contains the detailed Gantt Chart.
Get the first ERP Software customers by selling founder-led to one narrow vertical ICP, running discovery calls, and demoing only workflows you already run well. Then offer a paid pilot, scope implementation up front, and convert the pilot into a recurring subscription; if you need the startup cost angle, see How Much Does It Cost To Open, Start, Launch Your ERP Software Business?. First revenue can come from $1,500 Core, $3,000 Pro, or $7,500 Enterprise implementation fees, plus $299, $799, or $1,999 monthly plans.
Start with sales
Pick one narrow vertical ICP.
Run discovery calls first.
Demo only proven workflows.
Ask for paid pilots.
Turn pilots into revenue
Scope implementation before signing.
Charge $1,500 to $7,500.
Convert success into subscriptions.
$150,000 budget at $2,500 CAC means 60 customers.
What do you need to start an ERP software company?
You need a focused SMB segment, defined ERP Software modules, a build team, cloud hosting, security controls, contracts, onboarding workflow, and a sales process; What Is The Most Critical Metric To Measure The Success Of Your ERP Software Business? helps tie launch work to measurable adoption. The product should cover accounting, HR, inventory, supply chain, or operations workflows, not generic software features.
Launch base
Pick one industry or company size
Define core workflow modules first
Set security and access controls
Build implementation and support playbooks
Year 1 math
Price tiers: $299, $799, $1,999/month
Setup fees: $1,500, $3,000, $7,500
Fixed overhead: $9,200/month before wages
Break-even needs 31 basic subscriptions
What ERP software launch mistakes should founders avoid?
Founders should keep ERP Software launches tight: don’t overbuild modules, don’t sell to a vague ICP, and don’t launch before support is ready. Year 1 cost assumptions already include $1,200 per month for cybersecurity, $800 for CRM and project management software, and $2,000 for legal and accounting retainers, so a slow setup can turn a signed pilot into churn if data is wrong.
Launch guardrails
Limit first release to core modules
Define the ICP before selling
Document onboarding step by step
Set access controls on day one
Risk control
Map customer data fields first
Plan for migration workload early
Set support triage before launch
Watch for setup delays and bad data
Key Takeaways
Narrow the ICP before broad ERP scope.
Build stable modules, roles, reporting, and audit trails.
Prove security, backups, and insurance before pilots.
Match sales growth to implementation and support capacity.
Vertical ICP And ERP Scope
Vertical ICP and ERP Scope
ERP launches slip when the team tries to serve every small business at once. A tight vertical ICP means one named segment, one clear workflow set, and one demo path for accounting, HR, inventory, supply chain, or operations. That tighter scope lowers custom requests and makes the first implementation cleaner, so the product is easier to open with and support from day one.
The readiness signal is simple: you can name the segment, map its core jobs, and show which modules are must-have versus excluded. If buyer interviews still point to mixed workflows, launch risk goes up because setup gets slower, demos get vague, and the first customers see a tool that does not match how they work.
Lock the first segment
Run buyer interviews before scope freeze, then turn the answers into a one-page workflow map. List the exact tasks the first release must cover, and write down what it will not do. That keeps product, sales, and onboarding aligned and stops the team from promising features that delay launch.
Interview one target segment only.
Map core accounting and operations steps.
List must-have modules first.
List excluded features next.
Test pilot fit before launch.
Use that scope list to screen early prospects. If they need broad support across every function, they are not a first-release fit. If they match the chosen segment, you get faster onboarding, clearer demos, fewer custom requests, and a cleaner path to first revenue without stretching the team thin.
1
MVP Modules And Architecture
Core ERP MVP Architecture
Usable ERP software has to work as one system on day one, not as separate tools glued together. The launch risk is simple: if shared database logic, role-based permissions, and reporting are not stable, finance, HR, and inventory data will drift and pilots will stall.
The readiness signal is a narrow set of modules that run reliable workflows end to end. That includes a clean data model, audit trails, and a release plan that can still support $299, $799, and $1,999 monthly tiers without rework. One brittle workflow can break the first customer test.
Build the First Modules First
Keep the MVP tight: module backlog, data model, user roles, audit logs, testing, and release sequencing. Start with the workflows customers will touch first, then verify each module can read and write the same records before you add more scope. That is what keeps opening on time.
Lock the module backlog early
Test shared records across modules
Approve roles before pilot access
Check audit trails on every action
Release only stable workflows
What this hides: a nice demo is not launch-ready if one edge case breaks order entry, approvals, or reporting. If pilots need manual fixes, support load jumps fast and first revenue slows. Stable workflow beats broad scope.
2
Security And Compliance Readiness
Security and Compliance Readiness
ERP buyers will not hand over finance, HR, or inventory data until security is believable. For a cloud ERP, access controls, audit logs, encryption, backups, and a clear incident workflow are day-one gates, not later fixes. If those controls are weak, pilots stall and the launch can slip because customers will not open live data access on time.
This launch driver also sets the cash and approval bar. Plan for about $1,200 per month in cybersecurity subscriptions and $1,000 per month in business insurance, then confirm customer data rules, admin permissions, and backup testing before go-live. Compliance depth changes by buyer segment and contract terms, so the security review has to match the first target customer.
Lock Down Controls Early
Before opening, verify the security stack and document who can access what. Test role-based permissions, run a backup restore, and write the incident response steps so support can act fast if something breaks. One clean rule: no live customer data until the controls are checked.
Set admin roles before pilot access.
Test backups, then test restores.
Record customer data handling rules.
Approve vendor and tool policies.
Confirm security review before onboarding.
If the first buyer requires stricter terms, add those controls before contract signature. That avoids rework, keeps onboarding on schedule, and prevents day-one delays caused by missing logs, weak permissions, or an untested recovery plan.
3
Implementation And Support Capacity
Implementation and Support Capacity
For ERP software, launch is not just product access. It’s customer activation, which means the buyer can configure, train, map processes, review data, and get help without waiting on the founder. If this layer is weak, pilots stall even when the software is live, and opening day turns into manual firefighting instead of steady service.
The key readiness signal is a repeatable setup flow for configuration, training, process mapping, data review, bug triage, and customer success handoff. A support stack of $800 per month for CRM and project management software is part of that operating load. The real risk is signing pilots faster than the team can implement them.
Launch Setup and Support Workflow
Before opening, lock the onboarding path into one checklist: sales handoff, onboarding docs, implementation checklist, training scripts, escalation rules, and support queue ownership. That keeps every new customer moving through the same steps, so setup time stays predictable and day-one use is realistic.
Use the first pilot to test the full path, not just logins. Confirm who maps workflows, who reviews imported data, who handles bugs, and who approves go-live. If the team cannot run that sequence end to end, slow new signings until support capacity matches implementation demand.
Assign one owner per onboarding step.
Standardize the sales-to-success handoff.
Track each pilot in one queue.
Test scripts before the first live setup.
4
Integrations And Data Migration
ERP Integrations And Data Migration
If integrations and migration are not proven before launch, the ERP cannot run a buyer’s accounting, payroll, CRM, inventory, ecommerce, or spreadsheet data on day one. That can turn a launch into manual cleanup, delay pilots, and hurt trust even if the core product works.
The real risk is promising universal integrations before real customer data has been tested. Set the connector list, API limits, import templates, field mapping, test migrations, and rollback plan before opening, because one bad import can stall implementation and push first revenue out. Source figures place third-party API and software licenses at 3% of revenue in Year 1 and 15% by Year 5.
Test data before you sell the pilot
Use one real customer dataset to prove the path from old system to new system. Verify the fields, clean the imports, and confirm the rollback plan before you book go-live dates.
Map each source system first.
Check API limits and license costs.
Build import templates and field rules.
Run a test migration end to end.
Keep a rollback path ready.
If the first migration fails, onboarding slows and support load rises fast, so the launch team should sign off only after the test data posts cleanly and the customer can work in the new system without manual re-entry.
5
Sales Pipeline And Paid Pilots
Paid Pilot Pipeline
If the ERP launch cannot turn discovery calls into paid pilots, there is no proof buyers will pay and no cash to fund rollout. With a $150,000 Year 1 marketing budget and $2,500 CAC, the plan implies 60 customers ($150,000 / $2,500), so the funnel has to be tight from first demo to first payment.
The launch risk is selling before onboarding and support are ready. If pilots start without a clear setup path, the opening slips, customer trust drops, and early revenue gets pushed out because SMB buyers expect working workflows, not a live test.
Set the Pilot Rules
Before launch, lock the founder-led discovery script, demo flow, pilot criteria, implementation fee, subscription pricing, referral partner list, and conversion plan. Keep the first offer narrow so sales, setup, and support all quote the same scope and do not create custom work that slows opening.
Map one buyer segment.
Write pass-or-fail pilot criteria.
Price the implementation fee early.
Test trial-to-paid handoff steps.
Assign follow-up within 24 hours.
Use the funnel math as a check: 15% visitor-to-trial and 25% trial-to-paid means weak top-of-funnel flow can starve revenue even if the product works. If the pilot process is not ready, do not scale traffic yet.
