Accountants: What is best software for business - Quickbooks, OOo, Excel - Other?
I use Open office (OOo) but wondering about using Quickbooks - But can Quickbooks figures be handed over to accountant once business grows? Thanks in advance.
Small Business - 3 Answers
People Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
GnuCash is an excellent piece of software. And the best part is it's open source (free!) I really advise you try it out!
Answer 2 :
As an accountant of 30 years in public practice, I would answer your question with a simple yes, but I would suggest that you consider the following points before deciding. An accounting system is one of the most important tools available to you in assisting in running your business. Without it you will never know whether to declare yourself a millionaire or a bankrupt. You need to ensure what items you sell/do are profitable and what ones to keep away from, this is a constantly changing problem as prices/cost fluctuate on nearly a daily basis. See fuel this month as a prime example. Costs can often be taken for granted, with the idea, "well I have to have X" and just renew year upon year, Reviewing sources can save a fortune over time and also indicates to your service providers that you are not a soft touch who can be conned. I can hear you say " I have not time for this". Quite true, I am sure, but your package should highlight to you what needs checking thus minimising the time required. If you have employees or are registered for VAT you will be aware of the mounds of paperwork involved in keeping HMRC happy ( or is that possible!!) A good package needs the minimum of input and does most if not all of the boring tasks behind the scenes, thus freeing you to do what you do best, running your business. Most people ( thankfully) use an accountant to prepare, check and present their year end accounts, do their taxes and submit to HMRC. This is good as it allows a professional pair of eyes to take an independent view of your results and possibly advise on improvements where necessary. Also we are on call throughout the year if you need us, but invariably it costs you. In this credit crunch and indeed at any time you need to know how you are doing this year not last year, thats gone! If you drive a car, it will soon indicate if it is out of fuel, but by the time the red oil light comes on to show that the oil is low a lot of damage can already have been done! You need up to date information, each and every day, to guide you in increasing your profitability and protecting your assets. Simple things like customers taking longer than normal to pay, can indicate danger signs that you need to be aware of and act upon. If Joe Bloogs increases his purchases on credit from you, the initial reaction is to be grateful for the business, but maybe its time to check on Mr Bloogs. Is he buying more from you than usual because he has used up his lines of credit with other suppliers and is going down the tubes, clutching at straws. That is a customer that you can do without. The above are just a few examples of what a middle of the road software package can do for you with approx one hours committment from you on a weekly basis. I do not suggest spending a fortune, I would estimate that you could obtain a system for less than £200 inc VAT which will fulfil your needs for years to come. We deal with output and information from all systems, as do all accountants, but when asked for a recommendation for the small to medium sized business, I only recommend one. Naturally I cannot mention it on here because that would be considered advertising, but if you require further information or wish to discuss the merits of any system please feel free to e-mail me through Yahoo Questions
Answer 3 :
Hello! A friend of mine gave me a url link for a try, just great, take a look at http://www.binaryhouse.com - OrgFinances the program allows creating the database and events planned, all new versions of this program for free and for a lifetime.
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