Accounting is the language of business, which means every business owner needs to have some kind of accounting system in place. Whether they hire out, do it themselves or hire their own accounting department, business owners need to stay on top of their accounting. Many accounting software have been produced to help make accounting easier and to aid in the process. While the software can’t completely eliminate the need for an experienced accountant to look over the books, they can help to eliminate some of the grunt work. Here are three to consider.
1. Acclivity AccountEdge Pro:
AccountEdge is a great software to get if you need multiple users to have access to it. Unlike other software, it offers a reduced price for each additional user and will allow up to 15 simultaneous users. The software offers all of the basic accounting functions and let’s you customize services based on what you need and what your price point is. AccountEdge also takes off the edge of setting up the program. A set-up wizard takes you through the process in 5 sections: accounts, sales, purchases, payroll, and customization. Each feature within the categories is explained and a detailed “help” section is also available. The software comes with an iPhone or iPad app for those who need access to information while on the go. Overall, the system is attractive and offers all of the basic services needed with the added benefit of cheaper multiple accounts and the iPhone App.
2. QuickBooks Pro:
QuickBooks is by far the most common software used by those who are new to accounting and are wanting to stick to the basics. The software eliminates technical jargon as much as possible and sticks to basic features like taxes, billing and CRM. Setup is quick an easy with just two screens asking for basic company info. Once setup is complete you can enter other information, such as a customer record or merchandise item as you go. For those needing additional features than what QuickBooks offers, many 3rd party add-ons are available. This is, decidedly, one of Quickbooks greatest strengths and weaknesses, as it’s very customizable but also doesn’t quite offer as much as other software.
3. Sage 50 Complete
If you know the ins and outs of accounting and are looking for something that you can customize to your needs and preferences, Sage 50 may be a good software choice for you. Sage 50 comes with its own database, which can make installation tricky. You may need to update your computer for the installation to work. Sage 50 does offer help for this in its help pages. Set-up is much more complex than other software as it will ask you a series of in depth questions to customize to your accounting preferences. Again, this is for someone who has some experience. The interface of the program is pleasing to the eye and easy to work with and offers great inventory management features, such as average cost, LIFO and FIFO. One downside of SAGE is you have to purchase a payroll add-on service to complete payroll within the system. Overall, a good system for someone wanting an in-depth software.
Chris Omar is a professional blogger that provides information for fleet management systems and software. He writes for Choice Applications, a leading provider for car fleet management software and truck fleet maintenance software.