Choosing an accounting software application for your small business finance needs is a lot like finding the right relationship: if you go in blindly, you may find yourself stuck with a partner who doesn't listen to you or care about your needs, and it'll take months to fix the havoc they wreak on your bank account. As a small business owner you naturally want to keep on top of your finances, and accounting software can go a long way in making your job easier. But finding a program made specifically for small businesses that's actually easy to use can be more challenging than it was starting your company.
The accounting software you choose has to accommodate your needs and respect your time as a small business owner. Chances are you'll be using it for a few years, so you want to be sure it makes your life easier rather than more of a chore. Peachtree Pro Accounting 2008 automates three key areas of the daily paperwork you have to deal with in your business: invoices, checks and employee payroll. (The last of these requires a subscription to Peachtree's Payroll Tax Update Service, something you may want to take into account when analyzing your budget.) The software integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, and offers more detailed customization options for your statements than other products in the same price range.
Along the same lines, QuickBooks Pro 2007 features professional quality pre-designed statements and invoices. It also integrates with Microsoft Office products, and displays all necessary information (such as contact information and the customer's transaction history) on a single screen for easy retrieval. Several step-by-step tutorials during setup will help you acquaint yourself with the application, and 30-day call support from the point of registration gets you through the learning curve.
Quickbooks Pro 2007 lacks the extensive customizable options found in PeachTree Pro 2008, but offers greater support and walkthroughs for common tasks. Both Quickbooks Pro and Peachtree Pro will import and convert documents from each other, so switching from one to the other isn't a problem.
Bottom line: decide how automated you want your accounting software to be, and how much control you want over the look of your invoice. Knowing this before you buy will help you spend more time running your business and less time deciphering your business finance software.
Victoria Scott
