How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Business


With any good luck and a good amount of hard work, you're having the same problem many business owners today are facing. Your business is growing rapidly and you're having problems controlling your finances. Time and time again, that Microsoft Excel spreadsheet you've been using just isn't getting the job done for you.

So, you've decided that you're ready to take the next step, and buy a full-featured accounting software program. Many options are available to choose from, but I believe the best solutions to be Quicken Premier Home and Business by Intuit, QuickBooks Pro also by Intuit, and Peachtree Accounting by Sage. In order to decide on the right package for you, you need define the type of business that you operate.

With the rise of self-employment (businesses with one or more owners but no paid employees) a need has arisen to manage business and personal finances on one platform. Intuit has released Quicken 2005 Premier Home and Business to fill this need.

This software is perfect for the small business owner who receives income from investments, real estate, and/or internet
marketing. Also, Quicken 2005 Premier Home and Business is well priced at only $89.95.

For more typical brick-and-mortar business owners, you will usually need a more robust solution like QuickBooks Pro or Peachtree Accounting for functions like payroll reporting and check producing. Each piece of software has its advantages, but don't forget that QuickBooks has been the standard in business accounting software for many years now. As for features and basic operations, both applications will provide you the same functionality and convenience for your business.

One additional factor to consider in your decision is that Peachtree Accounting is less expensive than QuickBooks. Both starter versions of Peachtree and QuickBooks are priced at $99.95 each, but the full-featured version of Peachtree is priced at only $199.95 while the full-featured QuickBooks Pro is priced at $299.95.

At the end of the day, the biggest advantage QuickBooks offers over Peachtree is compatibility with other applications. For example, most commercial banks (Bank of America, SunTrust, etc...) provide you with files designed to work directly with

QuickBooks, so that you can read, study, and decipher transaction details. Also, some banks will allow you to update account information in real-time with QuickBooks. Check with your bank to see what accounting software their online services support, and you should be able to make your decision.

About the author:
Brandon Hall owns http://www.accountingsoftwareportal.comwhich is a site dedicated to providing resources, links, articles, and news related to accounting software products


More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 403, exiting

More Accounting Information:

Related Articles

3 Essential Tools for Starting and Maintaining a Small Business
We believe that there are 3 factors that drive the success of small businesses.
7 Things to Consider Before Buying Small Business Accounting Software
The world of small business accounting software can be a minefield for any business owner. However choosing the right package is one of the most critical business decisions you will make.
9 Strategies for Writing Accounts Payable Procedures
The Cash to Cash Cycle - Part Four of Series
9 Things You Must Do To Maximize Your Chances Of Obtaining A Small Business Loan
To get approval for your small business loan application, you must be able to meet the lending criteria set down. Some organisations are more risk averse than others, and will therefore have more stringent criteria.
10 Amazing Ways To Jump Start Your Sales
1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones that have the same objective. You can trade leads, share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.
Accounting Methods — Cash and Accrual
When starting a business, you have to determine the method you are going to use for accounting and paying taxes. The two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.
After The Latest And Accurate Help In Relation To Accountancy
When you are looking for high-class advice concerning accountancy, it will be hard sorting out the best information from foolish accountancy proposals and guidance so it's best to know ways of moderating the information offered to you.
An Introduction To Point Of Sale Software
Point of sale software gives business owners a convenient way of checking out customers and of recording sales. It can keep a record of the store inventory, updating it when an order is processed. It can also print out receipts, carry out credit card processing, track customers, etc. Point of sale software eases the flow at checkout terminals, while recording all the information that can help you make better business decisions.
Asset And Liability Basics
Knowledge of accounts can make life much easy. If you are to invest in a new business or joining your forefather's business, planning to take some loan, looking for job in any marketing company, desire to be the manager of a multinational company or have the onus to manage your own assets and liabilities, knowing some basics of accounts becomes mandatory.
Bottleneck-oriented Business Management
Simple and effective Business Management
Business Laws Basics
A professional degree in Juris Doctor relates to a higher grade of studies in law. With business houses expanding in size and the legal issues gaining higher importance for day to day working of large corporates, demand for Juris Doctor professionals has been increasing.
Can You Play the Drums?
When I was a child, all I wanted from life was to be able to play every instrument under the sun. Pretty lofty goal, right?
Childcare Management & Daycare Software
Running a childcare facility can be an exhausting, 24/7 job. There are always kids to keep track of, records to update, fees to collect, bills to pay, reports to write, and so on. Often, your To-Do List seems both frighteningly endless and drearily cyclical.
Choosing A Business Tax Service
There are a number of ways that you can find tax services companies. The yellow pages is a good place to start for companies in your area but, depending on where you live, the list of names may be extremely long.
Company/Employee Handbook as Organisational Improvement Tool
A business is only able to grow as fast as the internal organisation is able to process higher volumes of sales. But how to get an optimal internal organisation? Well, you will need to adapt your internal organisation over and over again. It's a never ending story. However, a Company/Employee Handbook could assist you to achieve the best internal business organisation.