Posts Tagged ‘small business accounting software’

Corporate class software at small business prices

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

sage software

You may have heard of SAP software. It’s a software application used by a major percentage of medium sized and large enterprises all over the world. The prime use of the software application is to connect the whole company together and allow hundreds and often thousands of workers to store, share and view data concerning the physical and financial processes of the company. Significant organisations are managed by intelligent people who appreciate the strategic value of this type of software, such as how it can give them insight into why issues are occurring inside their business or where there might be opportunity for refinements.

This type of system is commonly known as ERP. It is very complex, very costly and can take along time to implement. A deployment of ERP software can cost ten’s of millions of dollars but this doesn’t stand in the way of substantial firms buying these systems.

Until a few months ago software like this was not within reach or affordable for tiny companies. As a result small businesses have not been aware of the substantial benefits that ERP systems can offer. Tiny firms have been misled by predatory software like Sage Software and Intuit that small business accounting software is the answer. These applications most often have no features to permit their owners to join together the entire firm or undertake common tasks such as customer relationship management.

The rise of Web based CRM software from vendors like Salesforce.com is a damning testimony of the small business accounting software organisations misleading or misunderstanding the small business community.

It is for this reason that small business ERP businesses in the same category as Salesorder.com have begun to make great progress in the market. They sell on demand software which includes all of the major functionality a small company requires at very low cost. What is even more compelling is these platforms are easy to use and can be installed rapidly.

At last ERP applications are no longer the privilege of substantial vendors.

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Discover a better way to manage your business

Monday, October 26th, 2009

sage accounting software

Accounting is for accountants and what’s more infuriating is they want it to stay this way, so it’s hardly suprising that people like me who run a small business and can’t and don’t want to pay an accountant uncovered the shortcut I want to share with you here. Everyone who creates or manages a business has ‘better’ tasks to perform than spend hours on their bookkeeping. Bookkeeping is a ‘chore’ that many people relish doing but must be attended to on a regular basis to avoid issues.

I asked my accountant for direction and he persuaded me to use Sage Software which turned out to be a small business accounting software package. Without even evaluating software I simply went ahead and purchased the lowest cost system I could find. On reflection I am relieved I didn’t spend too much cash on this as this software is arguably the most badly designed and most complex application I have ever used. OK my first piece of advice is that whenever you see the words accounting software go carefully as it probably means the designer isassuming you know a enough about accounting.

Just like me small enterprise people know about their craft and the product or service they sell and not accounting but in my case I was driven to allocate time to finding a system that would work for me. The good news is I found a really good answer, it’s an online system called salesorder.com.

Definitively the best application I have discovered, salesorder.com works on the internet and is thoughfully designed and of course lets me do my job anywhere I can access the net. Better still and the third piece of advice I want to share with you is that the team who work at salesorder.com are not just very knowledgeable of their service but they know a significant amount about the issues of running a small enterprise and have taught me the bookkeeping I need to know.

Remote Working Part 3 – Essential tools

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Quickbooks online edition

Self discipline more….

Before I share with you my collection of my favourite web tools that are sure to assist you to operate remotely, I must discuss one more issue concerningself discipline and especially to do with keeping your focus and powers of concentration

I’ve identified and confirmed a consistent behavior in acquaintances who work on the web and I’ve known for over a long time line and I call this behavior the fifty minute rule. I identified these colleagues who focus and work for 50 minutes and then make themselves take a complete 10 minute rest and are a significant order of magnitude more productive and generate a significantly better quality of work than colleagues who don’t have structured working methods.

OK as promised here is my list of favourite remote working software:

Electronic Mail

Google Mail has a price tag of zero. For my money the search and label (similar to folders) mechanisms are most definitely the best I have so far discovered. The only disadvantage so far is that I have seen it run quite slowly on lower spec.computers

Phone calls

Skype
used to infuriate me as the call performance was unacceptable, but three cheers for the software tech’s at Skype now as they have considerably refined the quality of the service. For just a few bucks a quarter ! am able to call and conference in any handset and Skype user in the world. The current edition of Skype has a mass of superb features and there are now plenty of of useful add ons.

Organising Content

Evernote
has acquired over a million users in no time at all – it enables you to store, organise and add notes to any species of digital media up on the Internet. Just go check it out…it’s free.

Invoicing, Time and Expenses capture, Accounting and CRM

You definitely know that my burning desire to work remotely was originally inspired by Quickbooks Online, a small business accounting software system. But it simply doesn’t even come close to the free edition of salesorder.com – a lead to cash system that’s as easy to use as a pencil I looked at NetSuite whose pricing (and people) scared me off. My choice here is salesorder.com – Go check it out.

Remote Working Part 3 – ‘Tools of the trade’

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Quickbooks online edition

Self discipline more….

Before I show you my collection of really good web tools that almost certainly assist you to operate remotely, I should discuss one more item connected withself discipline and especially to do with maintaining your focus and levels of concentration

I’ve observed and verified a consistent behavior in members of both sexes who work on the net and I’ve known for some time and I call this behavior the 50 min rule. I discovered these acquaintances who concentrate and work for fifty minutes and then take a whole ten mins. rest and are a significant order of magnitude more productive and generate a substantially greater quality of work than contacts who don’t have well organised working methods.

OK as promised here is my list of preferred remote working web applications:

Electronic Mail

Google Mail costs nothing. My friends and I all agree the search & label (similar to folders) mechanisms are the best implementation I have encountered. The only disadvantage so far is that I have seen it run quite slowly on lower spec.computers

Phone calls

Skype
occasionally drove me to despair as the call performance was appalling, but a big pat on the back for the developers at Skype now as they have considerably refined the quality of the service. For meagre amount of money a month ! can call and conference in any telephone and Skype subscriber on Earth. The latest version of Skype has a collection of very practical functions and there is an ever growing list of valuable add on applications.

Organising Content

Evernote
has secured over a million users in a very short space of time – it enables you to store, organise and add notes to any species of digital media on the web. Just go check it out…it’s free.

Invoicing, Time and Expenses capture, Accounting and CRM

You probably know that my ambition to work remotely was originally motivated by Quickbooks Online, a small business accounting software web application. But it is shadowed by the free edition of salesorder.com – a lead to cash system that’s as easy to use as a hairbrush I looked at NetSuite whose pricing (and people) scared me off. My choice here is salesorder.com – Go check it out.

Remote Working Part 2 – Tips on self management

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Quickbooks online

The top reason individuals fail to adapt to working remotely is they don’t recognise the essential requirement of good organisation and rigid self management.

I have been operating remotely for over seven years since I first uncovered Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’ small business accounting software online system and was blown away by the fact that if you can perform accounting on the net then why shouldn’t you be able to perform other important types of work remotely?

Whilst working remotely has its obvious perks there are numerous pitfalls which evolve into issues that result in reduced productivity and lower motivation. The key reason for low work output from remote employees is disturbance and it is a established and well publicised fact that it can take a employee up to 20 mins to establish their original efficiency level after experiencing a disturbance.

Studies also show that members of both sexes who are continuously affected by interruptions are more likely to be susceptible to decreased memory ability and are prone to developing mental health problems in later life. We exist in an over communicated era and it is imperative that you know the issues this causes before you commence working remotely. Whilst operating remotely you must do everything possible to reduce the threat of being distracted.

Here’s how I do it:

1, Get a habit, make sure that everybody knows it and stick to it!

Good examples are a regular time of day when you read or write and send mail and make or take telephone calls. Before I began working remotely I used to receive as many as 200 electronic mails every 24 hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I receive over five. To ’reset’ my e-mail experience I altered my e-mail address and obsessively took precautions to defend the details being made available to anyone. I then educated every party who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it with special care. I also created an auto-responder that swiftly informed anyone sending me mail at what time of day I would be processing mail and if an e-mail required my urgent awareness to mark it as ‘Urgent’.

2. Get rid of alerts.

Turn off every function that can send you a perceptible alert. This includes portable and
ordinary phones and types of alerts from e-mail such as display events, beeps, display changes to your inbox list and of course facing a window. Get a door on your study and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.

In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – What should be in your tool box’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.

 

Remote Working Part 2 – Tips on self management

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Quickbooks online

The main reason workers fail to adapt to operating remotely is they don’t recognise the need for good quality organisation and sustainable self management.

I have been toiling remotely for more than six years since I first discovered Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’ small business accounting software online system and was struck by the fact that if you can perform accounting on the Internet then why shouldn’t it be possible to perform other key types of of work at a distance?

Whilst working remotely has many benefits there are numerous mistakes that people make which lead to problems that cause cuts in productivity and reduced morale. The most significant reason for decreases in work output from remote employees is disturbance and it is a verified and well known fact that it can take a employee up to 0.33 hours to establish their original productivity level after experiencing a distraction.

Studies also show that persons who are regularly experience disturbances are more likely to be susceptible to lower memory ability and are prone to developing mental health problems in old age. We exist in an over communicated society and it is essential that you are acquainted with the problems this causes before you start working remotely. When working remotely you must do everything feasible to reduce the threat of being distracted.

Here are my most important tips:

1, Get a routine, make sure that everybody knows it and obsessively maintain it!

Good examples are a fixed time of day when you review or write and send mail and make or be available for telephone conversatiions. Before I began working remotely I used to receive nearly hundreds of electronic mails over a period of twenty four hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I receive more than five. To start over with my e-mail experience I changed my e-mail address and obsessively took precautions to look after the details being made available to anyone. I then made sure everybody who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it wisely and sparingly. I also configured an automatic reply that swiftly told anyone sending me mail at what time of day I would be attending to mail and if an e-mail required my urgent consideration to mark it as ‘Urgent’.

2. Get rid of alerts.

Disable every function that can send you a perceptible alert. This includes portable and
conventional phones and types of alerts from electronic mail such as visual alerts, audible warnings, display changes to your inbox list and of course facing a window. Get a door on your work room and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.

In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – Best online software’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.

 

Remote Working Part 1 – Start here

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Quickbooks online

Obviously not everybody can work remotely as many jobs require workers to consistently attend their employers premises or travel to undertake their duties in person. But for those of us are allowed to work remotely then I thought it would be useful to share what I have learned and offer some practical guidance by putting it online in the hope that I could give others valuable advice for adapting to remote working or managing remote workers.

I should warn you that there are a substantial number of people on the net who will try and persuade you to purchase courses for preposterous sums of money, take my word for it you don’t need to do this.

I am fortunate to be permitted to work wherever I choose and just about everyone who asks me what I do for a living wants to know how I manage to work remotely. Don’t misinterpret me I am still refining the science of remote working as all of the time I discover people on the web who tell me about new tricks and I am continually uncovering new technologies and approaches that make my life simpler and make me more efficient.

Over the past seven years I have substantially adapted my working processes to enable me to do all of my work remotely with a box of web tools and solid self management. One early morning whilst surfing the web I discovered Quickbooks online and this got me thinking about what just might be possible. The encounter with ’hosted’ ‘on demand’ small business accounting software was the turning point for me and the start of my ‘remote working history.

I must mention up front that successfully working remotely is as much about the software as it is about self management. Working remotely also means educating your team members, managers and clients as to what they can expect and how they will maintain contact with you.

In ‘Remote Working Part 2 – Best practises’ I steer you through how to focus.