The whole Quickbooks thing has gotten me thinking (smell wood burning?). If you don't wish to purchase Quickbooks and then step onto the treadmill of yearly updates that ultimately end in the purchase of the "new and improved" version for $X every so many years, what's your option?
I know how to deal with a paper ledger but common sense tells me there is something out there that will run on a computer, be relatively simple to use, and not require the repurchase of a "master system" every few years.
Are Quickbook updates regular parts of an accountant's service?
I am running the 07 version of Quick Books. One feature I liked was I could e-mail invoices directly from Quick Books. They wanted me to update and said I would no longer be able to e-mail my invoices unless I up dated. I looked into updating and it was going to cost me 400.00 bucks. I decided not to, I can just print the invoice, scan it, save it in my pictures, write an e-mail and attach the invoice myself. A little extra work, but for the amount I do it it's no big deal. I would still be using my 1998 version if my computer did not crash. Just make sure you save the activation codes, so if you crash you can reload and still use the program. One of these days I am going to have a computer that stays off line, it's the dam virus's, add and spy wear that keep crashing my computer, despite all the save guards I have in place. Really no need to update, just make sure you back up every time you are prompted to do so, even daily if you feel it is necessary. Use a cd, do not up date onto your hard drive.
I just wanted to let you guys know that I finally pulled the trigger on book keeping software. I've spoken at length with a couple of people who work in accounting and have listened to their criticism of Quickbooks and Intuit in general.
I purchased Sage Peachtree Pro Accounting 2011 (used) from Amazon for $30 delivered.
I'll let you know how it works out (if it does, lol). The whole yearly update thing with Quickbooks pissed me off. I loathe planned obsolescence.
bobbin,
I hope your happy with Peachtree. I used it before Qbooks came out and was overwhelmed at its complexity. I am extremely computer literate also. Maybe they have made it better through the years. I have head many accountants use Peachtree and this is probably the reasoning behind their negative comments. Paying for a piece of software to run your business easily is not a bad investment in my mind. I upgrade every few years. I don't pay anywhere near $400.00 for it maybe 150.
Good luck.
Quotenot require the repurchase of a "master system" every few years
Like I stated above I have not up dated, ever. I have no need to because what I have works great. Up dating is usually just to sell different feathers. I hope peachtree works out for you, I know someone who said their business out grew it rather quickly, never used it myself.
Hey Paul: How do you get that little blue website text on the bottom of your post?
I think Peachtree would be second choice, but I don't know of any reason that a small business person would want Peachtree instead of QB?
You only need yearly updates if you are doing payroll and using QB's payroll service. They auto download the tax tables. I think someone on here, Stephen maybe, is still using QB 2000???
Hey Mike,
I have QB 2006. I dont' use payroll and I don't have any online banking services. I had no need to upgrade either. QB runs email through their software just to try to get you to upgrade.
You said, "I can just print the invoice, scan it, save it in my pictures, write an e-mail and attach the invoice myself."
I go to FILE, click on Save as PDF, type a name for the file and where to save it. Then I go to my email and attach the PDF file and send it to my customers. This can save you a few steps and I have never had a customer complain that they could not open a PDF file.
gene
Seems like it's only ever been Peachtree or Quickbooks.
We've been satisfied Quickbooks users for at least 12 years, and have upgraded products about two times. It's not an annual thing.
And, as stated, being able to email documents in .pdf format direct is a huge deal for us, so I understand that concern. The new updates, IMO, as far as software goes and prices are fairly reasonable, IMO.
I've ONLY know Quickbooks, and have never used Peachtree, although I did a lot of research during our startup 12 years ago.
I always thought that Quickbooks was considered to be more user friendly than Peachtree, but that may be literally decade old info. So I am interested to see a real world Peachtree review.
I'm a using a homemade Frankenstein of a system, cobbled together from four different programs. Outright (www.outright.com) looks interesting...
Microsoft also offers a free version of their accounting software. Don't remember the name but if there is interest I will look into it.
Quote from: mike802 on March 10, 2011, 06:30:38 am
Hey Paul: How do you get that little blue website text on the bottom of your post?
It is part of my signature. the code is...
Website (http://www.MinichillosUpholstery.com)
You can add a signature to all your messages in your forum settings.
QuoteI go to FILE, click on Save as PDF, type a name for the file and where to save it. Then I go to my email and attach the PDF file and send it to my customers. This can save you a few steps and I have never had a customer complain that they could not open a PDF file.
QuoteIt is part of my signature. the code is...
Website
You can add a signature to all your messages in your forum settings.
Thanks guys
A friend of mine is in charge of the book keeping for a fairly large local business and he uses Peachtree. He recommended it highly and since he's going to give me a hand setting up the system I figured I'd give his choice a serious look. I did a fair amount of digging and found many detractors for Quickbooks. It wasn't that the program wasn't effective and easy to use, it had more to do with the heavy handed control wielded by Intuit and the lack of response to problems frequently encountered by users; not the least of which was the planned obsolescence of many features requiring yearly "upgrades" or additional fees. Take a read of the review of Quickbooks on Amazon and the self-congratulatory responses by the Intuit team. No thanks.
I have had both Financial and Managerial Accounting in my "college experience" so I am not unfamiliar with the basics. Everything I've read about Peachtree is that it's very straightforward and easy to navigate. Clearly, for my podunk business I won't need all the features, but what I like about it is the ability to add to my own system if I need/want to.
I will give you my honest feedback after I've had a chance to play with the program. My goal is to basically run my business without a lot of paper. I want to bank on-line, deal with quarterly taxes on-line, order on-line, bill on-line, etc.. I watch my boss duplicate effort at every turn and see the time it wastes; I'm not interested in following that model for myself. These are lofty goals I've set, but setting up a good, solid book keeping system is the way to get off to a flying start, at least I hope so!
OK, with the assistance of my book keeper friend Peachtree is now loaded into my computer, I'm up to speed with the external hard drive, and I'm feeling my way around the features of the program. It seems pretty straightforward, and much of my confusion has more to do with a general discomfort about navigating its features with confidence than it being geared toward a professional.
My eyes were beginning to glaze over after a couple of hours and we wisely decided to call it quits for the day. My next mission is to get the wireless printer hooked up and get up to speed on that. All of this has frequently been an exercise in frustration for me, but in spite of it I keep plugging along and bit by bit the pieces are beginning to fall into place. But I still wonder if I'll ever "get it" fully, lol.
QuoteI will give you my honest feedback after I've had a chance to play with the program. My goal is to basically run my business without a lot of paper. I want to bank on-line, deal with quarterly taxes on-line, order on-line, bill on-line, etc.. I watch my boss duplicate effort at every turn and see the time it wastes; I'm not interested in following that model for myself.
Bobbin: It may look like a wast of time to you, but your boss just may be doing that out of experience, a bad experience. I am old enough to remember when computers first came out, they were toted as the "new paperless office" yea right. I back everything up on paper, estimates, invoice, even emails are printed and filed, everything especially checking. This has saved my A## numbers times, after my computer crashed a couple of times and all records were lost I decided never again to trust electronic data storage, my old floppy's have become obsolete and they just loose stuff after a while and Cd's are easily corrupted. I just hate it when a decorator says they told me such and such, I don't have to argue, I just go to my file cabinet and pull the email. IMO on line banking is to insecure, hackers always find ways around firewalls and such, so I just don't do it. The Gov, the IRS can easily block your accounts and even if they make a mistake and you are innocent it can ruin your business and reputation, with things going the way they are in the good ol USA I keep most of my money at home and only have enough in the bank for shoe string operations.
Mike, I too, remember the first computers. Fortran, Cobal (?), Pascal... . I asked my techie boyfriend if I should take programming classes.. NOPE! was his reply, those languages are already obsolete. It was 1980. (he went to work for a small company called, Apple).
If you're backing all your data up with paper why are you even wasting your time with a computer, lol? Seems to me to be a redundancy. ;) What's the point? Does using one save you any time, at all? What is your protection against, say, a fire, or a break in? The point being that no method will ever be "fool-proof".
All my research indicates that proper back up to an external hard drive is the most effective way to store records. As for safety and security, a paper trail will always be the easiest way compromise account information. I have several customers who work in the computer/high tech industry, one of whom specializes in security for a large bank. In over 13 yrs. they've never had their security compromised... but fraud committed by the theft of carelessly disposed of bank documents and credit card statements has caused customers untold headaches. My BIL teaches computer science and he hardly ever writes a check any more; he reconciles his account and pays his bills in one monthly session at his computer. I'm all for that sort of convenience, thank you.
As for the IRS deliberately blocking accounts... c'mon, taken in the big picture it makes no sense, whatsoever. Why would "they" waste their time on podunk people like us? We e-file our taxes, and it's great! it's fast, it's secure, and our overpayment was automatically deposited to our account. As a matter of fact, in my state we are now required to file our quarterly payments electronically. So, it is the way of the future. I don't have the energy to scream into the wind over such things.
My boss is just staid and unwilling to learn something new. That's why nothing in the shop has changed in nearly 16 yrs. and that's why any suggestion to improve efficiency is shot down immediately. And that's why there was bit of a tantrum when I told the payroll service to begin automatically depositing my paycheck in my bank. And actually, there was a glitch with a quarterly payment... there was no notation made in the memo section of the check and the paper chase was on to "prove" that the payment was made in a timely manner. There was a lot of finger pointing and "blaming", too.
We all do what is most comfortable for us and clearly you have found a system that works for you and suits your personality. I'm still struggling to find the right fit for me, but I am secure in the knowledge that the computer and due caution is the way of the future and I'd best "get with it" sooner rather than later. It's a "brave new world", baby.
bobbin,
Yes you will get it fully. Computerizing is a good thing and there is much to learn. There will come a time when it will all "click" Well somewhat anyway.
Reading your tales of all this and your thought on backing up I figured I'd throw in a very good backup procedure.
You're external drive is a good starting point. If I remember Peachtree was your choice for the books end of things. Back that up every time you use it to your external drive.
At least once a week, better every day, you should backup your "my documents" folder and sub folders. And weekly do a complete image of your computer's C: drive. Then once a week upload the financial data you backed up to an offline storage drive. If you have a website you can use that storage. You probably have way more space there than you will ever use. Password protect this zip file before sending it.
Offline storage is a necessary part of any backup plan. Grandfathering backups is also best. 3 sets of backups is grand fathering. Monday = 1, Tuesday = 2, Wednesday = 3, Thursday overwrites Mondays etc. etc. This may sound complicated but it is really the only safe way to keep data available.
QuoteIf you're backing all your data up with paper why are you even wasting your time with a computer, lol? Seems to me to be a redundancy. Wink What's the point? Does using one save you any time, at all? What is your protection against, say, a fire, or a break in? The point being that no method will ever be "fool-proof".
Yes my computer does save me time. Quick books gives me instant graphs and charts that tell me where my business is going and where it has come from - instantly for any date I should want to know about, I love it and it helps me make informed business decisions. Quick books also does all the double entry book keeping for me and having everything packed up on paper gives me the ability to reconstruct my books, heaven forbid I should ever have to. Backing up all my stuff with paper only takes the amount of time to print and file, I wast more time talking to potential clients who never buy anything. No there is no fool proof system, but some are safer than others. I wish you all the best and hope you never experiences data loss as I have. If online banking is for you than go for it. It's not my cup of tea and neither is a cashless society, no we didn't talk about that, but it's a slippery slop and IMO that is where this is all heading and I believe that is worth fighting for.
Paul, I'm doing the daily back up to the EHD (external hard drive) whenever I use Peachtree. I also back up my "D" drive (that's where all this stuff is based) routinely. But I'm not sure I follow the rest of your prescribed back-up regimen. I THINK you're telling me to back it all up and store it on the server that hosts my website?
I don't presently have a website and what I think you're telling me is that backing the stuff up (password protected) the available memory that comes with a website is a smart, no added cost way to add a level of "remote" back-up. Yes? In case my shop goes up in flames and my EXD is incinerated? (the same way Mike's paper records and his computer's HD would be incinerated?).
Thanks for all your good thoughts and suggestions on this topic. I'm clearly insecure about the "big picture" but the more I read and ask questions the better I feel about it all. But Everest is mighty tall and I'm still diddling around at "base camp", lol.
I appreciate your help. In a major way.
Quote from: bobbin on March 27, 2011, 01:53:46 pm
I don't presently have a website and what I think you're telling me is that backing the stuff up (password protected) the available memory that comes with a website is a smart, no added cost way to add a level of "remote" back-up. Yes? In case my shop goes up in flames and my EXD is incinerated? (the same way Mike's paper records and his computer's HD would be incinerated?).
You got the idea. Safest backup is off site.
You can use any spread sheet like MS Excel. Or free like I think OpenOffice is.
Make columns for date, customer, total sale, sale without sales tax etc. Make another for the year or quarter.
Make another sheet for expenses.
Set it up for the deductions you will be making from your business profit and loss at end of year.
You should be able to do your taxes from this info. Check IRS forms for Profit and Loss to decide what columns to have.
Ken
Yes, you can use spreadsheets. Out of college, I worked for a very large insurance company and there was a whole room full of accountants with large pieces of papers known as "spreadsheets." A number of years later, my brother worked for a fortune 500 pharmaceuticals company that kept corporate books on an early version of Excel. But I would not want to do it.
I remember as a child my grandfather, who lived next door and was a farmer that sold eggs and vegetables would come up with several boxes of paper receipts. My dad, mother (who had bookkeeping skills) would sit down for hours on a borrowed adding machine tallying up his records so they could do income taxes.
I have QB and upgrade every three years. I figure it costs about $1 every week. While I've had several accounting courses and my wife is a CPA, it's well worthwhile every month when I have to remit sales taxes (which accumulate separately for each of the 8 or so counties that I do work in), balancing the books at the end of every month and quarterly and annually when I do estimated and final taxes.
There are other business software packages out there, but I would not want to be without one.
(Veteran of Fortran IV, COBOL, Pascal, PL/I, 360/370 macro-level assembler, and a host of other programming languages, along with TSO, JCL, IMS DB/DC, CICS, Total, SQL and other environments).
You are all miles ahead of me ;D I have a little program called Instant admin.
Previously I was just plodding along with exel, it works ::)
Instant Admin makes it all look a lot more pro :P basic info only, works out taxes, profit & loss etc, can't import bugger all & can't email quotes from it, but scan & attach works fine for me :D
Good for you bobbin, may be one day..... ;)
Suzi