Micro business information management system
Discussion
We run a micro business producing special products selling to business - typically 10 orders a month, turning over £600K/year.
We currently manage the business—from sales enquiries and tracking through purchase ordering, invoicing etc using Excel and Access.
We're considering whether to fully transition to Access for its customization or if we should be looking at commercial software instead.
Other than Mircrosoft 365 which we use anyway, we've tried to steer away from monthly subscriptions as we're trying to run the business with minimum costs.
Can anyone suggest packages we should consider?
We currently manage the business—from sales enquiries and tracking through purchase ordering, invoicing etc using Excel and Access.
We're considering whether to fully transition to Access for its customization or if we should be looking at commercial software instead.
Other than Mircrosoft 365 which we use anyway, we've tried to steer away from monthly subscriptions as we're trying to run the business with minimum costs.
Can anyone suggest packages we should consider?
Pistom said:
Other than Mircrosoft 365 which we use anyway, we've tried to steer away from monthly subscriptions as we're trying to run the business with minimum costs.
Subscription will be the only way to do this. Ideally you want to pay based on size of business or number of transactions or number of users etc. That way a small business pays less than a larger business. But you still get the same tools or benefits. Well I think benefits are bigger for a small business because a larger business will probably be better organised before switching to a newer system. I first looked at Xero when the business started and it wasn’t right for us then but will look again.
The thing we like about Access is its ability to be customised but that means we’re tempted to play with it when time could probably be better spent elsewhere.
The thing we like about Access is its ability to be customised but that means we’re tempted to play with it when time could probably be better spent elsewhere.
Edited by Pistom on Tuesday 18th March 19:30
Coming at it from an IT angle if you're a micro business without dedicated IT I'd be inclined to look at a SaaS model.
I won't say it always works but mostly it "just works" and often being unable to tinker and customise helps you because you realise what the rest of the world considers important.
I've seen too much home-brew s
t someone has knocked up in Access and then neglected the backups or "someone changed something and now it doesn't work".
Same with 365.
It's cheap as hell in the context of keeping your business running - why risk it for a few quid?
I won't say it always works but mostly it "just works" and often being unable to tinker and customise helps you because you realise what the rest of the world considers important.
I've seen too much home-brew s
t someone has knocked up in Access and then neglected the backups or "someone changed something and now it doesn't work".Same with 365.
It's cheap as hell in the context of keeping your business running - why risk it for a few quid?
When I started where I work now there was a shonky Access database for invoicing customers and a record database. I used to dread 'invoicing day' and there was always additional time mopping up things that went wrong! I migrated the billing to Xero and most customers are on repeating invoices - although they are 'saved as draft' until I one-click approve to prevent being sent overnight - which I think loses a personal touch with a small company.
My work has a low 7-figure turnover, but invoices in the hundreds, and small payroll (Xero is not great at payroll) and costs £55 per month. Last year they renamed all the price plans - prices went up - it does the same! I think Xero is based on transaction numbers (+ payroll) rather than turnover. There are also lots of add-ons that work with Xero, but we don't use any.
I also have a teeny service company (turnover ~10% of yours), less than a dozen transactions a month and Xero is ~£18
My work has a low 7-figure turnover, but invoices in the hundreds, and small payroll (Xero is not great at payroll) and costs £55 per month. Last year they renamed all the price plans - prices went up - it does the same! I think Xero is based on transaction numbers (+ payroll) rather than turnover. There are also lots of add-ons that work with Xero, but we don't use any.
I also have a teeny service company (turnover ~10% of yours), less than a dozen transactions a month and Xero is ~£18
BobToc said:
Curious where you’ve struggled with Xero for payroll? We’re running around 20 employees off it hitch free (but you have me worried!).
Most of our staff are paid weekly and I can't fault it. One lad asked to be paid monthly and Xero would vary his hourly rate and number of hours to get to 1/12 of salary. Instead he asked we agree his hourly rate and he's paid for the actual hours in a month, but his pay can vary considerably depending where the weekends fall. Xero also lacks 'day rate' as a pay option - unless they work 1 'hour' for their day's money, but it shows as hours on payslips.
Xero and the (NEST) pension scheme round fractions of pence differently so there's usually a bit of tidying up to do. I gave up with auto-submit schedules and enter manually now.
Likely all could be operator error!
We code bespoke software specifically for manufacturing companies.From quotation to Invoicing. The invoicing process onwards is completed by off the shelf accounts packages. Rarely does the way our customer want to cost, manufacture, buy in raw materials , process, subcontract service out and then final assemble make a good fit for off the shelf software. Lots of Exel spreadsheats are ok when very small but can be a pain with growth
Redarress said:
We code bespoke software specifically for manufacturing companies.From quotation to Invoicing. The invoicing process onwards is completed by off the shelf accounts packages. Rarely does the way our customer want to cost, manufacture, buy in raw materials , process, subcontract service out and then final assemble make a good fit for off the shelf software. Lots of Exel spreadsheats are ok when very small but can be a pain with growth
Exactly the same experience here. My bespoke software for manufacturing businesses handles everything from the point of customer enquiries, through design, quotation, stock management/buying, manufacturing, delivery scheduling/fleet management, delivery and invoicing but the invoices are posted in to Xero and all the accounts management, customer statements and bookkeeping is done in Xero.Redarress said:
We code bespoke software specifically for manufacturing companies.From quotation to Invoicing. The invoicing process onwards is completed by off the shelf accounts packages. Rarely does the way our customer want to cost, manufacture, buy in raw materials , process, subcontract service out and then final assemble make a good fit for off the shelf software. Lots of Exel spreadsheats are ok when very small but can be a pain with growth
Just a polite reminder from OP's first post From this I'm assuming manual creation of the complete invoice from scratch and all by hand won't be too demanding if I'm assuming 10 orders = 10 invoices
theOp said:
We run a micro business producing special products selling to business - typically 10 orders a month, turning over £600K/year.
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
ATM said:
Redarress said:
We code bespoke software specifically for manufacturing companies.From quotation to Invoicing. The invoicing process onwards is completed by off the shelf accounts packages. Rarely does the way our customer want to cost, manufacture, buy in raw materials , process, subcontract service out and then final assemble make a good fit for off the shelf software. Lots of Exel spreadsheats are ok when very small but can be a pain with growth
Just a polite reminder from OP's first post From this I'm assuming manual creation of the complete invoice from scratch and all by hand won't be too demanding if I'm assuming 10 orders = 10 invoices
theOp said:
We run a micro business producing special products selling to business - typically 10 orders a month, turning over £600K/year.
[/IMG]
Yes. This exactly. If we had a monk handwriting invoices, it wouldn't be a big issue. We value ease of access to management information we want together with total control over presentation and output.[/IMG]
But the numbers of course still matter.
I think whoever said we should embrace SaaS was probably right but we just need to find the service that fits our needs which isn't too costly. Xero is cheap but I need to trial it to see if we can live with it. I don't have enough experience of it to understand if it meets our needs.
The reason for the original question over Excel and Access is I quite like playing with Access and it seems so customisable but I'm not sure I'd have confidence in it not falling over or us messing it up.
Part of your choice depends on what you want to do with the business.
If your business is just a "profitable job" and that's how you want to remain, then further tinkering with Access / staying in the home brew world is an option.
If you are looking to grow the business with outside investment or even consider selling, then it needs systems that are not dependent on you/your Access guru that you can walk away from without having a burden of support.
But firstly the key question which isn't clear to me in the OP is - what is the actual problem are you trying to solve?
If your business is just a "profitable job" and that's how you want to remain, then further tinkering with Access / staying in the home brew world is an option.
If you are looking to grow the business with outside investment or even consider selling, then it needs systems that are not dependent on you/your Access guru that you can walk away from without having a burden of support.
But firstly the key question which isn't clear to me in the OP is - what is the actual problem are you trying to solve?
48k said:
But firstly the key question which isn't clear to me in the OP is - what is the actual problem are you trying to solve?
Great questionMy view before 'they' answer is why become an expert in Access and Excel. Yawn. Spend the time elsewhere or in the business itself. Unless you are planning to sell Access and Excel services.
What is your time worth to You?
I would try some of the SaaS models and maybe ask politely if you can trial. But if it is only a few quid per month just try it and pay up.
My original reply was how SaaS is perfect for smal businesses if the pricing is based on business size / volume / transactions etc. You get all the benefits of a big system designed to do lots and lots but if it has the right pricing structure then you only pay a small amount based on your business size or use case compared to what a bigger business would pay - for the same thing.
ATM said:
Just a polite reminder from OP's first post
From this I'm assuming manual creation of the complete invoice from scratch and all by hand won't be too demanding if I'm assuming 10 orders = 10 invoices
From this I'm assuming manual creation of the complete invoice from scratch and all by hand won't be too demanding if I'm assuming 10 orders = 10 invoices
theOp said:
We run a micro business producing special products selling to business - typically 10 orders a month, turning over £600K/year.
[/IMG]
Ok ...... creating the invoice however many is not the full picture. Quoting, manufacturing, Purchasing of raw materials, Sub-contact services.. painting etc ,traceability etc etc....... I am guilty of making these assumptions [/IMG]
Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff