Business accounting software.

[hughjayteens]

Just wondering what people on here would advise for a small business? I have heard good things about Quickbooks, but there is lots of different versions and I am not sure exactly what to go for.

Quicken 2001 is very cheap on ebay, and Quickbooks 2003 is £300 - anyone know what the main differences are?

[Hates_]

I tried QuickBooks and didn't like it Moved over to Sage which seems a whole load better

Give them a try, see which suits you best.

[FourWheelDrift]

I've got Quickbooks Premiere 2002 (Account Edition), Quicken 2003, and Sage and my personal preference is for Quickbooks.

It's all down to personal preference though and what you want and what you need it to do.

[PetrolTed]

I use Quickbooks. I like it. It's a good package and easy enough to undo mistakes etc.

[shadowninja]

Only tried Sage properly... and you really need someone to show you how to use it. It might appear obvious but it isn't!

[rlk500]

We use Quickbooks. Seems to do just about all you need.

[Kevp]

I swear by quickbooks. Have used it for years.

My other half is an accountant. She only has knowledge of Sage.

It appears most accountants requommend Sage as its all they know, (they get good support). But it is a dinasour, altho I understand its catching up on basic features now. So does not do all I wanted.

Quickbooks has infinate flexability. So beware. You can change anything (assuming you have not locked it down to a basic user setting), so you can alter a figure from a previous VAT quarter for example, that will through all the submitted figures out!.
It does have a spell checker though. Just what I need.

NB. My remarks are based on the small business Sage package.

[Size Nine Elm]

I use Quicken (personally) and Quickbooks (work). Quicken can get you by for very simple stuff.
QB2003 was 259+VAT (less 50 for upgrade), plus the payroll option, and does the job well - except for forecasting. You can set up budgets, and track how you do against budgets, but it won't use the budget figures for cash flow forecasting.

Another company I work with have used Sage, and I've never got them to generate the right info out of that - although I'm prepared to bet that's numptyism rather than the software.

[Robertuk]

Mind Your Own Business

thats the name of a company .

They have a small version and a more featured package
(The latest of which is called MYOB Accounting Plus Version 11)

www.myob.co.uk/news/reviews/PCP97_p153.pdf

There website is www.myob.co.uk

This company is mentioned in most popular computing mags/journals. I believe you can download trial versions to experiment with.

Basic package is 99+VAT then top product I think is £299 +VAT.
A few of my friends use it .

>> Edited by Robertuk on Monday 21st July 15:09

[mel]

Personally I use Sage and have progressed from the lightweight £99 version (can't remember what it called) which was reasonable upto LIne 50 which does every thing I want and more. I would say that Sage have got without a doubt the best telephone help desk I have ever used and the "sage assist" service is worth every penny.

As for Quickbooks it might be worth noting that if your business banks with Barclays they do the packages heavily subsidised because of some tie up between them

[eric mc]

I've used both Sage and Quickbooks. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Sage is probably more useful, especially to experiemnced book-keepers and accountants, but Quickbooks is more user friendly, especially to non book-keepers and accountants. Sage is also more expensive, on the whole.