Wednesday, November 05, 2008

A Tale of Two Software Freebies

Last month at the accounting panel discussion, I gave the audience links to a couple of small business software titles that would give a small business owner a jump into the realm of accounting and reporting. Both titles are free and can be downloaded from the internet for use. Microsoft Office Accounting Express and QuickBooks Simple Start were the titles and we will take a look at each to see which one is the best for your business.

Microsoft Office Accounting Express (MOAE)

MOAE has the same look and feel as the current Office programs making the learning curve less steep (To me it looks similar to Outlook). A small business owner can track income and expenses, manage employees, customers and vendors and the owner can setup the business using wizards. MOAE also allows importing of data from QuickBooks, Excel or MS Money.

QuickBooks Simple Start (QBSS)

QBSS similar to MOAE in that it can also track income and expenses, organize employees, customers and vendors, manage payroll, and utilizes wizards in the setup. QBSS does not allow a small business owner to import data from MS Excel, Quicken, or MOAE.

MOAE and QBSS Technology

Both MOAE and QBSS have integrated technology into their offerings. MOAE includes seamless integration into other Office software (Word, Excel, and Outlook) and the software allows small business owners to reach online via EBay and PayPal integration. QBSS allows users to accept credit cards payments into the software, and create a website for online services.

Which is right for you?

That will depend on your needs as a small business owner in the start up phase of your business and the market that you serve. Accounting software should be viewed as a tool that can grow with your business so be sure that the future is taken into account in your needs assessment.

Keeping Your Business N Synergy

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