Choosing the best accounting software for small retail business is not an easy task because it can be different for every business. There are many options available but most of them have limited features. So, what are you actually looking for in an accounting software?
If you are running a small clothing business and want to grow your business, you probably want to know which accounting software is best for you? Well, as a business owner who has used many different types of accounting software to manage my business, I would like to share my experience here with you. With the help of this post, you will know what type of accounting software works best for your small retail clothing business.
QuickBooks Desktop
Best for brick-and-mortar retail shops
As you search for the right retail shop accounting software, there’s no doubt you’ll come across the QuickBooks suite of products. QuickBooks is one of the most popular accounting solutions for small businesses out there — and for good reason.
In particular, the more traditional QuickBooks Desktop is a great option for brick-and-mortar retailers.
With QuickBooks Desktop, you can:
- Track income and expenses
- Create and send invoices
- Run over 100 reports
- Track sales tax
- Manage bills and accounts payable
- Track inventory with up to 14,500 items
- Pay 1099 contractors.
Additionally, QuickBooks Desktop can integrate seamlessly with QuickBooks Payroll, as well as QuickBooks POS, Payments and TSheets.
Inventory management in QuickBooks Enterprise. Image source: QuickBooks
With this in mind, there are three versions of QuickBooks Desktop — Pro, Premier and Enterprise — which each offer an increasing level of functionality (with associated costs).
For retail shops just starting out, QuickBooks Pro will likely be the most affordable and suitable option, with a one-time cost of $399.99. On the other hand, businesses with more complex needs will find that Enterprise is one of the most powerful retail accounting software solutions out there.
All of this being said, it’s important to remember that QuickBooks Desktop is a locally hosted product — meaning you download it and run it on a specific computer. Therefore, if you operate multiple stores or an online business and want to be able to manage your finances wherever you go, you might instead choose to explore cloud-based retail accounting software.
Xero
Best for online retail businesses
With unlimited users, inventory management included in all plans and over 700 third-party integration options, Xero accounting is one of the best accounting software solutions for online retail businesses. A top alternative to QuickBooks Online, Xero offers many of the same features, with a few slight differences.
First and foremost, Xero includes unlimited users with all three of their plan options, as well as inventory management tools, among a full range of standard bookkeeping and accounting features.
Additionally, Xero’s three plans fall at a generally lower price point in comparison to QuickBooks Online, with the Early plan starting at $9 per month — although this plan limits the number of invoices, quotes, bills and transactions you can make on a monthly basis.
For $30 per month, however, you can opt for the Growing plan, which eliminates these restrictions (and is a similar monthly cost compared to QuickBooks Online).
Overall, Xero is a robust retail accounting software option, offering:
- Invoicing and quotes
- Inventory management
- Purchase order management
- Bill pay and management
- Reporting
- File storage
- Fixed asset management
- Sales tax calculations and management
- Contact management
- Payment acceptance and more.
Plus, like QuickBooks Online, Xero is a cloud-based software — meaning you can access your account anywhere with an internet connection. Moreover, Xero has a dedicated mobile app, a partnership with Gusto for payroll services and can connect to popular POS systems and ecommerce platforms, such as Square, Shopify, Lightspeed, BigCommerce, Magento, etc.
All of this being said, with integrated inventory tools, a vast network of integrations and general affordability, Xero is a great accounting software choice for online retail businesses and is certainly worth considering for brick-and-mortar stores as well.
Zoho Books
Best for bundling retail accounting software with other business tools from the same provider
If you’re looking to bundle your retail accounting software with additional business tools from the same provider, you’ll want to look into Zoho Books.
On top of the Zoho Books accounting software, Zoho offers a range of products that can integrate seamlessly together — including Zoho Inventory, Expenses, Analytics, CRM and more.
In addition, Zoho Books is one of the most affordable business accounting solutions out there, with their highest level plan, Professional, priced at $29 per month. This being said, the Professional plan includes a vast feature set, such as:
- Invoices, bills and estimates
- Time and expense tracking
- Reporting, budgeting and banking
- Customizable workflows
- Vendor credits, purchase orders and sales orders
- Sales and purchase approval
- Inventory management
- Sales tax and 1099 tracking, and more.
It’s worth noting that although Zoho Books has two lower-level plans, many of the retail-specific features — inventory, sales orders, purchase orders, etc. — are only available with the Professional plan.
Purchase order management in Zoho Books. Image source: Zoho
With this in mind, Zoho Books also offers a mobile accounting app, multicurrency and multi-lingual accounting, as well as project management tools.
Compared to solutions like Xero and QuickBooks, on the other hand, Zoho Books is relatively light on their integration options — but makes up for some of this with their own vast suite of business products.
Therefore, if you’re looking for affordable accounting software that you can bundle with other tools for your small retail business (whether brick-and-mortar or online), Zoho Books may be the right solution for you.
Wave
Best free accounting software for small retail businesses
If you’re just starting your retail business, whether online or with a brick-and-mortar store, you may not have the budget to invest in accounting software. In this case, Wave accounting may be the best accounting software for your small retail business.
With Wave, you can sign up for an account and use their web-based software with no subscription fees. You’ll only pay associated fees if you choose to utilize their online payment processing services or integrated payroll. All of your bookkeeping and accounting tasks, however, you’ll be able to manage for free.
This being said, on the whole, Wave includes features like:
- Bank and credit card connections
- Income and expense tracking
- Customizable invoicing and receipt scanning
- Unlimited guest collaborators
- Customizable sales taxes
- Financial reporting
- Bill and invoice reminders, and more.
In addition, Wave offers a mobile app for their invoicing software, as well as one for mobile receipt capture.
Compared to other retail accounting software options on this list, Wave is lacking in some advanced features, as well as integration options, however, it’s hard to find free accounting software that’s as user-friendly and fully-functional as Wave.
Therefore, if you’re a new retail shop looking for accounting software on a budget, Wave will definitely be worth considering.
NetSuite Software
With an integrated system that includes ERP, financials, commerce, inventory management, HR, PSA, supply chain management, CRM and more – NetSuite enables fast-growing businesses across all industries to work more effectively by automating core processes and providing real-time insights into operational and financial performance. What is NetSuite? NetSuite is a cloud accounting software that provides a complete view on financial performance and cash flow analysis. The system comes with features including general ledgers, cash management, tax management, accounts receivable and payable, fixed asset management, and payment management. How do you use NetSuite? NetSuite is a cloud-based system, which can be accessed through an active internet connection. There are no installations or downloads necessary to use the software. Users can utilise the key performance indicator to view analysis on receivables, payables, sales, total bank balance, and more. Who uses NetSuite? NetSuite can be used by companies of any size in any industry in need of financial management software. How much does NetSuite cost? NetSuite does not share pricing details publicly. Please contact Oracle for information on starting price and available plans or tiers. Does NetSuite have an app? NetSuite has an app available on both IOS and Android devices.
NetSuite Pricing
Pricing available on request.
Starting price:
$499.00 per month
Free trial:
Not Available
Free version:
Not Available
Geelus Software
Geelus is a cloud-based solution, which assists dry cleaning, laundry, and clothing alteration stores with managing point of sale, employee and inventory management. Key features include email notifications, loyalty management, access control, predefined templates and reporting. The Geelus platform enables administrators to list products with custom images and themes, create order tracking workflows and customize email invoices, printed receipts and payment pages. It allows supervisors to monitor staff reports, timesheets, productivity metrics and sales reports across multiple stores. Additionally, managers can list products under multiple categories, modify prices of products, provide role-based access to team members, send automated messages to customers and keep track of stock. Geelus allows customers to make payments online and collect reward points for future purchases. It comes with mobile applications for Android and iOS. The system is available on monthly subscriptions and support is provided via email, knowledge base and other online measures.
Geelus Pricing
30-day free trial, no credit card required. Starter: $19/month Small: $39/month Medium: $129/month Large: contact Geelus for a quote. Discounts are available for 1 year and 2 year plans.
Starting price:
$9.00 per month
Free trial:
Available
Free version:
Available
Vyapar
About Vyapar – Accounting & Invoicing
Vyapar is a GST-compatible invoicing and accounting solution for small businesses. You can use it to create GST bills, fulfill orders, generate GSTR reports, track payments/expenses, and manage your inventory. Besides, you can use it to customize invoices and collect payments online.
OnSite Software
OnSite is a business management solution designed to help embroidery, apparel and other businesses streamline processes related to production scheduling, order processing, invoicing, job costing and more. Professionals can calculate prices for apparel or promotional items based on quantity, stitch count or number of ink colors. Key features of OnSite include task alerts, prospect management, general ledger, financial statements and order tracking. It allows organizations to handle the entire production process, from artworks to designs, track inventory levels and store thread or ink colors, thumbnail images and screen details on a centralized platform. Additionally, managers can receive purchase orders with details including type or shipping method, manage customers and view or print production schedules. Onsite facilitates integration with various third-party systems such as SAGE, InkSoft, Shopify, OrderMyGear, ProofStuff and more. Pricing is available on request and support is extended via documentation, FAQs, phone and email.
OnSite Pricing
Pricing options: 1. Rent on your server 2. Rent Cloud 3. Purchase
Starting price:
$60.00 per month
Free trial:
Available
Free version:
Not Available
Conclusion:
If you own a small clothing business, then you have thought about the best accounting software for your business at one point or another. It is an important decision to make because your software is what makes sure that all of the data in your businesses is where it needs to be and the right people have access to the information when they need it.