Organizing and managing your business files is very important when it comes to how successful your business is. It’s no secret that big corporations use electronic software when organizing and controlling their businesses. You may not be in the large company category yet but you too can benefit from using this type of software, small business software for accounting.
Small businesses owners need accounting software because managing their bookkeeping and accounting functions is a daily task. It may be a big hassle to learn accounting software, but you can try these simple and user-friendly accounting software for small business owners to make the job easier.
FreshBooks
The most crucial accounting need for most service-based businesses is invoicing. FreshBooks offers more customizations for invoicing compared to other accounting software. Its primary function is to send, receive, print, and pay invoices, but it can also take care of a business’ basic bookkeeping needs as well. This accounting software makes it easier for service-based businesses to send proposals and invoices, request deposits, collect client retainers, track time on projects, and receive payments.Pros
- Cloud-based
- User-friendly interface
- Third-party app integration
- Affordable
- Advanced invoicing features
Cons
- No inventory management
- No payroll service
- Mobile app has limitations
Founded in 2003 in Toronto, FreshBooks started as just an invoicing software. Over time, more features have been added and FreshBooks now has over 500 employees.2
There are four different plans, and businesses can get a 10% discount if they choose to pay yearly, rather than monthly. Additionally, FreshBooks offers a 60% off discount per month for six months. The four plans are: Lite at $6 per month, Plus at $10 per month, Premium at $20 per month, and Select, which is a custom service with custom pricing.
The main difference between the four plans is the number of different clients that are allowed to be billed per month. In the Lite plan, up to five clients can be billed per month. In the Plus plan, up to 50 clients can be billed per month. In the Premium plan, unlimited clients can be billed per month. The Select plan also does not have a limitation on the number of clients that can be billed per month, but adds unique features. It costs an additional $10 per month for multiple team members to use the accounting software and it costs an additional $20 per month for the advanced payment feature, which allows users to charge a credit card in real-time or set up a recurring credit card charge for a client.
There are many third-party app integrations available, such as Shopify, Gusto, Stripe, G Suite, and more. A unique feature of FreshBooks is that invoices can be highly stylized and customized for a professional look and feel. FreshBooks is a great tool for budgeting out projects, sending estimates or proposals, and collecting customer payments.
QuickBooks Online: Most user-friendly software
Most user-friendlyQuickBooks Online
3.9
- Starting at $25.00/mo.
Extensive accounting features and reporting
Up to 25 users (depending on the plan)
Unlimited expense and sales tax tracking with each plan
Data as of 11/5/21. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
QuickBooks is easily one of the most popular financial, tax, and accounting software options in the world. And while QuickBooks Desktop is still an option for those who prefer desktops to laptops, QuickBooks Online is Intuit’s cloud-accounting software solution. The basic QuickBooks Online plan includes typical features like invoicing, billing, and receipt scanning along with more comprehensive tracking than many competitors:
- Mileage tracking
- Sales tax tracking
- Automatic tax deduction categorization
- 1099 contractor payment tracking
QuickBooks also has the absolute best mobile accounting app you can find. The app can do basically everything the software can (a rarity for any software provider, no matter the industry). If you work on the go, QuickBooks’s app, which includes mobile mileage tracking, might make it a good fit.
QuickBooks’s stellar reporting and tracking features come at a price, though: its cheapest small-business plan starts at $25 a month and restricts you to one user plus an accountant. The priciest plan, which includes 25 users, starts at $180 a month.
At $15 a month, QuickBooks Self-Employed is a cheaper option. However, QuickBooks Self-Employed is geared specifically towards freelancers with just a few clients and limited expenses, and it’s primarily an invoicing, mileage-tracking, and tax-tracking plan. It helps sole proprietors who file Schedule C forms maximize their tax returns, but it’s not a fully featured bookkeeping or accounting app.
Oracle NetSuite Accounting Software: Best ERP Tools
Oracle NetSuite Accounting SoftwareNetSuite offers a variety of features, including enterprise resource planning tools.The software focuses on automation, making it simple to send and collect invoices.The website isn’t clear about pricing, so you need to contact a sales representative to determine the cost.VISIT SITE
Oracle’s NetSuite is a great choice for small business owners who want to get a complete picture of their business while automating aspects of accounting. With this software, you can manage all aspects of your business from one dashboard, making NetSuite our pick for the best accounting software with enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools.
Editor’s score: 8.5/10
NetSuite is a full-featured accounting and ERP program geared toward businesses with more complex needs. You can make and receive payments, run a slew of reports and manage taxes. NetSuite has embraced automation, making it easy to send invoices and receive payments, and it has robust tax management tools that support all currencies and exchange rates. If you have international sales, the software automatically processes sales and payments based on the local laws you’re selling or operating in. There’s also a revenue recognition management solution that helps business owners meet accounting standards and report financial results on time.
Cash flow management is also simple thanks to a robust set of features that provide insight into your cash, making it easier to optimize cash, control bank accounts and remain compliant with rules and regulations. NetSuite’s payment management system centralizes payments, while the planning and budgeting features unify data to help you plan. It’s also easy to create budgets and forecasts, plan for what-if scenarios and run reports on many aspects of your business. To keep you in control, NetSuite lets you set permissions.
NetSuite also has numerous ERP tools to manage finances, inventory, production and the supply chain, and the ERP functionality also helps you plan for the future. Because NetSuite comes with so many features and tools, it’s difficult to get an accurate price without reaching out to a NetSuite sales representative. There’s an online form you can fill out to set up a free demonstration.
NetSuite may not make sense if you are self-employed or a microbusiness without complex needs. But if you require a more holistic approach to accounting and want to be able to budget, plan and forecast, NetSuite deserves serious consideration.
Conclusion
It can be easy to fall back on old solutions for bookkeeping and accounting, especially when you’re initially starting out. After all, “It’s worked before, so it must be fine to use again.” When you start your business, it may seem like the last thing you need to take time over is how you manage your accounting and finances. As a result, many small businesses tend to rely on outdated solutions, such as spreadsheets and reports.