What accounting software do you use for your small home business?

[Mrs. Ciz]

I just started my own very small business as a proofreader/editor. Right now I’m a sole proprietor. I know I need to track my income and expenses. I’ve done some research on Google but want to get actual user feedback. What accounting software do you use for your small home business that is: inexpensive, effective, easy to use?

Thanks!

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I just started my own very small business as a proofreader/editor. Right now I’m a sole proprietor. I know I need to track my income and expenses. I’ve done some research on Google but want to get actual user feedback. What accounting software do you use for your small home business that is: inexpensive, effective, easy to use?

Thanks!

I use Quickbooks Desktop. Easy to use and can send it all straight to your accountant electronically at the end of the year!

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Not a small business but Quickbooks is where you want to go for this. They’ve monopolized the market but they’ve done an excellent job of having many different options for many different types of businesses.

 

[tvguy]

Wouldn't a good old fashioned ledger book do the trick? I mean, sometimes you don't need software.
I say that because a friend is office manager for a a company with 12 employees owned by an elderly couple who refuse to do anything electronically. Works fine except she had to find a way around requirements to electronically deposit state and federal income tax withholding. She just writes a check to their bank, who handles the electronic payment through their bill pay system.

 

[EACarlson]

I use Wave for my sole prop as a sports official. No cost and seems to have everything I need. I started using it late last year when I started working hockey as well as softball.

 

[sam_gordon]

Wouldn't a good old fashioned ledger book do the trick? I mean, sometimes you don't need software.
I say that because a friend is office manager for a a company with 12 employees owned by an elderly couple who refuse to do anything electronically. Works fine except she had to find a way around requirements to electronically deposit state and federal income tax withholding. She just writes a check to their bank, who handles the electronic payment through their bill pay system.

I would use Excel or Google Sheets before a ledger book. While I'm pretty good at math, the computer/cloud is going to be EXCELLENT. With either one you can create lookup tables to create invoices (I used to do that when I freelanced), save as PDF, and print or email. I was even able to set it up for when different companies would pay different amounts.

And, you can save to the cloud so it's always available no matter where you are.

 

[tvguy]

I would use Excel or Google Sheets before a ledger book. While I'm pretty good at math, the computer/cloud is going to be EXCELLENT. With either one you can create lookup tables to create invoices (I used to do that when I freelanced), save as PDF, and print or email. I was even able to set it up for when different companies would pay different amounts.

And, you can save to the cloud so it's always available no matter where you are.

My friends boss's head would explode if his data was on a cloud, or ANY computer.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I use Quickbooks online and have for the two Pet Sitting/Dog walking businesses I've had since 2004. It's $40 a month. My husband is a software architect...and so he's the IT guy around here...he chose this for ease of use (for me ....and because it updates itself. You may be just fine with the desktop version if you're just getting started. I like having the online version because I'm out and about for a lot of the day and I can make changes to invoices on the fly from my phone.

 

[disneychrista]

Quickbooks

 

[sam_gordon]

My friends boss's head would explode if his data was on a cloud, or ANY computer.

So use excel or other alternative and keep it local.

 

[dvcgirl67]

My friends boss's head would explode if his data was on a cloud, or ANY computer.

That’s pretty old school thinking on your friend’s boss’ behalf. We’re all existing in “”the cloud” all the time for the most part. All of our personal data is in the cloud, even if we’re not online. We can all do the things we know to do to protect ourselves from the bad guys..but it’s tough to go back.

 

[tvguy]

That’s pretty old school thinking on your friend’s boss’ behalf. We’re all existing in “”the cloud” all the time for the most part. All of our personal data is in the cloud, even if we’re not online. We can all do the things we know to do to protect ourselves from the bad guys..but it’s tough to go back.

Correct.
But it's his business and he can run it anyway he wants. He's 90 and it has worked for 50ish years he has had the business.
I attended an FBI Seminar last week on cyber security and anyone believing they have ANY privacy in this day and age is kidding themselves. Google yourself sometime if you don't believe me.

 

[tvguy]

So use excel or other alternative and keep it local.

All been pitched to him. Same answer. No

 

[dvcgirl67]

Correct.
But it's his business and he can run it anyway he wants. He's 90 and it has worked for 50ish years he has had the business.
I attended an FBI Seminar last week on cyber security and anyone believing they have ANY privacy in this day and age is kidding themselves. Google yourself sometime if you don't believe me.

I know there’s no privacy….which is why I said that we’re all existing in the cloud. There are things you can do to protect yourself to a degree to prevent identity theft and we do all of that. One of my husband’s duties at work is protecting a massive data base from being breached so I hear a fair bit about these things.

 

[princesscinderella]

I use quickbooks desktop, but starting out new I’d choose quickbooks online instead. My accountant had me switch to online to try it as they can then easily access the data too if you need help and to prepare taxes and it was great but it didn’t convert my 10 years of payroll information which wasn’t acceptable to me to lose so much data from the desktop version so I went back to desktop. The online is nice because it’s always backed up and you can access it from anywhere. I use quicken for personal and I believe that they have a version that’s for small business owners too but it’s not nearly as feature rich as quickbooks it would be more like a computerized ledger.

 

[sam_gordon]

All been pitched to him. Same answer. No

And thats fine. As you said, his business, he can run it how he wants. But since the OP asked for software recommendations, suggesting a ledger isn't really an opton.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm currently using Quickbooks Desktop for the company I work for and I know hubby has used if for years for his own business. The only problem with it, is QB is really trying to go away from the desktop version and going toward the on line version. They make it where you almost have to pay for the newer version every 4 or 5 years as they stop supporting the older versions. You also have to pay for payroll subs. I tried the on line version for a trial for about 6 months and hated it. But that is only because it didn't have some of the features that desktop had that I needed. I'm an old school bookkeeper who started out with ledgers and journals and a number 2 pencil, went to a fairly robust cost accounting system called Great Plains that then got bought out by MS and was rebranded as something else (and for the life of me I can't remember the name even though I used it for years). Then when the company down sized I converted us to QB.

I'm currently using a no longer supported version of QB desktop because it wasn't worth the money for us to buy the newest version since we are actually in the process of shutting down. I will only need to do a couple more payrolls until the end of the year and because I was old school and capable of doing them by hand. I also do my payroll taxes by hand (transmit them on line of course) and will do my W2s by hand at the end of the year and just do an old fashioned printed TB for the accountant at the end of the year.

Having said all that, if you are familiar at all with how to keep books and know the difference in a debit and credit, I'd just use Excel. I know they have some templates that are basic bookkeeping.

 

[_19disnA]

If you are running a small company with 1 employee at home doing proofreading, I don't see the need for expensive/elaborate sofware to keep track of things since the expenses would be neglible. It isn't like you are leasing a building, buying/tracking expensive raw materials or trying to amortize any equipment like if you were making a product. You could use something like Excel and have a separate tab for each customer. Likely you charge based on the number of hours (complexity/number of pages/etc.) you spend on each document.

 

[tvguy]

And thats fine. As you said, his business, he can run it how he wants. But since the OP asked for software recommendations, suggesting a ledger isn't really an opton.

Sure it is. It sounds like she have a very simple business. No employees. Just has to track income and subtract expenses. Sometimes the KISS principle is best.

 

[tvguy]

I know there’s no privacy….which is why I said that we’re all existing in the cloud. There are things you can do to protect yourself to a degree to prevent identity theft and we do all of that. One of my husband’s duties at work is protecting a massive data base from being breached so I hear a fair bit about these things.

My son is a IT Security Specialist for the State of California so I hear a bit about it too.