How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Business

With any good luck and a good amount of hard work, you'rehaving the same problem many business owners today arefacing. Your business is growing rapidly and you're havingproblems controlling your finances. Time and time again,that Microsoft Excel spreadsheet you've been using justisn't getting the job done for you.

So, you've decided that you're ready to take the nextstep, and buy a full-featured accounting software program. Many options are available to choose from, but I believethe best solutions to be Quicken Premier Home and Businessby Intuit, QuickBooks Pro also by Intuit, and PeachtreeAccounting by Sage. In order to decide on the rightpackage for you, you need define the type of business thatyou operate.

With the rise of self-employment (businesses with one ormore owners but no paid employees) a need has arisen tomanage business and personal finances on one platform. Intuit has released Quicken 2005 Premier Home and Businessto fill this need. This software is perfect for the smallbusiness owner who receives income from investments, realestate, and/or internet marketing. Also, Quicken 2005Premier Home and Business is well priced at only $89.95.

For more typical brick-and-mortar business owners, youwill usually need a more robust solution like QuickBooksPro or Peachtree Accounting for functions like payrollreporting and check producing. Each piece of software hasits advantages, but don't forget that QuickBooks has beenthe standard in business accounting software for many yearsnow. As for features and basic operations, bothapplications will provide you the same functionality andconvenience for your business.

One additional factor to consider in your decision is thatPeachtree Accounting is less expensive than QuickBooks. Both starter versions of Peachtree and QuickBooks arepriced at $99.95 each, but the full-featured version ofPeachtree is priced at only $199.95 while the full-featuredQuickBooks Pro is priced at $299.95.

At the end of the day, the biggest advantage QuickBooksoffers over Peachtree is compatibility with otherapplications. For example, most commercial banks (Bank ofAmerica, SunTrust, etc...) provide you with files designedto work directly with QuickBooks, so that you can read,study, and decipher transaction details. Also, some bankswill allow you to update account information in real-timewith QuickBooks. Check with your bank to see whataccounting software their online services support, and youshould be able to make your decision.

Brandon Hall is a webmaster who owns many sites like http://www.accountingsoftwareportal.com
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