How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Business

With any good luck and a good amount of hard work, you're

having the same problem many business owners today are

facing. Your business is growing rapidly and you're having

problems controlling your finances. Time and time again,

that Microsoft Excel spreadsheet you've been using just

isn't getting the job done for you.

So, you've decided that you're ready to take the next

step, and buy a full-featured accounting software program.

Many options are available to choose from, but I believe

the best solutions to be Quicken Premier Home and Business

by Intuit, QuickBooks Pro also by Intuit, and Peachtree

Accounting by Sage. In order to decide on the right

package for you, you need define the type of business that

you operate.

With the rise of self-employment (businesses with one or

more owners but no paid employees) a need has arisen to

manage business and personal finances on one platform.

Intuit has released Quicken 2005 Premier Home and Business

to fill this need. This software is perfect for the small

business owner who receives income from investments, real

estate, and/or internet marketing. Also, Quicken 2005

Premier Home and Business is well priced at only $89.95.

For more typical brick-and-mortar business owners, you

will usually need a more robust solution like QuickBooks

Pro or Peachtree Accounting for functions like payroll

reporting and check producing. Each piece of software has

its advantages, but don't forget that QuickBooks has been

the standard in business accounting software for many years

now. As for features and basic operations, both

applications will provide you the same functionality and

convenience for your business.

One additional factor to consider in your decision is that

Peachtree Accounting is less expensive than QuickBooks.

Both starter versions of Peachtree and QuickBooks are

priced at $99.95 each, but the full-featured version of

Peachtree is priced at only $199.95 while the full-featured

QuickBooks Pro is priced at $299.95.

At the end of the day, the biggest advantage QuickBooks

offers over Peachtree is compatibility with other

applications. For example, most commercial banks (Bank of

America, SunTrust, etc...) provide you with files designed

to work directly with QuickBooks, so that you can read,

study, and decipher transaction details. Also, some banks

will allow you to update account information in real-time

with QuickBooks. Check with your bank to see what

accounting software their online services support, and you

should be able to make your decision.

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

A site dedicated to providing resources, links, articles, and news related to accounting software products.

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