USA Been doing my books by hand, is Quickbooks worth it?

[Aline Ducote]

Like the title says, we are on the fence about buying the new version of Quickbooks but we don't know if it's worth it. We have a very small company with 2 people on it. We've always done it by hands since forever and are very comfortable with it but I was advised by a very good friend to get Quickbooks, now I can't decide if it's worth it.

 

[sjafari]

Like the title says, we are on the fence about buying the new version of Quickbooks but we don't know if it's worth it. We have a very small company with 2 people on it. We've always done it by hands since forever and are very comfortable with it but I was advised by a very good friend to get Quickbooks, now I can't decide if it's worth it.

Depends on the size of you business. It's always good to have a software everything for you. But see if it's worth your time and money!

 

[Werner Reisacher]

You stated that you feel very comfortable with your doing the accounting manually. My question to you - why do you want to fix what is not broken? Why not use the time you will spend learning the new system for some more productive or even enjoyable tasks. The end result will be the same - manually of with a latest software on the market.
The way the information is entered into the books is secondary. The way the information we are using is documented, summarized, and filed in a way that it can be easily retrieved and will provide all the information we need to justify the entries we made at the time of an audit is what counts.

 

[Drmdcpa]

Xero is better than Quickbooks for small businesses.

 

[Tracy C.]

Xero is better than Quickbooks for small businesses.

I haven't used Xero. Why do you like it better than QB?

 

[Drmdcpa]

Quickbooks was a no brainer when it first hit the market. That means you did not need to understand accounting and bookkeeping to use it and still do a good job at it. Over the years they tried to capture more and more market share. To do this they seriously complicated the software. Now to use it and do a good job you need to understand a lot more than basic bookkeeping.

On top of that if you have any problems the only sure fire way to get any efficient competent assistance from Intuit is to contact the Office of the President, and they generally require that you have already frustratingly wasted many hours with their other areas before actually getting assistance from them.

Xero on the other hand is comparable to Quickbooks when it first came out. In other words it does not require a degree in accounting to use it effectively.

On a side note, you should be paying someone to maintain your books assuming you have a business. Your time is more valuable to the business than the cost of a freelance or part time bookkeeper.

 

[Janet Parker]

Hi Aline,
It's great to do the books by hand but bookkeeping technology is improving and there are some really great pieces of software out there now!
Going online with your bookkeeping not only makes things quicker, and makes storing files easier, but it is also automatic. As soon as your accounts are linked up, the data is immediate.
The software I use is Ledgersync. If you're still unsure, most softwares offer a demo period so you can get the hang of it and see if you like it before making a commitment.

 

[Jac]

It totally depends on the size and nature of your business. If you have a small business and you are more comfortable with manually than it is good for you. But once you use an accounting software like QuickBooks to manage your account details. It provides a flexibility to make your account easy and you can generate some report automatically and if you hosted your Quickbooks on the cloud than you can access from any device, anywhere and anytime .

 

[Lillian]

Hi,
I'm sort of the non-traditional software and os user. I use Linux (debian) as my operating system instead of Window or Mac. I wanted something free as I'm looking into starting my own freelance accounting/bookkeeping business and I have personally used gnuCash for over 2 years. It's free and in my own opinions, for a very small business, is very simple to use. Nothing fancy but powerful enough to keep your books neat and do the heavy lifting if you need it to. You can also use it on Mac and Windows

 

[QBslave]

I've been working with automated business systems for 50 years. But that's mostly in large corporations. It's a myth that you don't need an accounting background to use Quickbooks. You need formal Accounting education. I constantly consult to people who are trying to use QB with no Accounting background and they're lost.

If you can do it manually, keep doing it that way. But as the company grows, the volume of transactions will grow and you will welcome the convenience of an automated Accounting system.

 

[Adeyemi Mafe]

I think you need to improve on how you account for your business. One basic fact about all accounting software is that they are based on the same accounting principle . One software that as remain friendly over the years is peactree products but presently evolved into sage . I will still recommend this product but will be willing to offer free advise on same for application.

 

[ladyrider]

Quickbooks was a no brainer when it first hit the market. That means you did not need to understand accounting and bookkeeping to use it and still do a good job at it. Over the years they tried to capture more and more market share. To do this they seriously complicated the software. Now to use it and do a good job you need to understand a lot more than basic bookkeeping.

On top of that if you have any problems the only sure fire way to get any efficient competent assistance from Intuit is to contact the Office of the President, and they generally require that you have already frustratingly wasted many hours with their other areas before actually getting assistance from them.

Xero on the other hand is comparable to Quickbooks when it first came out. In other words it does not require a degree in accounting to use it effectively.

On a side note, you should be paying someone to maintain your books assuming you have a business. Your time is more valuable to the business than the cost of a freelance or part time bookkeeper.

To say one doesn't need to understand accounting to use QB is exactly why so many businesses have messed up financials.