Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Bill Humphries]

+1

Quickbooks only benefit is its devotion to the lowest common denominator 
as far as accounting skills.  And that seems to be what most companies 
like.  Peachtree is the best alternative to QB and offers some 
accounting features that you can't get with vanilla version of quickbooks.

Richard Stovall wrote:
> A whole lot of the decision should be based on accounting needs. 
>  Payroll done internally?  If so, is it important to have it done in 
> the software, or can/will someone do it all by hand including all the 
> local, state and federal filings.  What about inventory for parts and 
> finished goods?  Does it need to be highly accurate and tracked in 
> great detail for thousands or even millions of items?  What about work 
> in process inventory?  These are all add-ons that can significantly 
> increase the cost of a basic accounting package.  If none of this is 
> necessary, which sounds probable given the description, the freebie 
> solutions might work just fine.
>
> Also the bookkeeping / accounting skill of the folks involved should 
> be considered.  For dead simple bookkeeping that doesn't 'feel like' 
> real accounting, Quickbooks is hard to beat.  The checkbook metaphor 
> is one most people get.  If the relevant staff understand basic 
> concepts such as double entry accounting and can accurately make 
> journal entries when necessary something like Peachtree might be better.
>
> On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 9:01 AM, Ben Scott  > wrote:
>
> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 8:30 PM, Jonathan Link
> mailto:jonathan.l...@gmail.com>> wrote:
> > I know a SOHO who generates $300,000 annually in profit, so
> again, it's all
> > a matter of perspective.
>
>  True enough.
>
> > You hadn't described budgetary requirements, except to say that
> Quickbooks
> > is "expensive."
>
>  Good point.
>
>  They don't really have a budget for this, except so say that they
> have very modest needs and want value.  In other words, keep things as
> cheap as possible without sacrificing useful functionality.  I think
> that's a smart approach.
>
>  (It's a small manufacturing company which was rescued from financial
> collapse by the owner of my nominal employer.  They have two or three
> full-time employees, plus a part-time office worker.  The GM is also
> tasked from my employer.  Guess where IT comes from.  ;-)  )
>
> > However, accountants fees can quickly make the expense of
> > of QB incidental.
>
>  Unless the cost of the accountant is somehow proportional to the
> cost of QuickBooks, I don't really see that as relevant.  Paying a lot
> for QuickBooks just because something else costs more is not good
> business sense.
>
>  Now, it may be that using QuickBooks would lower accountant fees,
> since QuickBooks is the most common package.  That's a good point, and
> something that normally would be worth investigating.  However, due to
> the ownership situation described above, my employer is also loaning
> our accounting staff.  So accountant fees are zero.  Unfortunately, we
> can't use the ERP software my employer runs for this other company, so
> I'm looking at other software.
>
>  In any event, I've found that examining alternatives to "what
> everyone else does" often pays off.  The smaller the business, the
> more nimble they can be, so this is an opportunity.  If your stance is
> "Just use QuickBooks", well, that's valid, but here I'm interested in
> hearing about alternatives people have tried.  :)
>
> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~   ~
>
>
>  
>
>  


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Jonathan Link]

Now we're getting somewhere.
Since they're manufacturing, they have labor.  How is/will payroll handled?
Once you get into payroll situations your accounting system is now at the
mercy of the vendors.  You have to maintain updates for payroll tax tables.
Trying to manually keep up with them is a risky proposition.  Additionally,
most vendors require periodic updates to the underlying accounting package
in order to keep the annual tax table updates.  For example, quickbooks is
every three years.  MAS 90 requires annual maintenance fees for the
application which includes payroll tax updates.  Peachtree is either three
or four years, as I recall.

Then there's the inventory issue, which depending on the size of inventory
can influence your decision on the package purchased.

Based on where you're going with this, you're not really asking a technical
question, you're asking questions that are ultimately accounting questions.
Those questions need to be answered or at least developed before selection
of an accounting package.




On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 9:01 AM, Ben Scott  wrote:

> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 8:30 PM, Jonathan Link 
> wrote:
> > I know a SOHO who generates $300,000 annually in profit, so again, it's
> all
> > a matter of perspective.
>
>  True enough.
>
> > You hadn't described budgetary requirements, except to say that
> Quickbooks
> > is "expensive."
>
>  Good point.
>
>  They don't really have a budget for this, except so say that they
> have very modest needs and want value.  In other words, keep things as
> cheap as possible without sacrificing useful functionality.  I think
> that's a smart approach.
>
>  (It's a small manufacturing company which was rescued from financial
> collapse by the owner of my nominal employer.  They have two or three
> full-time employees, plus a part-time office worker.  The GM is also
> tasked from my employer.  Guess where IT comes from.  ;-)  )
>
> > However, accountants fees can quickly make the expense of
> > of QB incidental.
>
>  Unless the cost of the accountant is somehow proportional to the
> cost of QuickBooks, I don't really see that as relevant.  Paying a lot
> for QuickBooks just because something else costs more is not good
> business sense.
>
>  Now, it may be that using QuickBooks would lower accountant fees,
> since QuickBooks is the most common package.  That's a good point, and
> something that normally would be worth investigating.  However, due to
> the ownership situation described above, my employer is also loaning
> our accounting staff.  So accountant fees are zero.  Unfortunately, we
> can't use the ERP software my employer runs for this other company, so
> I'm looking at other software.
>
>  In any event, I've found that examining alternatives to "what
> everyone else does" often pays off.  The smaller the business, the
> more nimble they can be, so this is an opportunity.  If your stance is
> "Just use QuickBooks", well, that's valid, but here I'm interested in
> hearing about alternatives people have tried.  :)
>
> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~   ~
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Richard Stovall]

A whole lot of the decision should be based on accounting needs.  Payroll
done internally?  If so, is it important to have it done in the software, or
can/will someone do it all by hand including all the local, state and
federal filings.  What about inventory for parts and finished goods?  Does
it need to be highly accurate and tracked in great detail for thousands or
even millions of items?  What about work in process inventory?  These are
all add-ons that can significantly increase the cost of a basic accounting
package.  If none of this is necessary, which sounds probable given the
description, the freebie solutions might work just fine.

Also the bookkeeping / accounting skill of the folks involved should be
considered.  For dead simple bookkeeping that doesn't 'feel like' real
accounting, Quickbooks is hard to beat.  The checkbook metaphor is one most
people get.  If the relevant staff understand basic concepts such as double
entry accounting and can accurately make journal entries when necessary
something like Peachtree might be better.

On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 9:01 AM, Ben Scott  wrote:

> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 8:30 PM, Jonathan Link 
> wrote:
> > I know a SOHO who generates $300,000 annually in profit, so again, it's
> all
> > a matter of perspective.
>
>  True enough.
>
> > You hadn't described budgetary requirements, except to say that
> Quickbooks
> > is "expensive."
>
>  Good point.
>
>  They don't really have a budget for this, except so say that they
> have very modest needs and want value.  In other words, keep things as
> cheap as possible without sacrificing useful functionality.  I think
> that's a smart approach.
>
>  (It's a small manufacturing company which was rescued from financial
> collapse by the owner of my nominal employer.  They have two or three
> full-time employees, plus a part-time office worker.  The GM is also
> tasked from my employer.  Guess where IT comes from.  ;-)  )
>
> > However, accountants fees can quickly make the expense of
> > of QB incidental.
>
>  Unless the cost of the accountant is somehow proportional to the
> cost of QuickBooks, I don't really see that as relevant.  Paying a lot
> for QuickBooks just because something else costs more is not good
> business sense.
>
>  Now, it may be that using QuickBooks would lower accountant fees,
> since QuickBooks is the most common package.  That's a good point, and
> something that normally would be worth investigating.  However, due to
> the ownership situation described above, my employer is also loaning
> our accounting staff.  So accountant fees are zero.  Unfortunately, we
> can't use the ERP software my employer runs for this other company, so
> I'm looking at other software.
>
>  In any event, I've found that examining alternatives to "what
> everyone else does" often pays off.  The smaller the business, the
> more nimble they can be, so this is an opportunity.  If your stance is
> "Just use QuickBooks", well, that's valid, but here I'm interested in
> hearing about alternatives people have tried.  :)
>
> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~   ~
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Maglinger, Paul]

I stand corrected.

 

From: Andrew S. Baker [mailto:asbz...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:56 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

 

They tend to give away (or at deep discount) Quicken, not QuickBooks, at
tax time.


-ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker



On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 8:52 AM, Maglinger, Paul 
wrote:

It seems to me around tax time they gave you some kind of rebate or
discount for Quickbooks when you buy TurboTax.  Maybe they don't do that
anymore.
-Paul


-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]

Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:48 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 8:45 AM, Maglinger, Paul 
wrote:
> Quickbooks expensive?  Don't they give that away when you buy their
tax
> software?

 I don't think so.  Their website says that "TurboTax for Small
Business" can import data from QuickBooks, but says you have to
already have QuickBooks.

http://turbotax.intuit.com/small-business-taxes/business.jsp

-- Ben

 

 

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 8:30 PM, Jonathan Link  wrote:
> I know a SOHO who generates $300,000 annually in profit, so again, it's all
> a matter of perspective.

  True enough.

> You hadn't described budgetary requirements, except to say that Quickbooks
> is "expensive."

  Good point.

  They don't really have a budget for this, except so say that they
have very modest needs and want value.  In other words, keep things as
cheap as possible without sacrificing useful functionality.  I think
that's a smart approach.

  (It's a small manufacturing company which was rescued from financial
collapse by the owner of my nominal employer.  They have two or three
full-time employees, plus a part-time office worker.  The GM is also
tasked from my employer.  Guess where IT comes from.  ;-)  )

> However, accountants fees can quickly make the expense of
> of QB incidental.

  Unless the cost of the accountant is somehow proportional to the
cost of QuickBooks, I don't really see that as relevant.  Paying a lot
for QuickBooks just because something else costs more is not good
business sense.

  Now, it may be that using QuickBooks would lower accountant fees,
since QuickBooks is the most common package.  That's a good point, and
something that normally would be worth investigating.  However, due to
the ownership situation described above, my employer is also loaning
our accounting staff.  So accountant fees are zero.  Unfortunately, we
can't use the ERP software my employer runs for this other company, so
I'm looking at other software.

  In any event, I've found that examining alternatives to "what
everyone else does" often pays off.  The smaller the business, the
more nimble they can be, so this is an opportunity.  If your stance is
"Just use QuickBooks", well, that's valid, but here I'm interested in
hearing about alternatives people have tried.  :)

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Andrew S. Baker]

They tend to give away (or at deep discount) Quicken, not QuickBooks, at tax
time.

-ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker


On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 8:52 AM, Maglinger, Paul wrote:

> It seems to me around tax time they gave you some kind of rebate or
> discount for Quickbooks when you buy TurboTax.  Maybe they don't do that
> anymore.
> -Paul
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:48 AM
> To: NT System Admin Issues
> Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
> On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 8:45 AM, Maglinger, Paul 
> wrote:
> > Quickbooks expensive?  Don't they give that away when you buy their tax
> > software?
>
>  I don't think so.  Their website says that "TurboTax for Small
> Business" can import data from QuickBooks, but says you have to
> already have QuickBooks.
>
> http://turbotax.intuit.com/small-business-taxes/business.jsp
>
> -- Ben
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Maglinger, Paul]

It seems to me around tax time they gave you some kind of rebate or discount 
for Quickbooks when you buy TurboTax.  Maybe they don't do that anymore.
-Paul

-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:48 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 8:45 AM, Maglinger, Paul  wrote:
> Quickbooks expensive?  Don't they give that away when you buy their tax
> software?

  I don't think so.  Their website says that "TurboTax for Small
Business" can import data from QuickBooks, but says you have to
already have QuickBooks.

http://turbotax.intuit.com/small-business-taxes/business.jsp

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ben Scott]

On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 8:45 AM, Maglinger, Paul  wrote:
> Quickbooks expensive?  Don’t they give that away when you buy their tax
> software?

  I don't think so.  Their website says that "TurboTax for Small
Business" can import data from QuickBooks, but says you have to
already have QuickBooks.

http://turbotax.intuit.com/small-business-taxes/business.jsp

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Maglinger, Paul]

Quickbooks expensive?  Don't they give that away when you buy their tax
software?

 

From: Michael B. Smith [mailto:mich...@smithcons.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 9:37 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

 

Why on EARTH would you waste your time energy and effort to do something
that has been done a thousand times before and in no-way adds unique
value to your business in excess of the time you spend on it?

 

Not to mention meeting all the requirements of double-entry
book-keeping, accrual and cash-based accounting, and GAAP?

 

No, I wouldn't recommend you do that at all.

 

Regards,

 

Michael B. Smith

Consultant and Exchange MVP

http://TheEssentialExchange.com

 

From: justino garcia [mailto:jgarciaitl...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 10:31 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

 

This may be silly, but how about VBA + excel, and create your own
program. Or access + VBA and create your own in house acounting program.

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 9:55 PM, Matthew W. Ross
 wrote:

I don't know anything about the product, nor do I know if it does what
you need, but check out PostBooks, which is free from xTuple.org

It's open source, and as usual there are paid-for commercial versions.


--Matt Ross
Ephrata School District



- Original Message -
From: Ben Scott
[mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]

To: NT System Admin Issues

[mailto:ntsysad...@lyris.sunbelt-software.com]
Sent: Mon, 10 May 2010
11:42:52 -0700
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting


> Hello, world!
>
>   Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
>
>   I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
>
>   advTHANKSance
>

> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~




-- 
Justin
IT-TECH

 

 

 

 

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Angus Scott-Fleming]

On 10 May 2010 at 14:42, Ben Scott  wrote:

> Hello, world!
> 
>   Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
> 
>   I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

FWIW Peachtree has a totally free version that might be worth looking at.

Peachtree Accounting and Financial Software - Product Comparison
http://www.peachtree.com/productsServices/compare/


--
Angus Scott-Fleming
GeoApps, Tucson, Arizona
1-520-290-5038
Security Blog: http://geoapps.com/





~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[justino garcia]

fair enough, he made valid point. Quickbook it is.
Wow and you got great support with quick book, who ever did crazy, I called
twice and one time was told to reinstall.
The other time I fixed my self, I could not stand the wait time.
BUt 2010 so far has not been a bad version of quick-books, very liite or no
issues.
On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 10:36 PM, Michael B. Smith wrote:

> Why on EARTH would you waste your time energy and effort to do something
> that has been done a thousand times before and in no-way adds unique value
> to your business in excess of the time you spend on it?
>
>
>
> Not to mention meeting all the requirements of double-entry book-keeping,
> accrual and cash-based accounting, and GAAP?
>
>
>
> No, I wouldn’t recommend you do that at all.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Michael B. Smith
>
> Consultant and Exchange MVP
>
> http://TheEssentialExchange.com
>
>
>
> *From:* justino garcia [mailto:jgarciaitl...@gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, May 10, 2010 10:31 PM
>
> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
> *Subject:* Re: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
>
>
> This may be silly, but how about VBA + excel, and create your own program.
> Or access + VBA and create your own in house acounting program.
>
> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 9:55 PM, Matthew W. Ross 
> wrote:
>
> I don't know anything about the product, nor do I know if it does what you
> need, but check out PostBooks, which is free from xTuple.org
>
> It's open source, and as usual there are paid-for commercial versions.
>
>
> --Matt Ross
> Ephrata School District
>
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: Ben Scott
> [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]
>
> To: NT System Admin Issues
>
> [mailto:ntsysad...@lyris.sunbelt-software.com]
> Sent: Mon, 10 May 2010
> 11:42:52 -0700
> Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
>
> > Hello, world!
> >
> >   Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> > accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> > expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> > customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> > "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> > acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
> >
> >   I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> > this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> > so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
> >  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
> >
> >   advTHANKSance
> >
>
> > -- Ben
> >
> > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
> >
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
>
>
>
>
> --
> Justin
> IT-TECH
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


-- 
Justin
IT-TECH

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Michael B. Smith]

Why on EARTH would you waste your time energy and effort to do something that 
has been done a thousand times before and in no-way adds unique value to your 
business in excess of the time you spend on it?

Not to mention meeting all the requirements of double-entry book-keeping, 
accrual and cash-based accounting, and GAAP?

No, I wouldn't recommend you do that at all.

Regards,

Michael B. Smith
Consultant and Exchange MVP
http://TheEssentialExchange.com

From: justino garcia [mailto:jgarciaitl...@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 10:31 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

This may be silly, but how about VBA + excel, and create your own program. Or 
access + VBA and create your own in house acounting program.
On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 9:55 PM, Matthew W. Ross 
mailto:mr...@ephrataschools.org>> wrote:
I don't know anything about the product, nor do I know if it does what you 
need, but check out PostBooks, which is free from xTuple.org

It's open source, and as usual there are paid-for commercial versions.


--Matt Ross
Ephrata School District


- Original Message -
From: Ben Scott
[mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com<mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com>]
To: NT System Admin Issues
[mailto:ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com<mailto:ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com>]
Sent: Mon, 10 May 2010
11:42:52 -0700
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting


> Hello, world!
>
>   Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
>
>   I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
>
>   advTHANKSance
>
> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~



--
Justin
IT-TECH





~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[justino garcia]

This may be silly, but how about VBA + excel, and create your own program.
Or access + VBA and create your own in house acounting program.

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 9:55 PM, Matthew W. Ross
wrote:

> I don't know anything about the product, nor do I know if it does what you
> need, but check out PostBooks, which is free from xTuple.org
>
> It's open source, and as usual there are paid-for commercial versions.
>
>
> --Matt Ross
> Ephrata School District
>
>
> - Original Message -
> From: Ben Scott
> [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]
> To: NT System Admin Issues
> [mailto:ntsysad...@lyris.sunbelt-software.com]
> Sent: Mon, 10 May 2010
> 11:42:52 -0700
> Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
>
> > Hello, world!
> >
> >   Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> > accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> > expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> > customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> > "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> > acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
> >
> >   I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> > this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> > so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
> >  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
> >
> >   advTHANKSance
> >
> > -- Ben
> >
> > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
> >
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
>
>


-- 
Justin
IT-TECH

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Matthew W. Ross]

I don't know anything about the product, nor do I know if it does what you 
need, but check out PostBooks, which is free from xTuple.org

It's open source, and as usual there are paid-for commercial versions.


--Matt Ross
Ephrata School District


- Original Message -
From: Ben Scott
[mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]
To: NT System Admin Issues
[mailto:ntsysad...@lyris.sunbelt-software.com]
Sent: Mon, 10 May 2010
11:42:52 -0700
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting


> Hello, world!
> 
>   Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
> 
>   I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
> 
>   advTHANKSance
> 
> -- Ben
> 
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
> 

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Jonathan Link]

I know a SOHO who generates $300,000 annually in profit, so again, it's all
a matter of perspective.
You hadn't described budgetary requirements, except to say that Quickbooks
is "expensive."  However, accountants fees can quickly make the expense of
of QB incidental.


On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 6:18 PM, Ben Scott  wrote:

> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 6:04 PM, Brian Desmond 
> wrote:
> >> For $550/person/year, I would hope so.  :-)
> >
> > That's really not much money at all.
>
>  For a SOHO, it's quite significant.  Everything's a matter of perspective.
>  :)
>
>  As for $75/hour, that may or may not be a good price.  That depends
> entirely on the level of expertise one gets.  Much of the time, when I
> call tech support, I end up feeling like they should be paying me.  :)
>
> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~   ~
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Andrew S. Baker]

Yes, it is.  That's why I'm not happy.  I would love a non-convoluted
alternative to QuickBooks...

Which I did for a while...

-ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker


On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 5:29 PM, Michael B. Smith wrote:

> “In the beginning…” Great Plains, Navision, and uh, another one I’ve
> forgotten, oh yeah, Solomon; were products of other companies.
>
>
>
> Microsoft bought them, to start it’s move into the enterprise resource
> planning space. As it’s been known to do before – it bought market share.
>
>
>
> The original hope/plan was to merge these three into a single product.
>
>
>
> As all three were completely utterly different in terms of architecture and
> only shared clientele on the low-end (mainly) so MSFT designed a platform
> and started the “great re-code”.
>
>
>
> Customers complained in droves. Said they’d leave. Microsoft dropped the
> plan, after a lot of work was done on the new platform – which became MOA.
>
>
>
> MSFT went ahead and released MOA hoping it would be a “QB killer”, but
> didn’t put enough money/time/energy/whatever behind it; and it never
> acquired sufficient market share. As they are wont to do, after a few years
> of not getting market share in “non-core businesses” (although who the heck
> would call Xbox a core business?) they cancelled the product; especially
> after the updates started to impact share in the other platforms that MSFT
> never killed off.
>
>
>
> Rest In Peace.
>
>
>
> It’s actually a pretty darned good product, in my experience.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Michael B. Smith
>
> Consultant and Exchange MVP
>
> http://TheEssentialExchange.com
>
>
>
> *From:* Andrew S. Baker [mailto:asbz...@gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, May 10, 2010 4:59 PM
>
> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
> *Subject:* Re: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
>
>
> *>>But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the last
> update we'll ever see.*
>
>
>
> Really?
>
>
>
> Why does Microsoft keep playing with Home/Business Accounting software if
> they're not going to keep up with it?
>
>
> -ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker
>
> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:59 PM, Michael B. Smith 
> wrote:
>
> Really, truly, I think QB is the only mainstream alternative left.
>
> Personally, I and a number of other Microsoft people use Microsoft Office
> Accounting. But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the
> last update we'll ever see.
>
> My plan is to, sometime next year, move over to QB.
>
> I may try one of the free alternatives, but probably not. My accountant is
> giving me pressure to move to QB as well. He's tired of CSV's.
>
> Regards,
>
> Michael B. Smith
> Consultant and Exchange MVP
> http://TheEssentialExchange.com
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:43 PM
> To: NT System Admin Issues
> Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
> Hello, world!
>
>  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO accounting
> product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather expensive, and in
> the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit customer service, and
> I've learned that "most common" does not mean "best".  For this user,
> traditional software and web services are both acceptable.  They've got just
> one PC, running Vista.
>
>  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but this is
> one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable, so I thought
> I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
>
>  advTHANKSance
>
> -- Ben
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 6:04 PM, Brian Desmond  wrote:
>> For $550/person/year, I would hope so.  :-)
>
> That's really not much money at all.

  For a SOHO, it's quite significant.  Everything's a matter of perspective.  :)

  As for $75/hour, that may or may not be a good price.  That depends
entirely on the level of expertise one gets.  Much of the time, when I
call tech support, I end up feeling like they should be paying me.  :)

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:42 PM, Ben Scott  wrote:
>  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> accounting product space?

  In my own research for this, I've come across "NolaPro"[1].  What I
find is interesting is the sales model.  The base package is "free".
Then a large number of individually fairly simple features are offered
as "add-ons"[2] for minimal cost.  For example, the feature that lets
you enter arbitrary private notes about an order costs $3 (for all
users, it appears).  I guess the theory is, you pay only for the
features you use.

[1]  http://www.nolapro.com/
[2] https://ecom.nolapro.com/index.php/cPath/22

  It's a novel approach, if nothing else.  I can see some advantages.
It lets them know what features people are willing to pay for.  And,
in theory, it would let less commonly used features still be available
(just the price for those would be higher).  I can see disadvantages.
A ton of license codes to keep track of.  Liable to be a hassle while
you discover what add-ons you need.

  No idea if it works or not.  :)

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Brian Desmond]

That's really not much money at all. At a cost of $75/hr (which is rather low), 
that's ~7 hours of support

Thanks,
Brian Desmond
br...@briandesmond.com

c   - 312.731.3132


-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 4:59 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 4:22 PM, Jonathan Link  wrote:
> I I go through our ProAdvisor account and get excellent service.

  For $550/person/year, I would hope so.  :-)

  (If I read their website correctly.)

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ 
<http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 4:22 PM, Jonathan Link  wrote:
> I I go through our ProAdvisor account and get excellent service.

  For $550/person/year, I would hope so.  :-)

  (If I read their website correctly.)

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Michael B. Smith]

"In the beginning..." Great Plains, Navision, and uh, another one I've 
forgotten, oh yeah, Solomon; were products of other companies.

Microsoft bought them, to start it's move into the enterprise resource planning 
space. As it's been known to do before - it bought market share.

The original hope/plan was to merge these three into a single product.

As all three were completely utterly different in terms of architecture and 
only shared clientele on the low-end (mainly) so MSFT designed a platform and 
started the "great re-code".

Customers complained in droves. Said they'd leave. Microsoft dropped the plan, 
after a lot of work was done on the new platform - which became MOA.

MSFT went ahead and released MOA hoping it would be a "QB killer", but didn't 
put enough money/time/energy/whatever behind it; and it never acquired 
sufficient market share. As they are wont to do, after a few years of not 
getting market share in "non-core businesses" (although who the heck would call 
Xbox a core business?) they cancelled the product; especially after the updates 
started to impact share in the other platforms that MSFT never killed off.

Rest In Peace.

It's actually a pretty darned good product, in my experience.

Regards,

Michael B. Smith
Consultant and Exchange MVP
http://TheEssentialExchange.com

From: Andrew S. Baker [mailto:asbz...@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 4:59 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

>>But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the last update 
>>we'll ever see.

Really?

Why does Microsoft keep playing with Home/Business Accounting software if 
they're not going to keep up with it?

-ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:59 PM, Michael B. Smith 
mailto:mich...@smithcons.com>> wrote:
Really, truly, I think QB is the only mainstream alternative left.

Personally, I and a number of other Microsoft people use Microsoft Office 
Accounting. But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the 
last update we'll ever see.

My plan is to, sometime next year, move over to QB.

I may try one of the free alternatives, but probably not. My accountant is 
giving me pressure to move to QB as well. He's tired of CSV's.

Regards,

Michael B. Smith
Consultant and Exchange MVP
http://TheEssentialExchange.com


-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com<mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com>]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:43 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting

Hello, world!

 Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO accounting 
product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather expensive, and in 
the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit customer service, and I've 
learned that "most common" does not mean "best".  For this user, traditional 
software and web services are both acceptable.  They've got just one PC, 
running Vista.

 I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but this is one 
of those areas where practical experience is invaluable, so I thought I'd see 
if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
 Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

 advTHANKSance

-- Ben





~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Jonathan Link]

 I think the answer can be found in the verb you used, playing.  Also, in
addition to MOA, they killed MS Money, although that might've happened
earlier.

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 4:59 PM, Andrew S. Baker  wrote:

>  *>>But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the last
> update we'll ever see.*
>
> Really?
>
> Why does Microsoft keep playing with Home/Business Accounting software if
> they're not going to keep up with it?
>
> -ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker <http://xeesm.com/AndrewBaker>
>
>
>  On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:59 PM, Michael B. Smith 
> wrote:
>
>> Really, truly, I think QB is the only mainstream alternative left.
>>
>> Personally, I and a number of other Microsoft people use Microsoft Office
>> Accounting. But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the
>> last update we'll ever see.
>>
>> My plan is to, sometime next year, move over to QB.
>>
>> I may try one of the free alternatives, but probably not. My accountant is
>> giving me pressure to move to QB as well. He's tired of CSV's.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Michael B. Smith
>> Consultant and Exchange MVP
>> http://TheEssentialExchange.com <http://theessentialexchange.com/>
>>
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:43 PM
>> To: NT System Admin Issues
>> Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting
>>
>> Hello, world!
>>
>>  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO accounting
>> product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather expensive, and in
>> the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit customer service, and
>> I've learned that "most common" does not mean "best".  For this user,
>> traditional software and web services are both acceptable.  They've got just
>> one PC, running Vista.
>>
>>  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but this
>> is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable, so I thought
>> I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
>>
>>  advTHANKSance
>>
>> -- Ben
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Andrew S. Baker]

*>>But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the last
update we'll ever see.*

Really?

Why does Microsoft keep playing with Home/Business Accounting software if
they're not going to keep up with it?

-ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker


On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:59 PM, Michael B. Smith wrote:

> Really, truly, I think QB is the only mainstream alternative left.
>
> Personally, I and a number of other Microsoft people use Microsoft Office
> Accounting. But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the
> last update we'll ever see.
>
> My plan is to, sometime next year, move over to QB.
>
> I may try one of the free alternatives, but probably not. My accountant is
> giving me pressure to move to QB as well. He's tired of CSV's.
>
> Regards,
>
> Michael B. Smith
> Consultant and Exchange MVP
> http://TheEssentialExchange.com
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:43 PM
> To: NT System Admin Issues
> Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
> Hello, world!
>
>  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO accounting
> product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather expensive, and in
> the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit customer service, and
> I've learned that "most common" does not mean "best".  For this user,
> traditional software and web services are both acceptable.  They've got just
> one PC, running Vista.
>
>  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but this is
> one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable, so I thought
> I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
>
>  advTHANKSance
>
> -- Ben
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Jonathan Link]

I don't doubt your experience, in the least.  I go through our ProAdvisor
account and get excellent service.  We have a few Enterprise clients because
of inventory...
ProAdvisor support has native english speakers, or at least fluent english
speakers who could pass as native speakers for their support line.
On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 4:08 PM, Joseph L. Casale  wrote:

>  The escalation side of my rant was in reference to their Enterprise
> version of ware and the second level of escalation I referred to was an “SBD
> Customer Support Specialist - Level 3” person.
>
>
>
> The experience was as I stated…
>
>
>
> *From:* Jonathan Link [mailto:jonathan.l...@gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, May 10, 2010 2:00 PM
>
> *To:* NT System Admin Issues
> *Subject:* Re: Small business/SOHO accounting
>
>
>
> You have access to the consumer support.
>
> I have access to the ProAdvisor support. We have two on staff, and when I
> connect to their tech support on the occasions I've needed it, my experience
> was good, and issues were resolved quickly.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 3:26 PM, Joseph L. Casale <
> jcas...@activenetwerx.com> wrote:
>
> >  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> >accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> >expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> >customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> >"best".
>
> Stay away from Intuit, they have the most incompetent support you'll ever
> find. I have had the misfortune of dealing with their people for their
> enterprise products and home products and the popularity of their product
> has forced them to farm their support overseas which in itself is not an
> issue but the fact that the people doing it have zero computer skills and
> read canned responses of a list that don't always fit.
>
> The next problem is escalating, it usually just doesn't happen. When it did
> for me only once, it was hardly any better and incredibly ignorant.
>
> I hope you do find an alternative, and if you do, let me know:)
>
> Just last night I was researching getting QB on a terminal server and found
> a tech support response to the older versions needing Admin Rights for an
> admin that refused to give users admin rights on his terminal server:
>
> "Build a non Active Directory Integrated terminal server so the threat is
> contained"
>
> Lol, right on;)
> jlc
>
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Joseph L. Casale]

The escalation side of my rant was in reference to their Enterprise version of 
ware and the second level of escalation I referred to was an "SBD Customer 
Support Specialist - Level 3" person.

The experience was as I stated...

From: Jonathan Link [mailto:jonathan.l...@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:00 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

You have access to the consumer support.
I have access to the ProAdvisor support. We have two on staff, and when I 
connect to their tech support on the occasions I've needed it, my experience 
was good, and issues were resolved quickly.



On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 3:26 PM, Joseph L. Casale 
mailto:jcas...@activenetwerx.com>> wrote:
>  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
>accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
>expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
>customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
>"best".
Stay away from Intuit, they have the most incompetent support you'll ever
find. I have had the misfortune of dealing with their people for their
enterprise products and home products and the popularity of their product
has forced them to farm their support overseas which in itself is not an
issue but the fact that the people doing it have zero computer skills and
read canned responses of a list that don't always fit.

The next problem is escalating, it usually just doesn't happen. When it did
for me only once, it was hardly any better and incredibly ignorant.

I hope you do find an alternative, and if you do, let me know:)

Just last night I was researching getting QB on a terminal server and found
a tech support response to the older versions needing Admin Rights for an
admin that refused to give users admin rights on his terminal server:

"Build a non Active Directory Integrated terminal server so the threat is 
contained"

Lol, right on;)
jlc

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~






~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Jonathan Link]

You have access to the consumer support.
I have access to the ProAdvisor support. We have two on staff, and when I
connect to their tech support on the occasions I've needed it, my experience
was good, and issues were resolved quickly.



On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 3:26 PM, Joseph L. Casale  wrote:

> >  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> >accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> >expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> >customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> >"best".
>
> Stay away from Intuit, they have the most incompetent support you'll ever
> find. I have had the misfortune of dealing with their people for their
> enterprise products and home products and the popularity of their product
> has forced them to farm their support overseas which in itself is not an
> issue but the fact that the people doing it have zero computer skills and
> read canned responses of a list that don't always fit.
>
> The next problem is escalating, it usually just doesn't happen. When it did
> for me only once, it was hardly any better and incredibly ignorant.
>
> I hope you do find an alternative, and if you do, let me know:)
>
> Just last night I was researching getting QB on a terminal server and found
> a tech support response to the older versions needing Admin Rights for an
> admin that refused to give users admin rights on his terminal server:
>
> "Build a non Active Directory Integrated terminal server so the threat is
> contained"
>
> Lol, right on;)
> jlc
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
>
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ben Scott]

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:50 PM, Garcia-Moran, Carlos
 wrote:
> Although have you looked at QuickBooks online? Intuit is a pain but the
> product is pretty decent and they were doing a 90 Free trial, cant beat
> it :)

  While QuickBooks online is an option, I don't really see it as
solving the "expensive" or "Intuit is a pain" problems.  The 90 day
trial doesn't really help -- the business in question plans to be in
business for longer than 90 days.  ;-)  It looks like the "QuickBooks
Online Plus" is the cheapest option that will do what this place
needs, and it's $35/month ($420/year).

  Maybe that's the going rate.  Dunno yet.  That's why I'm asking.  :-)

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~   ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Joseph L. Casale]

>  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
>accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
>expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
>customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
>"best".

Stay away from Intuit, they have the most incompetent support you'll ever
find. I have had the misfortune of dealing with their people for their
enterprise products and home products and the popularity of their product
has forced them to farm their support overseas which in itself is not an
issue but the fact that the people doing it have zero computer skills and
read canned responses of a list that don't always fit.

The next problem is escalating, it usually just doesn't happen. When it did
for me only once, it was hardly any better and incredibly ignorant.

I hope you do find an alternative, and if you do, let me know:)

Just last night I was researching getting QB on a terminal server and found
a tech support response to the older versions needing Admin Rights for an
admin that refused to give users admin rights on his terminal server:

"Build a non Active Directory Integrated terminal server so the threat is 
contained"

Lol, right on;)
jlc

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Phil Brutsche]

Unfortunately QuickBooks and Peachtree are the gold standards for this
sort of thing.

If the small business in question ever has to try to exchange data with
an outside firm (say, the bookkeeper who sends stuff off to an outside
CPA) then all of a sudden $180 for QB every couple of years isn't all
that expensive.

On 5/10/2010 1:42 PM, Ben Scott wrote:
> Hello, world!
> 
>   Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
> 
>   I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
> 
>   advTHANKSance

-- 

Phil Brutsche
p...@optimumdata.com

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ray]

I think the Great Plains Dynamics product (or whatever it's called) has
various "sizes" and I think a hosted version.  Support would probably be
thru a local dealer. I might be able to get a recommendation depending on
where the customer is.  

My wife is the GM of a Dynamics partner here in AZ. 

-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 11:43 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting

Hello, world!

  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
"best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.

  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
 Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

  advTHANKSance

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[John Aldrich]

We use a product here called SouthWare. Not sure how good it is, but that's
what we use. We're currently a number of versions behind, so I can't speak
to how well it works, not to mention I'm not one of the users. :-) It
currently looks like a DOS app pasted into Windows, and prints checks on a
dot-matrix printer, although I'm sure you could use the laser checks if you
had a spare laser printer.



-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:43 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting

Hello, world!

  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
"best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.

  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
 Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

  advTHANKSance

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Michael B. Smith]

Really, truly, I think QB is the only mainstream alternative left.

Personally, I and a number of other Microsoft people use Microsoft Office 
Accounting. But MSFT dumped it late last year, and 2009 SP3 is probably the 
last update we'll ever see.

My plan is to, sometime next year, move over to QB.

I may try one of the free alternatives, but probably not. My accountant is 
giving me pressure to move to QB as well. He's tired of CSV's.

Regards,

Michael B. Smith
Consultant and Exchange MVP
http://TheEssentialExchange.com


-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:43 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting

Hello, world!

  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO accounting 
product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather expensive, and in 
the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit customer service, and I've 
learned that "most common" does not mean "best".  For this user, traditional 
software and web services are both acceptable.  They've got just one PC, 
running Vista.

  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but this is 
one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable, so I thought I'd 
see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
 Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

  advTHANKSance

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ 
<http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

RE: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Garcia-Moran, Carlos]

I had good luck running a SOHO on GNUcash

http://www.gnucash.org/

Although have you looked at QuickBooks online? Intuit is a pain but the
product is pretty decent and they were doing a 90 Free trial, cant beat
it :)

-Original Message-
From: Ben Scott [mailto:mailvor...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 2:43 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting

Hello, world!

  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
"best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.

  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable, so
I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
 Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

  advTHANKSance

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~
<http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

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This e-mail, including attachments, constitutes non-public information
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~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Don Kuhlman]

My newer clients use Quickbooks.
I've got one client that has been with me for 20 years who we installed 
Peachtree for long ago(a dos version). They've stuck with the Peachtree 
software and have upgraded as needed. They use it for Payroll, Payables, and 
GL. No receivables being done in it.

Just my .02 :)

Don Kuhlman



- Original Message 
From: Ben Scott 
To: NT System Admin Issues 
Sent: Mon, May 10, 2010 1:42:52 PM
Subject: Small business/SOHO accounting

Hello, world!

  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
"best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.

  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

  advTHANKSance

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~



  


~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Re: Small business/SOHO accounting

[Jonathan Link]

Peachtree, perhaps.

Our firm has basically given up the fight, we recommend Quickbooks to our
small clients.  We can standardize internally on QB, and provide quick
resources to bear if there are technical or accounting problems.  Any
decision on an accounting package should be factor in the accounting service
provider's wishes, too.

We get some nonstandard stuff, and end up having to convert it, or acquire
additonal licensing those costs get passed onto the client.



On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:42 PM, Ben Scott  wrote:

> Hello, world!
>
>  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
> accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
> expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
> customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
> "best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
> acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.
>
>  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
> this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
> so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
>  Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.
>
>  advTHANKSance
>
> -- Ben
>
> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
> ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~
>

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~

Small business/SOHO accounting

[Ben Scott]

Hello, world!

  Anyone care to give recommendations in the small business/SOHO
accounting product space?  QuickBooks is very common, but also rather
expensive, and in the past I've had horrible experiences with Intuit
customer service, and I've learned that "most common" does not mean
"best".  For this user, traditional software and web services are both
acceptable.  They've got just one PC, running Vista.

  I Googled "quickbooks alternatives" and found a bunch of hits, but
this is one of those areas where practical experience is invaluable,
so I thought I'd see if anyone here has anything they'd want to share.
 Recommendations on what to avoid would also be useful.

  advTHANKSance

-- Ben

~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~
~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/>  ~