QuickBooks or Sage?

Kylie

Fairly standard small business. No employees (yet). Service industry (no stock).

Limited accounting experience...

What does MSErs recommend?

Pennywise

I'd suggest that you ask your accountant. If you use a system that your accountant knows and uses, you'll get better advice re its use and your annual charges should be less as they'll be more aufait with how it works. I'd also suggest that you get your accountant to help you set it up and give some initial training - there's nothing worse than spending a year entering the data thinking you've got it right only to be demolished by the accountant at the year end when basically everything you've done is wrong! (not to mention their fees to sort it out).

There was a time when Sage were dominant and virtually all book-keepers & accountants recommended Sage, but times change and there are now a lot of cheaper/better options for the small business. Some accountants still recommend Sage (to get the profit and training for providing it to you) but some accountants won't touch it with a bargepole.

Same with Quickbooks - some swear by it and some swear at it!

I'd say that both are overkill for the smallest of businesses and both can get expensive with the updates/support etc that they almost force you to take. Sage is very restrictive with strict period end and year end routines and hard to correct and also quite difficult to learn as it was originally written for accountants so has quite a lot of accountant-speak and isn't terribly user-friendly. QB is the opposite - too flexible and easy to change which can lose its integrity - accountants tend not to like QB because it isn't written in accountant-speak! You can't please everyone!

Many accountants will hand out a free "cash book" type of software or spreadsheets to their clients. Others will give you recommendations - nowadays a lot of accountants recommend www.vtsoftware.co.uk who do a free cash book or a cheap one-off full ledger system. There are also cheap DIY spreadsheets www.diyaccounting.co.uk which seem to get good feedback on other forums. Also there are now loads of online systems such as www.kashflow.co.uk that are again very popular. Have a look at www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk to see what businesses and accountants have to say.

This is always a hot and contentious topic. Some people love Sage, others hate it, same with QB. Some like the idea of online accounting, others won't entertain it. Some like spreadsheets, others come out in a cold sweat just thinking about working with them. It's really horses for courses.

From what you say, I'd say both Sage and QB are well OTT for your needs of no employees, no stock - just a small services business. The DIY spreadsheet, VT accounting or Kashflow would do whatever you need just as well, especially with limited accounting knowledge as both Sage and QB aren't terribly easy to use and you'll not need probably 90% of the functionality but get confused with all the different options etc.

Kylie

Wow, thanks Pennywise.

When I say limited - I mean I did some accounting at uni, but I am definately no accountant.

We do have one and I will be sure to ask his advice.

I do envisage a time were we will taking on staff and I don't particularly want to re-enter data from one package to another (reason for picking something that does everything from the start).

Thinking further, the way the business is set up, it's possible we will be using the stock systems, perhaps...

Either way, I will be sure to check out all those links you provided.

Thank you again!

DCodd

I agree with Pennywise. Sage is what we use as a Medium business but mainly because it has a number of modules that can be added and we find them usefull especially the CIS (Constuction IndustryTax Scheme) module. But it is expensive!! and the support and updates are even more so!!!

Look around and talk to your accountant!

ukbill69

use sage instant accounts! thats what I use for both my ltd companies!