| There is a great selection of Web based | | | | Bonuses: Some added benefits: |
| accounting software available, including free small | | | | - They offer a payroll service for an additional |
| business accounting software. From basic | | | | fee. |
| accounting to finance to tax reporting, it's all out | | | | Web Based Accounting: LessAccounting |
| there. | | | | Summary: LessAccounting looks like a |
| That's a good thing because at the heart of any | | | | straightforward Web based accounting solution. |
| business is the flow of money. Even if you run a | | | | Their pitch seems to be, "Easier than Quickbooks" |
| non-profit company, you need money to keep | | | | and having used Quickbooks, that sounds |
| operating and that means you need to keep track | | | | appealing to me! |
| of that money. | | | | Be aware though, that their target market is small |
| Below, I've listed some of the strongest offerings | | | | business and freelancers (i.e. non-complex business |
| online today, almost all of which offer free | | | | structures). From their features page: |
| accounting software at some level. Read on and, | | | | "We (the Less Everything Team) developed the |
| have fun exploring! | | | | Less Accounting software after getting fed up |
| Web Based Accounting: QuickBooks Online | | | | with every CPA telling us to use Quickbooks, a |
| Summary: Many, if not most, small-to-medium | | | | product that we found to be overly complicated |
| businesses start their life using QuickBooks and | | | | and buggy with a Mac. So, we built the software |
| there is one basic reason why: they get it right. | | | | for ourselves without any add-ons or confusing |
| By offering a complex accounting system with a | | | | features. We just needed to to manage our |
| step-by-step approach, QuickBooks offers power | | | | contacts, money in, money out and reports. That |
| without intimidating non-accountants. | | | | was it! Nothing more or less, just simple |
| Now, thanks to the Web, you can get all the | | | | accounting solutions for a simple web-based |
| great features of QuickBooks online. | | | | business." |
| Functional Areas: QuickBooks Online offers the | | | | Functional Areas: Functionally, LessAccounting |
| same robust features as offline QuickBook | | | | focuses on, well, accounting. They do handle |
| versions. In other words, you get a fully-loaded | | | | proposals and invoicing, which is handy, and the |
| accounting system with robust reporting and | | | | expense and tracking features are a nice plus. |
| online connections with financial institutions. | | | | In their words: |
| In addition, you can purchase additional add-ons to | | | | "If you just need a simple, web-based accounting |
| support payroll and credit-card payments. | | | | application to keep track of money in and out, |
| Features: As I mentioned above, QuickBooks | | | | we're probably a great fit! If you need |
| Online is fully-loaded. Included: | | | | double-entry bookkeeping and balance sheets you |
| - Create and send invoices | | | | might want to try something more complicated." |
| - Charge sales tax | | | | Features: LessAccounting's features seem to |
| - Track payments | | | | cover the basic business accounting bases. |
| - Create estimates | | | | Included: |
| - Time tracking and billing by customer | | | | - Import Address Books |
| - Delayed billing | | | | - Contact Management |
| - Recurring billing | | | | - Import Bank Accounts |
| - Print checks | | | | - Import - Mileage Tracker |
| - Track expenses | | | | - Create Business Proposals |
| - Automated online banking - daily expense | | | | - Track Sales Leads |
| download | | | | - Track Business Expenses |
| - Generate, customize, print, and e-mail reports | | | | - Invoice Online |
| - Send reports to Microsoft Excel | | | | - Run Reports |
| - Class tracking - categorize income & | | | | - Export Data |
| expenses | | | | - Share Your Account |
| - Track multiple locations | | | | - Invite Your CPA |
| - Budgeting | | | | - Dashboard Snapshot |
| - Time tracking | | | | - Weekly Email |
| - Prepare and print 1099s | | | | Usability: One of the attractions of LessAccounting |
| - Connect multiple users in different locations | | | | is their welcoming interface. Clean and |
| - Give your accountant access to your books | | | | easy-to-follow, newcomers should be quick to pick |
| - Set user permission levels | | | | up the basics. |
| For full details about the above features, see | | | | If you need more assistance, there are many |
| QuickBooks Online's quick tour page as well as | | | | movies and a community forum. |
| their product features and pricing matrix page. | | | | Pricing: LessAccounting offers 4 pricing structures |
| Usability: Even if you are completely unfamiliar | | | | ranging from free to a reasonable $24.00/month. |
| with accounting, QuickBooks makes use of | | | | To see what's included with each level, check out |
| step-by-step wizards and in-product help to get | | | | their pricing page. |
| you started quickly and keep you up and running. | | | | Vendor "Strength": The company behind |
| In addition, they offer support based on the | | | | LessAccounting, Less Everything, Inc., has been |
| product you select. For more details, take a look | | | | around since 2007. They seem fairly dedicated to |
| at the "Customer Support Included" row on their | | | | their business and have released other online |
| product features and pricing matrix page. | | | | applications as well. |
| Pricing: QuickBooks Online offers three packages, | | | | Replies from company officials on the community |
| each offering a different number of Web based | | | | forum come quickly and aim to solve the issues. |
| accounting features. The packages are: | | | | If they cannot solve an issue, they add it to a |
| - Online Free: $0.00/month | | | | bug or future features list, a good sign that they |
| - Online Basic: $9.95/month (available: a free | | | | are listening and plan to be around for a while. |
| 30-day trial) | | | | Bonuses: Some added benefits: |
| - Online Plus: $34.95/month (available: a free | | | | - They integrate with other popular online |
| 30-day trial) | | | | applications such as PayPal, Highrise, Basecamp, |
| For full details about the above web based | | | | and more. |
| accounting packages, see QuickBooks Online's | | | | - It looks as if they have an iPhone app. |
| product features and pricing matrix page. | | | | - They offer a free (and integratable) time |
| Vendor "Strength": Intuit, the company behind | | | | tracking application (LessTimeSpent), handy for |
| QuickBooks Online, has been around for many | | | | those that bill by the hour |
| years and is one of the largest players in the | | | | Web Based Accounting: FreeAgent |
| accounting software space. You should feel very | | | | Summary: FreeAgent bills itself as the "Online |
| comfortable using their products as I expect | | | | Accounting Nirvana for Freelancers and Small |
| them to be around for some time to come. | | | | Business". It certainly feels light and airy when you |
| You can learn more about Intuit on their about | | | | arrive at their site and it becomes immediately |
| page. | | | | apparent that this is software built for |
| Bonuses:Some added benefits: | | | | non-accountants. |
| - For an additional fee, Quickbooks Online offers a | | | | That is certainly not a bad thing of course, |
| payroll add-on that allows you to completely | | | | especially when you are dealing with 1-3 people |
| manage your payroll, including direct deposit and | | | | companies where those 1-3 people need to be |
| taxes. | | | | focusing on the work of their business, not the |
| - For an additional fee, you can accept credit | | | | business of their work. |
| cards as payment. | | | | Functional Areas: This is Web based accounting at |
| - You can access your QuickBooks Online | | | | its most basic, which is often just what |
| information on either your BlackBerry or your | | | | freelancers and very small businesses requires. |
| iPhone. | | | | FreeAgent is what I call a "closed loop system", |
| Web Based Accounting: ePeachtree | | | | helping you communicate and track everything |
| Summary: The Peachtree brand has been around | | | | dealing with a job from start to finish. It even |
| for a long while providing companies with solid, | | | | goes beyond the loop when needed by wrapping |
| dependable accounting software. Complex and | | | | up loose ends like what you owe Uncle Sam. It's |
| robust, Peachtree often offers too much for a | | | | simple, elegant and just what their target market |
| small business without an accounting team to | | | | needs. |
| manage but is just right for a business poised to | | | | Features: The included features are very |
| grow large! | | | | interesting; standard accounting with a Web 2.0 |
| Peachtree does not believe their Web based | | | | twist. My favorite feature is the tracking capability |
| accounting software is for every company and I | | | | that tracks an estimate through acceptance, |
| applaud them for pointing that out. From their | | | | invoicing and billing. Handy! Included: |
| FAQs page: | | | | - Contacts |
| "I already use Peachtree Accounting desktop | | | | - Estimates |
| software, should I switch? | | | | - Time Tracking |
| That truly depends on your business needs. You | | | | - Invoicing |
| may find our other products are more | | | | - Expenses |
| appropriate for you. For example, Peachtree | | | | - Banking |
| Complete Accounting offers much more in depth | | | | - Accounting |
| Inventory and Job Costing features along with the | | | | - Taxes |
| ability to customize reports. We do offer another | | | | I urge you to check out the "FreeAgent tour" for |
| online solution that gives you remote access to | | | | much more detail about the features listed above. |
| some of your Peachtree desktop data. If you | | | | Usability: FreeAgent has a clean and fresh |
| determine ePeachtree is right for your business, | | | | interface and a number of options for support |
| we recommend an Internet connection, such as a | | | | including: |
| cable modem, DSL, or T1." | | | | - FAQs |
| Functional Areas: ePeachtree offers a fully-loaded | | | | - A Knowledge-Base |
| Web based accounting system with very robust | | | | - Customer and Company Forums |
| reporting and lots of features. In short, there's | | | | Pricing: FreeAgent costs $20/month (there is a |
| not much missed here and perhaps more than | | | | 30-day free trial available). |
| you'll ever need. | | | | Vendor "Strength": FreeAgent has been around |
| In addition, ePeachtree offers an add-on Payroll | | | | since 2007. They have many customer |
| system that is fully-integrated with their | | | | testimonials and press coverage and regularly |
| accounting software. | | | | update their company blog. They respond to |
| Features: Ready? Here's the list of what's included | | | | forum posts and discuss plans for continual |
| in ePeachtree: | | | | improvement. I fell comfortable recommending |
| - Get Up and Running - FAST | | | | FreeAgent for your use as I believe they will be |
| - Choose from 75 Sample Companies | | | | around for a while. |
| - Specify Remote Users and Security | | | | Web Based Accounting: International |
| - General Ledger Control | | | | Summary: The software listed in this section is |
| - Access for Your Accountant | | | | produced by companies outside of the US. |
| - Sales Orders | | | | Because of that fact, a US-based company might |
| - Generate Customer Quotes | | | | have issues using them so, if you are US-based, |
| - Enter and print professional invoices | | | | buyer beware! |
| - Receive Payments | | | | However, if you are not US-based, these all seem |
| - Track Payment Status | | | | like solid offerings. Explore and see if one is right |
| - Alert Messages Keep You On Track | | | | for you. |
| - Handle Customers More Effectively | | | | International Accounting Listings: |
| - Easily Pay Bills | | | | - Clarity Accounting |
| - Enter/Print Purchase Orders | | | | - Saasu |
| - Timesaving Vendor Defaults | | | | - Xero |
| - Store Key Vendor Information | | | | - Clear Books |
| - Track Inventory Costing | | | | - e-conomic |
| - Flexible Item Setup | | | | Site Selection Criteria |
| - Display Item Images for easy identification | | | | The sites listed above are selected using the |
| - Job & Project Tracking | | | | following criteria: |
| - Sales Tax Tracking | | | | - Functional Areas - is this software a |
| - Over 100 Business and Financial Reports | | | | one-trick-pony (which are sometimes useful) or |
| For full details about the above features, see | | | | the central tool you've been looking for to run |
| ePeachtree's features page. | | | | your business? |
| Usability: For the sake of full-disclosure, I have not | | | | - Features - how many does the vendor offer |
| seen ePeachtree's interface, so I am not sure | | | | and how useful are they? |
| what it looks like once you login. | | | | - Usability - is the software easy to learn and use |
| That said, you can peek inside by scheduling a | | | | or do I need to take a training course and know |
| demo using their online form. | | | | how to program? |
| Pricing: ePeachtree offers one basic Web based | | | | - Price - how does the vendor price different |
| accounting package with add ons for more users: | | | | levels of functionality and usage limits (space, |
| - Basic Package: One User: $44.97/quarter ($14.99 | | | | users, etc.)? Will the price scale well as you grow |
| month)(available: a free 30-day trial) | | | | and need more features and/or higher usage |
| - Muti-User Add-On: Up to 10 More Users: $29.97 | | | | limits or become quickly unaffordable? Also, when |
| quarter ($9.99/month) additional | | | | it comes to price, I tried to balance functionality |
| Note: All prices are per company and include | | | | with what a small business could afford and thus |
| access for one accountant. | | | | larger, more expensive, players were cut off the |
| Vendor "Strength": Sage, the company behind | | | | listings. |
| ePeachtree, has been around for more than 30 | | | | - Vendor "Strength" - will the vendor be around |
| years years and is one of the largest players in | | | | for a while or are they about to go belly-up? I |
| the accounting software space. You should feel | | | | calculate "Strength" by measuring how often and |
| very comfortable using their products as I expect | | | | how recently the vendor's software has been |
| them to be around for some time to come. | | | | upgraded and the vendor's news and/or blogs |
| You can learn more about Sage on their company | | | | have been updated as well as what the industry |
| page. | | | | buzz and coverage has been. |