You may have the greatest business idea in the world, but it's the boring stuff--cash flow, payroll, forecasting and minding the bottom line--that will ultimately determine whether your company sinks or swims. Fortunately, you can make things a lot less boring and considerably quicker by throwing the figures over to one of the many excellent accounting packages now on the market. The packages we look at here will take care of business on a day-to-day basis, are easy for non-accountants to master and won't punch a big hole in the profits. Whether you are a one-man band trading out of your attic or the boss of a large company, the financial disciplines are the same, and we've looked at software to suit every type of business and every pocket.

Sole traders

If you are just starting out in business QuickBooks Pro 2001 is well worth a look. The package will be instantly familiar to anyone who already uses the excellent Quicken personal finance package. QuickBooks is its business-orientated big brother. It's extremely easy to get to grips with, even for those of us who need to use fingers and toes to add up. You can track the value of your assets, inventory and debts, as well as keep tabs on your customers, generate invoices and cheques. Setting it up is a breeze as the software interviews you for all the information. And it's flexible, too--you can customise the look and functions to suit your own business; it will grow as your company does. If you can think of a financial report you want then QuickBooks can probably produce it. And come the end of the year, your data can be easily exported for the tax return. Extra functionality for managing staff is offered by Quickbooks 2001 Pro with Payroll, which integrates the accounting and pay roll areas into one. Dosh Cash Control, meanwhile, is another budget option for keeping on top of that crucial cash flow. It helps you predict your business cash flow for any 13-week period. It's as simple as typing in your predicted receipts and payments--the program then produces a 13-week summary and graph, breaking down all your receipts and payments.

And QuickBooks is flexible, too--you can customise the look and functions to suit your own business; it will grow as your company does.

Small Business

Sage Instant Accounting 6.02 is similarly tailored for the small business. It's easy to use (in small companies the accounts will probably not be the province of a professional accountant); it's stacked with smart Wizards to move you swiftly through complex financial tasks; and if you get really stuck there's an excellent Help section and a continually updated online library for information and tips. Pay out a little more for the Instant Bundle: Sage Instant Accounting and Payroll 6.0, and you get a coordinated pair which takes care of the staff side of the firm as well as sales.

In small companies, the accounts will probably not be the province of a professional accountant.

You can also buy version Instant Payroll 7.0 as a stand-alone package. This will handle payroll for up to 10 employees; deal with PAYE and National Insurance; and print payslips, cheques and end-of-year tax forms. A budget option is Dosh Payroll, though be warned that some of its functions are tailored to the US market. And while you're investing in your financial controls, why not invest in training too. A useful complement to any of the Sage accounting packages is Instant Accounting Made Easy, an interactive CD-ROM trainer from Sage. And Scarlet Software's Credit Manager aims to put an affordable money-chasing tool in the hands of small businesses, with a suite of integrated programs to "reduce the cost and effort of getting paid on time". It's a clever approach, generating all your reminders, demands and, ultimately, threats from a database on your desktop.

Bigger Business

If you liked Sage Instant Accounting, then Sage Line 50 Accountant 7 and Accountant Plus 7 may be a good step up as your company grows, not least because the interface will be instantly familiar. Complementary packages for the bigger business include Line 50 Financial Controller 7 and Sage Forecasting

by John Rennie

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