“The impulse to buy small business accounting software and just
run with it can be tempting. Leading brands such as QuickBooks and
Peachtree leap to mind followed by a quick price evaluation. Pick,
click and done, right? While this approach is very common it is
also commonly wrong. Why? Because you end up buying the tool before
you properly define the job.“The best plan is to make a list of all the tasks you need small
business accounting software to do. This is the list by which you
will judge all small business accounting software packages. Your
top consideration should be whether you need a full accounting
program that can do everything or a lighter-weight
invoicing/expense program that simply helps you to stay on top of
your cash flow. You can give your accountant data from either type
of program for tax filing purposes, and many of these software
programs let you import the data into one or more tax preparation
programs.“The choice is really more about the details you want to see in
your daily operations.”