Choosing accounting software is no easy task. You have to keep in mind the needs of your business and its user-friendliness. Accounting traditionally is time-consuming and susceptible to errors. Humans can make mistakes, but the software doesn’t!
Accounting software is designed and programmed to cut down on this human factor to produce a perfect result of number, which can help your business in the short and long term. Not only do they save you precious resources like time and money, but they also minimize the efforts of employees thus increasing their quality of life at work.
Here are 5 tips on how to choose accounting software that best suits the needs of your business.
1. What do You Need?
First, you should list down the features that your business requires. If you do the basic stuff like making income statements or cash flows, then the package you’ll need is a fairly simpler one which you can get cheap.
Although, if your business needs require you to keep records of costing and expenses of various departments, you’ll need to get a specific package that is used across the industry like construction and real estate.
In a summary, you should always opt for the software which meets your needs and it is much better than getting an overpriced, overblown software offering a plethora of options. Most of which you’ll probably never end up using.
2. Which Brand?
There are numerous accounting software and associated packages available in the market but the big-name brands don’t always provide the best value for money accounting software. Once you have decided upon your choice of software, then what? These are some other factors to consider:
-The is the support services are worthwhile
-You can get a free trial before buying/leasing the accounting software from a company that provides accounting services.
3. Shelf Life and Upgrades
You must ensure that your software won’t become obsolete in the foreseeable future. Some software cost a lot, even more so than the hardware which they are used on. Therefore, it is important to get updates/upgrades as better hardware starts to launch.
The software should be upgraded as the business needs change, i.e. your business expands. You should look for software extensions/upgrades for the software you are using at that time, instead of opting for a new package altogether. That should compensate handsomely for the evolving needs of your business.
4. Should you lease, or buy the software?
Buying, paying monthly, or leasing, all options are mostly available but they are dependent upon the type of software you select. Some accounting software service providers may have one of the options mentioned or all of them. In any case, you are certainly guaranteed upgrades if and when the technology advances, whether it be software or hardware.
5. User Reviews and Opinion
A final pointer is that you should always check out peers/customer reviews and opinions of your choice of accounting software by visiting relevant forums.
This can be one of the most efficient ways to get useful information on accountancy software available in Dubai. User experience matters a great deal, even more so than some of the tips listed above for choosing accounting software.