There are no reasons for businesses to be afraid of using free
accounts software. Here are main four points that may help in your
decision process.
1. Ask yourself, if there is an approved program available completely free without any strings attached, why should you waste money on its expensive counterpart? Commercial software can set you back by £500 plus, in addition to £200 pa for renewals and support. The problem is that users find it difficult to be sure if the given product will perform to the accounting standards. They also do worry if there are any hidden extras. With so many choices around, you will be surprised to know that very few are genuinely free! There is quite often a hidden catch with limitations springing up afterwards when you have already invested your efforts heavily in to learning your new tool. Trialling them also can waste too much of your time and money. So how do you know if the software will meet standards, and at what level? The answer is to choose the software recommended by the accountancy education bodies like Institute for Accounting with Free Software - The IAFS, which works to standardise the education with the type of software enshrined its name, and in that process offers qualifications in accountancy with the use of such products, which in turn works as a benefit for the general business users. They have an open programme available to all program developers for bookkeeping software to achieve their accreditation, and very few so far have passed their quality and full compliance mark. One way to be suspicious about the limitations the software may have is to check if it is commercially advertised heavily on the web, including by AdSense. The common sense dictates that most freeware have no budget for such commercial activity! So, like their proven commercial big brothers, you should also look for accredited ones while choosing such give-away accounting products.
2. Modern non-commercial accounting software out there also allow you to do all necessary tasks you can imagine, like the customers-suppliers details, invoices, payments, adjustments, statements, cashbook, PayPal fees, petty cash, journals, multi taxes, chart of accounts, loans, assets, equity and other liabilities. Additionally good ones also allow detailed stock module, invoice layouts, email-shots, van drivers, petrol usage by the drivers, mileage analysis for the drivers, etc. Funny thing is many commercial bookkeeping software do not even come close to offering all these features. All the more reason to switch to gratis software of quality.
3. A majority in this category doesn't allow payroll feature. But it is interesting to know that there are some available which allow this for the UK payroll, including payroll forms like P35 and P60, as long as you keep up with their regular free upgrades. Such features mean business can integrate their staffing scenario with the software: A tremendous advantage in itself. When one finds such extra features, it adds to reasons why businesses should not hesitate using free accounts software, as their commercial counterparts don't even offer such advantage.
4. Ask if your current software or the one you intend to buy allows a complete flexibility of transportation with CDs or USB drives? Ask also if without installing anything and copying the whole folder of such software on your USB media, or CDs, or another computer, your whole program will run happily to allow you to carry out your bookkeeping tasks? Additionally, one major thing to look out for is how much such program writes files in Windows program. Most commercial ones alter the behaviour of your Windows by writing DLL files or installing data engines, or by manipulating Microsoft.Net Framework or Microsoft SQL engine. Many free ones also do that. But the one of the five-star programs the IAFS uses for its examinations meets the above requirements! That means less opportunity for it to damage your Windows environment!
Free doesn't always mean lack of quality. The accreditation process of accounts software by the likes of IAFS enhances such concept and gives users peace of mind.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Four-Reasons-to-Switch-to-Free-Accounts-Software&id=68684671. Ask yourself, if there is an approved program available completely free without any strings attached, why should you waste money on its expensive counterpart? Commercial software can set you back by £500 plus, in addition to £200 pa for renewals and support. The problem is that users find it difficult to be sure if the given product will perform to the accounting standards. They also do worry if there are any hidden extras. With so many choices around, you will be surprised to know that very few are genuinely free! There is quite often a hidden catch with limitations springing up afterwards when you have already invested your efforts heavily in to learning your new tool. Trialling them also can waste too much of your time and money. So how do you know if the software will meet standards, and at what level? The answer is to choose the software recommended by the accountancy education bodies like Institute for Accounting with Free Software - The IAFS, which works to standardise the education with the type of software enshrined its name, and in that process offers qualifications in accountancy with the use of such products, which in turn works as a benefit for the general business users. They have an open programme available to all program developers for bookkeeping software to achieve their accreditation, and very few so far have passed their quality and full compliance mark. One way to be suspicious about the limitations the software may have is to check if it is commercially advertised heavily on the web, including by AdSense. The common sense dictates that most freeware have no budget for such commercial activity! So, like their proven commercial big brothers, you should also look for accredited ones while choosing such give-away accounting products.
2. Modern non-commercial accounting software out there also allow you to do all necessary tasks you can imagine, like the customers-suppliers details, invoices, payments, adjustments, statements, cashbook, PayPal fees, petty cash, journals, multi taxes, chart of accounts, loans, assets, equity and other liabilities. Additionally good ones also allow detailed stock module, invoice layouts, email-shots, van drivers, petrol usage by the drivers, mileage analysis for the drivers, etc. Funny thing is many commercial bookkeeping software do not even come close to offering all these features. All the more reason to switch to gratis software of quality.
3. A majority in this category doesn't allow payroll feature. But it is interesting to know that there are some available which allow this for the UK payroll, including payroll forms like P35 and P60, as long as you keep up with their regular free upgrades. Such features mean business can integrate their staffing scenario with the software: A tremendous advantage in itself. When one finds such extra features, it adds to reasons why businesses should not hesitate using free accounts software, as their commercial counterparts don't even offer such advantage.
4. Ask if your current software or the one you intend to buy allows a complete flexibility of transportation with CDs or USB drives? Ask also if without installing anything and copying the whole folder of such software on your USB media, or CDs, or another computer, your whole program will run happily to allow you to carry out your bookkeeping tasks? Additionally, one major thing to look out for is how much such program writes files in Windows program. Most commercial ones alter the behaviour of your Windows by writing DLL files or installing data engines, or by manipulating Microsoft.Net Framework or Microsoft SQL engine. Many free ones also do that. But the one of the five-star programs the IAFS uses for its examinations meets the above requirements! That means less opportunity for it to damage your Windows environment!
Free doesn't always mean lack of quality. The accreditation process of accounts software by the likes of IAFS enhances such concept and gives users peace of mind.
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