Archive for March 11th, 2010
4 Accounting Packages for Freelancers
Keeping up with the details of your business can be time consuming for freelancers. After all, if you’re a graphic designer, accounting is not necessarily your greatest strength. Yet, you know that you have to keep up with your invoices, business expenses and tax related items if you’re going to run a profitable and legal business.
When it comes to accounting, in the long run you’re likely going to want to hire an accountant to handle your books for you. But, since that might not be feasible in the first year or so, it’s a good idea to find a web application or software package that can help you do the accounting on your own. Fortunately, there are several programs available that can make basic business accounting understandable for even the most “non-accounting” type person. And, some of them are even free in their most basic form. Here are some you might want to take a look at as you navigate putting your freelance business together. Having an accounting package you can use from day one will help you keep accurate records from the start, with no catching up to do.
Systems Online – This free downloadable accounting software is extremely popular. Over 250,000 small businesses have downloaded the software. You’ll find everything you need to create invoices, track payments, pay vendors and keep financial records.
QuickBooks Simple Start – Quickbooks is a very popular accounting program. It’s simplest form is in online form, so there’s nothing to download. You can create invoices, manage and pay vendors and keep track of expenses and profits. You can manage up to twenty customers with the free online version.
Accounting ASAP – This is a very simple to use accounting product that you can download. It allows you to create invoices, track payments and manage expenses. It also allows you to run all the reports you need. It’s free for 30 days so you can try it out and only costs $10 to purchase.
GnuCash – This downloadable accounting package is completely free. It can provide all your major accounting needs, as long as your business stays small. Many people use it for personal money management, too.
In addition to these four packages that handle many aspects of accounting, you can also find programs and downloads that handle just one aspect of the financial end of your business. For example, many people use EzyInvoice for invoicing and accounts receivable. This is a good package, but keep in mind that it won’t handle all your business accounting needs. In the long run, you’re probably better off to think ahead and choose a program that handles all aspects of your accounting management. Starting with a free simple version is a great way to save money, but it’s a good idea to choose one that’s upgradeable as your business grows and you require more functionality.
There are lots of things to consider when you start your own business as a free lancer. Managing and tracking your money matters is an important one. So, go ahead and choose a package from the beginning so that you can make accounting easy and move on to the things you do best.
M. Ward writes about how to find online colleges for accounting.
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