Small business support: software/app or company?

[YourThai Cafe]

Hi all,

I am an entrepreneur who about to open a small café. I plan to register it as a sole trader.

Since I will run this on my own, are there any software, app or company that you can recommend for a small business support? i.e. Tax, Account, cash flow, etc.

As I mentioned that I am new to the business, so would like to get a support that easy to use and cost-effective.

Thank you in advance.

 

[James MIller]

Hi
I would look at Xero. It is a easy to understand accounts package. There are loads of videos showing you what you need to know.
Eggs
James

 

[YourThai Cafe]

Thank you, James. I'll check it out.

 

[LynetteGreen]

There is also Kashflow, which is easy to use and reasonably priced.

 

[Paul Murray]

I use FreeAgent which is ideal for what I need (and I have an accountant who uses it too which makes things like VAT returns much easier, though you can do that yourself through the app if you wish).

It emails and tracks my invoices, tracks incomings and outgoings plus you can submit your tax return directly through the app, which was a huge selling point for me. Definitely have a look at it (you can get 10% off with this referral link).

The accountant also uses Xero and I asked about changing but he suggested FreeAgent is fine for sole traders so I stuck with it.

 

[East Africa]

Go for Quickbooks, I use it and I am okay with it

 

[Jeff Nev]

FreeAgent is good for sole traders as it's very easy to use, but most Xero accountants will tell you that you're not getting the same wealth of features. If I was managing my own accounts, I'd probably stick with FreeAgent. There's also some great free guides on FreeAgent that I used to use;

http://www.nimblejackaccounting.co.uk/538/freeagent-tips/
http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/articles/2015/01/7-tips-business-invoicing/

But of course, there's also the option of getting accounts managed for you using these cloud based solutions. It means you get constant access to your accounts, but they're updated and managed by someone who is more accustomed to the field of accounts, which suits me just fine.

I know it's not right for everyone, especially at such an early stage in a business. For reference, I currently use a company named Approved Accounting and I would highly recommend them once your business has grown a bit;
http://www.approved-accounting.co.uk/xero_online_accounting.asp

 

[Deleted member 252819]

From what I gather, many bookkeepers and accountants prefer Xero, but I don't have the time or inclination to wrestle with it, when FreeAgent does a better job of the basics.

We used FreeAgent for many years, then switched to Xero on the advice of our then-bookkeeper. We found it very difficult to replicate the simple convenience of FreeAgent, without buying a lot of add-on products.

Once we added it all up, we would have had to spend more on add-on modules than we were already spending on the core Xero subscription.

We switched back to FreeAgent and feel very much at home there.

 

[Carl Mintern]

I recommend you get an accountant you trust and let them advise you which accounting software to use.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Whatever accounting software you choose, make sure yo get an epos system that works with it!

Also, are you committing to any leases, loans etc? If you are, do not be a sole trader!

 

[JorgeAndresPuertaArango]

Hello

U must speak first with an accountant in order he can help you better
There are many legal and tax info he can give u to not get into trouble

regards

 

[dtdigital]

I'd recommend speak with your accountant first to see which system they use as then they can sort your tax from the system.

Other than that, I recommend WaveApps - very good.

 

[Deleted member 244558]

Go old school with a pen and paper...
Let the accountant do the admin.

 

[VCG]

Regardless of whether you prefer Xero or FreeAgent or other cloud based accounting software
in my experience it is a great idea to book your cloud based accounting software directly with the respective software platform rather than indirectly through your accountant. Because in the not that unlikely event that you wish take your customs to another accountancy service you are in control.

 

[umizoomi]

I agree on getting it directly. You can use quickfile completely free of charge - that might be a good idea until you are familiar with accounting software and are ready to pay for more features.

 

[RLlewellyn]

Go old school with a pen and paper...
Let the accountant do the admin.

This guy wants to see the world burn! haha.

In all seriousness, Xero or Sage are probably the most user friendly after you beat the learning curve. I'd go with Xero for the customer support, but it's up to you. Speak to a financial adviser, they're always extremely helpful and the majority do a free consultation, get as much info from that as possible!

 

[ldjames]

I've used Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Kashflow and Xero over the years. Xero wins hands down in my opinion. You will need an EPOS system and there are several that integrate with Xero.