Quickbooks 2003 Pro or Sage Line 50 v9 Financial Controller?

Hi,
I am about to start an online business and I am considering an accounts package.

The two I am thinking of are Quickbooks 2003 Pro and Sage Line 50 V9 Financial Controller. Both are good, Sage costs more and seems to be more difficult to use - I have seen version 7 in action but not V9. Quickbooks has a more friendly interface and is slightly cheaper.

I want to enter all stock through the system, do delivery notes, credit notes, invoices etc.

Please give me your opinions.

Thanks
Furhan

 

Firstly, if you use an Ecommerce "shopping cart" it's rather handy if its software interfaces with everything else. So this might be your first consideration.

"Sage" isn't available for Apple Macs. Strange because Mac users inevitably pay double for any software - maybe because they can afford to - but the Sage company doesn't want our business. I did look at Mac-compatible packages but in the end I simply added some scripts to Filemaker Pro and used that to handle invoices etc.

Martin

 

I have Erol3 shopping cart which I have not set up fully but it does contain some accounting and stock features but I would like to be able to print delivery notes, picking notes and credit notes. QB seems to be easiest to use - sage seems to be very unfriendly and after using the trial I have no idea whats going on

 

[JQL]

If you decide to go for Quickbooks and use their electronic invoicing please read the Ts & Cs very carefully.

In a nutshell it says that Quickbooks can insert advertising into the invoice before it is delivered to your customer. Store all the information about the transaction on Quickbbooks servers i.e. email address, line items, prices, discounts, etc. and use that information in whatever manner it sees fit.

Do you really want QuickBooks to have that information and maybe make it available to your competitors?

 

[officesols]

You're spot on Quickbooks is much easier for a new comer to accounting.

Have you thought of outsourcing your book keeping function altogether ?

contact me ?

 

[furman]

Hi,
Has anyone got any opinions or advice on the new Quickbooks Pro 2004 and Sage Line 50v10?

I have seen Quickbooks 2004 pro for about £200.

I am starting a wholesale and part retail business selling a product range of initially 40 with different prices for quantity and also 3-4 tiers of prices for customers. Stock control is important. I have never used purchase/sales orders so I don't know how import that is.

Both offer everything I need - I think! I may use the e-mail function to e-mail invoices etc. Do Quickbooks leave their message on the e-mail? I have seen in Sage that the E-Inovoice gets sent to Outlook which is then ready to e-mail.

Any advice or recommendations greatly appreciated.

 

[MikeH]

I am relatively new to using QB but can offer the following information. Once an invoice is created it can be emailed immediately. If the customers details are stored then it will automatically enter the correct address. The address can be changed before sending. QB inserts some basic default text to the email (please find attached....) but you can edit (to a certain extent) the email as you would any other email.

As for ease of use, the jury is still out at the moment, I am learning all the time. However I am aware of a forum that you can seek advice on QB if any one needs it.

In general I hear conflicting information over QB, some people find it suits their needs exactly and others end up getting an accountant to dig them out of a hole. Not sure where I will fit into that scale yet. :?

Mike.

 

[BBWdressseller]

Hi,
I am about to start an online business and I am considering an accounts package.

The two I am thinking of are Quickbooks 2003 Pro and Sage Line 50 V9 Financial Controller. Both are good, Sage costs more and seems to be more difficult to use - I have seen version 7 in action but not V9. Quickbooks has a more friendly interface and is slightly cheaper.

I want to enter all stock through the system, do delivery notes, credit notes, invoices etc.

Please give me your opinions.

Thanks
Furhan

Well if you intend to grow quite dramatically it might be worth going with Sage as they have scaleable products that will grow with you, it is harder to use but it is generally seen as a more robust product.

If it is only going to be you doing the inputting Quickbooks is probably the way to go, as you are more likely to keep something you can use more up to date. If its any consolation Click-cart-pro has an export facility to Quickbooks, not sure about other cart software.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

 

[Ozzy]

I am actually looking into same question myself at the moment!

I need an accounts system that interfaces with MySQL, or that I can interface myself. QB has the easiest functionality through its rebadged Barclays ClearBusiness offering - which also allows your accountant to log into your accounts and do your end of year without affecting you.
However, Sage is more widely used and supported by accountants and external development agencies.

Now, who was aware that by around 2006 Sage will no longer be available to purchase but instead you "rent" it and run it from their servers online ? I understand Microsoft are going down this same route with their Office application also.
There are some annual prices for the rent being banted around but I don't know how true they are.

 

[James Smith]

I personally prefer Sage, but am now a QuickBooks reseller because my clients prefer it.

This is principally because it is "in English" rather than "accountant speak" and it is easier to amend incorrect transactions etc.

Regarding accountants digging clients out of holes - well its like any item of software, it very much garbage in garbage out if you don’t know what you are doing with it you will make a hash of it. Some basic bookkeeping knowledge is helpful, and reconciling the bank account every month is crucial (normally the no. activity that people don’t do)

I tend to set up QuickBooks for clients and put in the first few transactions so they can go off and replicate them. There are a number of ways of doing things as its actually really quite a powerful bit of kit if you know your way around it.

Regards,

 

[Ozzy]

Hi James,
Its interesting seeing an accountant pushing QuickBooks, as that would be my preferred choice.
Can you confirm how simple the import routines on QuickBooks are with regards importing say an CSV file of transactions into the sales ledger, and ideally a CSV file of payments and customers too would be nice

 

[James Smith]

Ozzy, Importing is fairly easy once you get the hang of it.

You should be able to do the first one in about 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much reading of the manual/helpline time you need.

Subsequent ones in seconds as you can save the mappings assuming the file formats are consistent each time.

Regarding having two sets of data, I think importing them separately would be better. They may be a way of doing this though, I haven’t done so personally.

Regards,

 

[Ozzy]

Complete automation takes a step closer

 

[furman]

I managed to get a great deal on Sage Line 50 V10 FC - about £350 new and sealed. I bought a beginners training manual for about £20 which looks quite good and it seems to be written well from the few pages I have read.

 

[Rachel Habacus]

Has anyione considered MYOB?

 

[BillS]

Has anyione considered MYOB?

Started off with MYOB and still use for Mac clients but recomended QuickBooks from version 3 (now version 13) more rounded comprehensive product who's ownership/developers hasn't changed. Also did like in earlier MYOB version the fact didn't save after each transaction also QuickBooks implemented integrated payroll sooner and better than MYOB.
Wouldn't choose Sage either because got a cheap deal. Accounts only for single company and according to Daily Telegraph after goverment cash back for electronic filing through unnecessary payroll upgrades?

 

[bobydavid71]

Hi every body

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Best regards

 

[weebly_one]

Hi,
I am about to start an online business and I am considering an accounts package.

The two I am thinking of are Quickbooks 2003 Pro and Sage Line 50 V9 Financial Controller. Both are good, Sage costs more and seems to be more difficult to use - I have seen version 7 in action but not V9. Quickbooks has a more friendly interface and is slightly cheaper.

I want to enter all stock through the system, do delivery notes, credit notes, invoices etc.

Please give me your opinions.

Thanks
Furhan

Can I ask why Sage 50 V9 ? Or do you mean 2009?

Sage are up to Version 2010 now, which equates to Version 16 in the old numbers (They changed to years when they got to V13 (2007) as too many people had Triskaidekaphobia). Sage no longer support V11 and below I believe so be careful buying old software.

 

[David Griffiths]

Can I ask why Sage 50 V9 ? Or do you mean 2009?

This thread is 5 years old, that's why! Dragged up by a spammer

 

[weebly_one]

That'll teach me not to look properly!!!!

Thanks

 

[wizzard]

Don't you hate it when that happens

I'd reported a similar post earlier today.

 

[warriorhuzz]

i like it man...