Sage One

[koi11]

I've had some problems with my bookkeeper/accountant and as such we have parted ways. I'm on the look out for a new accountant and I wondered if I could do the book keeping myself using the "Sage One" software. Does anyone use it and is it easy to use?

 

[johndon68]

I've had a play with it and quite liked it.

Elaine (one of stalwarts of the board) does a review of it here: http://www.cheapaccounting.co.uk/bl...ly-a-damn-good-system-at-a-truly-great-price/

John

 

[koi11]

Thank you John. The article mentions it doesn't prepare VAT returns! is that right? or is it something you pay extra for?

 

[johndon68]

The Cashbook version does not but the Accounts version does, more information here: http://www.sageone.com/accounts

John

 

[Alpha]

Thank you John. The article mentions it doesn't prepare VAT returns! is that right? or is it something you pay extra for?

The cashbook version (£5 per month) doesn't do vat returns but the accounts version (£10 per month) handles all the standard vat schemes and provides online filing.

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

Elaine (one of stalwarts of the board) does a review of it here: http://www.cheapaccounting.co.uk/bl...ly-a-damn-good-system-at-a-truly-great-price/

LOL - loving the description

Sage One is a great little product.



If you hook up with an accountant they can run VAT returns from you if you want to use the Cash Book products. Else you have to take the Accounts product.

I have told Sage that I think this is bonkers – they haven’t listened yet but I expect them to soon

 

[johndon68]

LOL - loving the description

I thought long and hard and made sure to choose my words carefully

John

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

I've had a play with it and quite liked it.

Elaine (one of stalwarts of the board) does a review of it here: http://www.cheapaccounting.co.uk/bl...ly-a-damn-good-system-at-a-truly-great-price/

John

I thought long and hard and made sure to choose my words carefully

John

now you know that makes sense John x

 

[koi11]

Thank you, I meet an accountant last week who was pushing me into using Xero, would anyone know if Sage One is better than Xero?

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

There are always good and bad in each.

The thing to do is to get one suited to your business and what suits you.

I don't know enough about your business to advise the best one for you.

Some accountants are 'tied' to certain packages. We're not.


We find some clients like one and other don't - it's like what is your favourite colour. We are all different - not everyone will like the same.



For me I don't like paying for someone that I am not going to use and I think this is where Sage have got it right with the cash book product.


Why pay for ledgers when you don't need them.

 

[Alpha]

Thank you, I meet an accountant last week who was pushing me into using Xero, would anyone know if Sage One is better than Xero?

Make sure that you use the accounting package that is right for you in terms of matching with your busienss needs, price points etc. then choose an accountant accordingly who will also support that product.

there are more and more accountants that will support a suite of software and not just one or two products.....we have clients on Twinfield, KashFlow VT, Sage and Quickbooks and currently evaluating Financial Force for one client

 

[koi11]

Im feeling slightly under pressure to buy something asap. I ditched my accountants with still Aprils bookkeeping to do before I can get someone to do my year end accounts. I now have May and Junes paperwork to do as my VAT return is due end of July!
95% of my business is landscaping and accounts is not my strongest point so I need some rather simple software to use, that will produce my VAT return for me and provide my new accountants next year with some comprehensible data.

Can I also ask, my ex-accountants gave me back my paperwork and a pdf file of my nominal ledger. How do I feed this data into the new software, I dont fancy re-keying last years paperwork.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[garyturner]

As with all prior guidance, it's important that you satisfy yourself that the advice you're getting is well founded and not just the path of least resistance for the accountant.

In that sense you also need to think about what you need from an accountant, as both components are important, not just the software.

As for Xero, if all you require is a simple cashbook without ledgers, Xero certified accountants can provide you with the cashbook edition of the Xero that's less than 50% of the cost of the full Business edition of Xero.

I'd encourage you to take out some free trials of various products and see find out which one you feel most comfortable with. You'll get a feel pretty quickly.

Regards,
Gary Turner
Mananging Director, Xero UK

 

[johndon68]

Two big advantages of Instant off the top of my head which may or not be an issue for you:

1. The Reporting in Instant is vastly superior to that in Sage One.
2. 3rd party applications can integrate with Instant but not Sage One.

John

 

[ERP_Consultant_Dalbir]

Hi Lou

If you are looking at Sage One, have a look at Arithmo too, both target the same audience.

Xero (I would put Kashflow in this bracket too) are more tailored to larger organisations than Sage One and Arithmo audience. If you're a Xero type customer, its not worth looking at the cheaper options.


Hi Alan
Give us an email, if you would like to benchmark Netsuite with Financial Force for your client.


Dalbir

 

[garyturner]

We have thousands of micro-businesses happily running Xero in the UK, and we have five editions of Xero and five pricing plans that cater for the smallest companies up to regular small businesses turning over more than a million pounds a year.

The vast majority of all Xero customers in the UK turnover less than a million pounds a year.

Gary Turner
Managing Director, Xero UK

 

[ERP_Consultant_Dalbir]

Hi Gary

I am talking about businesses (sole traders and small ltd companies trading in £) with turnover of less than £500k with headcount of 1 to 5. (ok definition of a microbusiness is headcount to 10 and turnover of less than £1million)

Xero limit the number of transactions clients can process to the sales and purchase ledger in this price bracket; whereas Arithmo and Sage One (Gut feeling is that one day Sage Instant will give way to Sage one. I am not associated with Sage, so I cannot be certain, John may know) are the tigers in the UK in my opinion in this bracket.

However for the next level, Xero, FreeAgent, Sage line 50, Kashflow, Quickbooks:- Xero in my opinion is a giant.

No product will be best in catogory if it tries to fit all sizes.

The more folks know about pros and cons of each system; the more likely, they will make an informed decision of the best system for their needs.

Dalbir

 

[garyturner]

Xero in my opinion is a giant.

With respect, poppycock.

Gary Turner
Managing Director, Xero UK

 

[johndon68]

Gut feeling is that one day Sage Instant will give way to Sage one.

If it does, it will be in the VERY long term - overall, feature wise, Sage One is still a million miles away from Instant (particularly Instant Plus) and will need a huge amount of work from Sage to make it comparable.

John

 

[ERP_Consultant_Dalbir]

With respect, poppycock.

Gary Turner
Managing Director, Xero UK

Hi Gary, I apologise for bursting your bubble.

Back to the discussion:

If it does, it will be in the VERY long term - overall, feature wise, Sage One is still a million miles away from Instant (particularly Instant Plus) and will need a huge amount of work from Sage to make it comparable.

Hi John

Sage One only came out this year, whereas Sage Instant has been around for donkey years. In the long run, it's competition too for us at Arithmo in the provision of a cloud based accounting system for sole traders and micro business owners.

Mind you, fair competition by it's nature brings out better products, which is good for the business user and their accountant (in supporting their business).

Dalbir

 

[johndon68]

I've no doubt that Sage will invest in Sage One (let's face it, they are going to have to) and, if they can keep it as simple as it is now whilst enhancing the functionality it has the potential to take on the more established SaaS providers but it will be a long, long time before it competes, functionality wise with their current desktop solutions.

John

 

[garyturner]

Hi Gary, I apologise for bursting your bubble.

I bow to your evidently much greater experience.

Gary Turner
Managing Director, Xero UK

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

Im feeling slightly under pressure to buy something asap. I ditched my accountants with still Aprils bookkeeping to do before I can get someone to do my year end accounts. I now have May and Junes paperwork to do as my VAT return is due end of July!
95% of my business is landscaping and accounts is not my strongest point so I need some rather simple software to use, that will produce my VAT return for me and provide my new accountants next year with some comprehensible data.

Can I also ask, my ex-accountants gave me back my paperwork and a pdf file of my nominal ledger. How do I feed this data into the new software, I dont fancy re-keying last years paperwork.

Thanks for your comments.

The poor OP is getting a bit left out here with your software vendors doing your “mine is better than yours bit”.


Healthy debate yes but now back to the OP.

Sage One Accounts will do what you want – you can sign up for a free trial. If you use the banner ad at the top of the forum you get an extended free trail.

Yes you can write to your previous accountant for a nominal and paper work – it is after all your data.

Have a read of this also on how to change your accountant ...

http://www.cheapaccounting.co.uk/bl...-it-is-really-easy-to-change-your-accountant/

Good luck with it

 

[Alpha]

Can I also ask, my ex-accountants gave me back my paperwork and a pdf file of my nominal ledger. How do I feed this data into the new software, I dont fancy re-keying last years paperwork.

Thanks for your comments.

There is no need to re-key all your data just ask your old accountant for a trial balance and key that in.

You will have to put the detailed outstanding debtors and creditors in so that you have the starting details to post subsequent bank payments/receipts against but your new accountant can advise you easily on how to do this.