Business Accounting Software

[JanetMegan]

Can anyone help me find a good business accounting software package? I have a lot going on, but expect that within the next 6 months I will be in need of this. Think small business with 5-7 empoyees (hoping to do direct deposit for payroll) but it would need to handle probably 2-3M per year in accounts. I do have some accounting expierence but it would be helpful if it had excellent online tutorials etc. This would be for a general commercial contracting business.

Thanks in Advance!

[Scar]

I do the accounting for several contracting companies (same owner) around $6m combined sales and 25 - 30 employees. We use Quick Books Pro and I generally like it. It is very easy. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is too easy to accidentally change old transactions. We don't have direct deposit but I suppose that's something your bank would handle, unless you use a payroll service like ADP, then they would handle it.

ETA: If your looking for software that produces AIA percentage of completion billing, then Quick Books won't work.

[offwego]

Do you use an on line banking service for the business? Check to see which programs your bank can download statements into as that can be a big time saver.

Many of my clients use quick books, but simply accounting runs pretty much neck and neck.

The direct deposit thing will be a bank program (or adp or similiar) not an accounting program feature.

[MauiMouse]

Another QuickBooks Pro user, great for payroll taxes, very easy to use. I would recommend the 2006 version if you can get it, I've heard of problems with the 2007 version.

[Christine]

I am a bookkeeper and use Quick Books also. It is really easy to use, and I would recommend it.

[ElenitaB]

Janet, I used to do the books for a facilities design/consulting firm and was not a huge QuickBooks fan but many do have a lot of success with it. The one thing I did outsource after a few months, however, was payroll. Since it's so important, it was better to have an expert do it and it wasn't really that expensive (and it took a huge load off of my mind as well).