Getting your books in order
Manage your finances with easy-to-use accounting software and Microsoft Office Live Small Business
Like it or not, bookkeeping is part of running a small business. You need a reliable and accurate way to track the money coming and going out of your business if you hope to remain in business.
Fortunately, you can find a number of software tools on the market today that streamline accounting tasks—and deliver features you just don't see with a pencil-and-paper system. You may need to invest a bit of time becoming familiar with these programs, but most are easy to learn, don't require a sophisticated understanding of accounting, and will save you a ton of time in the long run.
Small-business accounting software will typically help you:
- Store and organize your business financial information in one place
- Reduce data entry errors
- Increase the accuracy of your calculations
- Create customized estimates, invoices, and purchase orders
- Track expenses automatically
- Automate bank transactions and customer payments
In addition, your accounting software can work even better for you by making your financial files available online. By uploading and storing your files on a password-protected, security-enhanced Web site such as an Office Live Small Business workspace, you can have access the information from anywhere you have Internet access. This way you can take care of accounting tasks while on the road, and share information with your accountant.
Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2008 makes it easy
An attractive accounting tool option for Microsoft Office system users is Microsoft Office Accounting 2008. The free version of the software, called Office Accounting Express 2008, is especially designed for millions of startup and home-based businesses using pen and paper or spreadsheets to run their companies. Office Accounting Express 2008, designed for U.S. and U.K. small businesses only at this time, provides the familiar look and feel of Office system programs and integration with other Office programs.
You don't need IT staff or special skills to install Office Accounting Express 2008. The Startup Wizard gets your company set up, connected, and working right away. And you can easily import data from other programs such as Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Money, and Microsoft Office Excel, so you don't have to start from scratch.
Here are some of the benefits of using Office Accounting Express 2008.
- Enter data only once You no longer need to enter business data in each program you use. You can enter it once and have it shared across commonly used forms and other Microsoft Office programs like Microsoft Office Word and Office Excel. This capability enables you to create a quote and convert it into an invoice in just one click. It’s also a simple way to reduce errors.
- Get organized You store and organize all your customer and financial information in one place so that you have a complete view of your business.
- Spend less time managing everyday tasks The integrated tools of Office Accounting Express 2008 let you create quotes, invoices, and receipts quickly and easily. You can write checks, track expenses, and reconcile online bank accounts.
- Know how your business is doing Choose from more than 20 predefined reports to gain insight into your business, or customize the reports to meet your specific business needs. You can also export the reports—in just one click—to Office Excel 2007 for further analysis.
- Do business online Office Accounting Express 2008 includes a feature that makes it easy to sell products on eBay. You can list items, upload and manage pictures, and track activity in real time. And integration with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 lets you send invoices in an e-mail message and include a direct link to PayPal.
Share information with your accountant
Meeting with your accountant can require days of preparation. But with the Accountant Transfer Export Wizard in Office Accounting Express 2008, you can create a copy of your books for your accountant with a cut-off date so that you can continue to run your business.
If you are signed up for Office Live Small Business, you also have the option to upload a copy of your books to a security-enhanced online workspace. You can then grant your accountant the privileges needed to access the workspace and books. Accountants can review the information online or import it into their own systems.
Managing accounting tasks may not be the favorite part of running your business. But with easy-to-use accounting software such as Office Accounting Express 2008, and Office Live Small Business online workspaces, you can reduce the time and effort required to keep your books in shape and your accountant up to date.
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