If you’ve ever used free bookkeeping software, you’ll know that the best things in life are most definitely not free. Yet still, the internet seems to be overflowing with free bookkeeping software programs that offer small businesses the opportunity to simplify their accounting without having to lay down a dime. The thousand dollar question always seems to be: should you try them out, or stay away at all cost?
Deciding for yourself is as easy as deciding how important accurate bookkeeping is to you. If the answer to that question is “Not terribly important” then you need a lot more than someone to talk you off the ledge—you need to have your head examined. The fact is, using free bookkeeping software when you’re running a business is asking for trouble. With free bookkeeping software, you typically get:
• No guarantee of accuracy.
• Poor or nonexistent free support. The software may be free to download, but if you’re going to pester the manufacturer with questions you’ll likely be asked to upgrade your package before you get any assistance. In some cases, support isn’t even an option.
• A lite version of the program that won’t perform all of the tasks you need it to perform without paying for that aforementioned upgrade.
There are a number of bookkeeping and payroll services online that not only come with easy to learn software programs, but they also come with a team of professionals working behind the scenes to care for all of your business bookkeeping needs. Hiring a third party bookkeeping firm is a far cry from using DIY free software— it’s actually a major step up. But it’s the route most often suggested to companies seeking easy to use, intuitive bookkeeping software who want to ensure total accuracy in their bookkeeping.
