On a - now closed topic - one of the proper business tools mentioned was:
"Purchase a good computer based accounts package such as 'Sage accountant plus' or similar. "
My advice: stay away from everything Sage! It's very expensive, complicated and overvalued! ("Sage line 50" compares with the programs mentioned below and costs £ 525.00!)
Other, much better, easier to use, and loads cheaper (so better value for money) are:
MYOB - Mind Your Own Business Accounting plus £ 149.00
Mamut - Accounting Standard £ 149.00 - plus you can add other modules later like Customer Relation Management (mail-shots etc) very easy
For most start-ups and/or self-employed traders/trade persons the RCAP - Rapid Cash Accounting Package will be more than enough to get you started (records your VAT cash accounting in one go, easy!) £ 17.95 at the moment.
Worked with all of them, so not 'plugging' any for own benefit. Used MYOB for years until our business needed a proper CRM program and Mamut offered more for less than Sage's 'Act'.
Had to work with Sage accounting plus for a charity I did the books for - hated it - too expensive and getting reports out for the trustees was a monthly nightmare (in the end it was easier to create reports in Excel than using SAGE).
For a network organisation (BNI) I - volunteer treasurer - used the RCAP program, made life very easy.
"Purchase a good computer based accounts package such as 'Sage accountant plus' or similar. "
My advice: stay away from everything Sage! It's very expensive, complicated and overvalued! ("Sage line 50" compares with the programs mentioned below and costs £ 525.00!)
Other, much better, easier to use, and loads cheaper (so better value for money) are:
MYOB - Mind Your Own Business Accounting plus £ 149.00
Mamut - Accounting Standard £ 149.00 - plus you can add other modules later like Customer Relation Management (mail-shots etc) very easy
For most start-ups and/or self-employed traders/trade persons the RCAP - Rapid Cash Accounting Package will be more than enough to get you started (records your VAT cash accounting in one go, easy!) £ 17.95 at the moment.
Worked with all of them, so not 'plugging' any for own benefit. Used MYOB for years until our business needed a proper CRM program and Mamut offered more for less than Sage's 'Act'.
Had to work with Sage accounting plus for a charity I did the books for - hated it - too expensive and getting reports out for the trustees was a monthly nightmare (in the end it was easier to create reports in Excel than using SAGE).
For a network organisation (BNI) I - volunteer treasurer - used the RCAP program, made life very easy.