Most owner-managed businesses in the UK are concerned about
keeping costs to a minimum, so shelling out hundreds or
even thousands of pounds for bookkeeping or accountancy
software that runs on a PC or Mac is not always desirable.
This is especially true, as any owner of Sage is aware,
when there are constant updates and patches to download and
install.
Over the last eighteen months or so, a number of online
bookkeeping and accountancy services have come on the
market, aimed mainly at the UK SME market and we've tried
out a number of such solutions.
The Basics :
Essentially, all these services share some common features
- the most important of which is all run online and can be
accessed via your web browser. All are accessed securely
using SSL, so all your data should be secure.
Because all the software runs on remote servers, patches,
updates, additional features and so on are all
automatically installed. Additionally, because the
providers of such services have extremely high end servers
and security systems, it is their responsibility to ensure
that backups are made regularly, that the server is hacker
proof and has good uptime and runs smoothly.
It is the removal of these chores that makes online
bookkeeping services an attractive proposition to UK
businesses.
Choosing The Right Service :
There are probably six or seven established online
accountancy and bookkeeping services on the market right
now: Kashflow and Marginz (aimed at the small business and
sole trader market), WinWeb and Liberty Accountants
(focused on the SME market), Twinfield and Sage's own
Online 50 solution.
Obviously, many of the features offered by these services
are similar, but here's my personal guide to selecting the
right online bookkeeping or accountancy service for your
company.
1) Is There A Free Trial
In order to find out whether the particular package offers
the reports and functionality you need, it is essential to
try before you buy. WinWeb and Kashflow both offer 60 day
free trials, so you can log in and see what is - and more
importantly - what isn't available to you.
I would suggest that you create a checklist of essential
features before signing up - that way you can be sure the
service offered covers all the needs of your business.
You should also check whether there are restrictions on the
reports themselves - limits to date ranges, for example.
2) Are You Going To Be Able To Use The Data In The Future
The service you choose must allow you to export records and
data in a format that can be used with more traditional
desktop accountancy packages, thereby allowing you to swap
providers in the future.
Further, you must be able provide the necessary reports to
your accountants in a useable format. Excel or CSV export
options are a must for all reports.
3) What Is The Service Level Agreement
With any web based service, the critical thing is uptime.
You must be able to rely on the service to be live 24/7 and
there must be a minimum level of acceptable uptime agreed
in the contract. Don't be fooled by guarantees like '99%
uptime guaranteed' - that is not sufficient for a business
critical application.
4) How Established Are These Companies
Bookkeeping software as an online service is a relatively
new concept, so many of these company are not well
established. The obvious exception is Sage, who offer the
SME favourite Sage Line 50 as an online service.
The more established small business solutions, like WinWeb
and Kashflow have been running 3 years or more, but some of
the other alternatives have been in existence only 2 years
or so.
Obviously, you should choose a service that isn't likely to
go out of business any time soon.
5) Testimonials from Other Users
Check the on-site testimonials by all means, but ask to
speak directly to current users of the service. If, as some
do, the service offers a forum, then this is another good
way to find out what users really think of the service.
Kashflow, for example, has a forum at
UKSmallBusinessForums.co.uk.
6) Support Is Critical - Test It Out
When you start your free trial, test out the support. Look
for both email and telephone support as well as online
knowledgebases and user guides. With an online service, it
is far from unreasonable to expect fast round the clock
support. So, test it out. If you get good, accurate, useful
answers quickly, then so much the better.
For businesses of all sizes, an online bookkeeping solution
is one well worth looking into but it is very much
something that will suit some companies (contractors
working through limited companies, for example) more than
others (large charities, for instance).
As with all things of this nature, it is worth testing out
at least a couple of these services to get a feel for how
they might benefit your business.
----------------------------------------------------
Jim Haines works for Just Accountants, where UK businesses
can compare bookkeepers and accountants and receive up to 4
quotes. Visit
http://www.justaccountants.co.uk/accounting.html for
details.
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