There is no best software, there is only software that makes your business more efficient and makes you more money. A small business could do incredible things with the the top high end software, but firstly it probably could not afford to buy the software, second, it would not have the staff to use all the features, and third, it would not have enough time to train its staff to use the software and all the super duper features of the software.
Accounts software no longer does just accounts. It can also provide Credit Control, CRM, Stock control, Distribution management and many more modules that can be added on. If you want to record sales you could write out sales invoices by hand and then record sales values in a spreadsheet. But if you want to analyse your sales and see which products are selling best and giving you the best margin, then accounts software with sales invoicing features and stock control would be required.
The simple way to see which software is best for you is map out your process from taking a customer, to delivering, getting paid for the goods, the whole process in details. Also your purchasing process from placing an order to receiving that order into your stores. Any little detail you can think of. Things you do automatically are the hardest to record, that is knowledge in your head that you assume everyone else knows.
Don’t let the Accounts Software Sales Representative oversell you their software. Be realistic as to what you really need. If you want detailed reports, you need to put in detailed information on your products such as cost, sales, intrastat, vat rate, sales analysis code, category code, group code, web site item, it all requires someone to input it every time a new product is setup. You may need one person who is solely responsible for setting up new products.
Never be afraid to reconsider the use of part of your accounts software if it is not working for you. CRM is great to use, but if you don’t keep putting in information consistently, the CRM module will not work. Credit Control modules are no use if you don’t put in every contact made with a customer, including that they did not answer the phone.
Be realistic about what you modules you can setup and use. Base it on the number of staff and the level of knowledge they have. Time is a finite resource. There will be extra time required when setting up any new accounts system, but it will be worth it if you can then perform tasks faster and get information out faster.
What if you could invoice every day/week instead of monthly and avoid the dreaded envelope stuffing two weeks into the next month. You could instead send those invoices by email instead of post and then get paid faster. That would be a great improvement, don’t you think!