PC Magazine - 2009 04.pdf - Libertad Zero - Blog

Quicken Home & Business 2009
Easier to Use than Ever
When Intuit’s Quicken was first introduced, it was
built around a familiar graphical paradigm: the
checkbook. You can still find checkbook imagery
built into Quicken Home & Business 2009, but
now it’s just a small part of what has grown to be a
comprehensive financial management program.
Although the company has worked hard to bump up
the ease of use on this version, Quicken still isn’t for
everyone. Those without a home business to worry
about will do better to choose Quicken Starter Edition,
Quicken Deluxe, or Quicken Online. But to
track personal finances as well as those of your home
or small business, you can’t beat this edition.
You see the changes to the new Quicken right
away, thanks to a new Setup tab. Other new features
include improvements to the Add Account workflow
and to bill management and reminders. More significant,
though, is a new sidebar that provides access to
the Quicken online community and to tools—your
to-do list, add-on services, and more. Intuit has also
organized Quicken’s primary tasks into tabbed sections:
Bills, My Pages, Banking, Business, Investing,
Net Worth, Planning, Tax, and Quicken Picks.
One tab that you’re sure to spend a lot of time on
is Banking. Income and expenses from other parts
intacct for small Business
fall 2008 edition
What’s After QuickBooks?
QuickBooks is an exceptional small-business
accounting program, but it can be stretched only so
far. Before you reach that limit, you’d better think
about taking the next logical step—moving to a midrange
accounting product, such as Intacct for Small
Business.
Like QuickBooks, Intacct is an accounting program—but
it's one of a very different sort. The base
program contains many of the features QuickBooks
offers, such as Accounts Receivable and Accounts
Payable, but it’s not an out-of-the-box solution.
You’ll most likely need to work with Intacct to find
a reseller who can help you with, at the very least,
setup and implementation, if not training. And, as
you’d expect with a growing business, the accounting
expense will be commensurate with a system
that can handle more sophisticated needs—Intacct
estimates that a typical installation will cost roughly
$10,000 a year. But attempting to get along with an
underpowered solution will be far more expensive.
Because it’s Web-based, Intacct has an immediate
advantage over QuickBooks: Employees can work
with the accounting system anywhere—a boon for
mobile workers. Intacct’s base modules are Accounts
20 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION aPril 2009
first looks business
of the program automatically flow into here, so you
see simple, effective windows that display totals
for money coming in, money going out, and what’s
left. You can create and track numerous types of
accounts, including checking and savings, credit
card, investing/retirement, and loans. Individual
bills are handled capably under Quicken’s Bills tab.
You can also set up a portfolio and download stock
market information. In short, Quicken is well worth
your dollars if you want money management that
takes in all aspects of your small business and personal
financial life, including your taxes, your portfolio,
and your plan for the future.—Kathy Yakal
Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash Management,
Company, General Ledger, Customization Services,
Employee Expenses, Inventory Control, Order Entry,
and Purchase Orders. Like QuickBooks, Intacct has a
dashboard feature, but where QuickBooks has just
one dashboard—the Company Snapshot—Intacct
lets you build an unlimited number. This package
also provides other features that go beyond Quick-
Books Pro, including automated billing and collections
management, as well as the ability to allocate
and analyze cash in real time.
Moving to Intacct represents a huge step. I’d recommend
Intacct for businesses that are currently
using QuickBooks but need to expand, and for midsize
and complex small businesses.—KY
Quicken Home &
Business 2009
$79.99 direct
L l l l h
Pros covers all
major elements
of personal
finance. interface
simplifies use.
Helps prepare for taxes.
manages home-based
businesses. downloads
financial data.
Cons too big for basic
users. Bill section can be
confusing.
Click here for more.
Intacct for Small
Business Fall 2008
Edition
$400 direct and up
L l l l m
Pros unlimited dashboards.
clean, understandable
interface.
Graphical navigational
flow charts. comprehensive
records and transactions.
strong integration
and customization.
excellent help files.
Cons requires considerable
time to learn.
Click here for more.