My question may be a bit unusual. I'm not a bookkeeper, but a programmer who has written free online bookkeeping software.
I'm hoping to meet bookkeepers who would find it interesting to advise me on how to add advanced features to my service.
As it stands, my service is useful for those who need a basic record keeping system. But it's not suitable for those with more complicated needs, that is, many of your clients.
I can code any new features that you may suggest, but I'm not qualified to know what advanced features would be most useful.
I realize this may be a poor time of year to ask for your time. Any input will be most appreciated.
Thank you!
Phil
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Free Bookkeeping Software For Your Site -
Build repeat traffic to your domain by adding a free financial record keeping system to your site. 100% free, and very easy to install.
I realized I should help you help me, by summarizing the current state of my bookkeeping system.
- Users can create an unlimited number of projects, each a seperate set of financial records.
- Users can enter income and expenses.
- Users can organize income and expenses in to categories.
- Users can attach a note to each data entry.
- Users can search data in a variety of ways.
- Data can be summarized in a profit/loss statement.
- Data can be printed in a manner to prepare user for the U.S. Schedule C form.
That's it. A basic recording keeping system.
The strength is the system is very easy to use, and thus is suitable for those intimidated by more complex softare, or those whose records are a pile of papers in a box under the bed.
The weakness is the system is suitable only for personal budgets and simple businesses.
I hope to gradually make the system suitable for more people, and am looking for a place to begin.
Many thanks!
Phil
-- Edited by Phil Tanny on Thursday 10th of February 2011 10:51:28 PM
__________________
Free Bookkeeping Software For Your Site -
Build repeat traffic to your domain by adding a free financial record keeping system to your site. 100% free, and very easy to install.
All the Schedule C feature does is organize income and expenses by category. I realize the term will be unfamiliar to those outside the U.S. and apologize for not making it clearer.
Basically, the system is designed to serve anybody who needs to track income and expenses, and thus it's not really country specific.
A strength of the system is that it's basic enough as to be useful to anybody in the world with a simple business. The weakness is that the system can not complete specific tax forms for any country.
__________________
Free Bookkeeping Software For Your Site -
Build repeat traffic to your domain by adding a free financial record keeping system to your site. 100% free, and very easy to install.
I am in the online bookkeeping software industry. Quick question if you dont mind- how will you earn income if you are providing a free software?
The other important aspect of an online system is where and how secure the software house's clients data is.
The only way to make software free is either it has limited spec and the user requires higher spec, so free software leads to sale of higher spec software or
something I would not like to see with a bookkeeping software, but seen it on some free ones- advertising banners plastered all over the software.
I took a quick look at the site in your sig. Impressive. I like the rebranding feature, and expect that is popular with clients.
Quick question if you dont mind- how will you earn income if you are providing a free software?
The site's been online about 5 years, and to date all income is from Google Adsense. I'm expanding the site now, and may consider other income sources, but plan to keep the basic service free.
The other important aspect of an online system is where and how secure the software house's clients data is.
Yes, these needs depend on the client. Our service is not suitable for complex or large businesses.
I have our data stored at one of the Net's oldest web hosts, where the data is protected by experienced network techs. The data is safer there than it would be on the typical user's personal computer, who has no skill in protecting networks.
However, even if someone were able to steal the data in our accounts, they wouldn't get anything that would benefit them, thus there's not really any motivation for them to make the attempt.
You know, a hacker could see that there are a bunch of accounts with anonymous user names. They could see how much these anonymous accounts spent on toilet paper and their phone bill etc. Pretty boring, and of no use to the hacker.
I do agree that systems that serve larger more complex businesses would face additional security concerns.
The only way to make software free is either it has limited spec and the user requires higher spec, so free software leads to sale of higher spec software or..
I might have an advanced paid version at some point. But for now I'm inclined to stick with one simple clear free business model. As example, my closet competitor advertises 'FREE" but these are only temporary trial accounts. I'd like to avoid this kind of branding confusion.
something I would not like to see with a bookkeeping software, but seen it on some free ones- advertising banners plastered all over the software.
I understand. Nobody loves ads. I could offer users an option to remove the ads by paying a monthly fee, but I'd guess few of them would. Again, I'm working one part of the market, and what works for me won't be appropriate for every vendor in this space.
__________________
Free Bookkeeping Software For Your Site -
Build repeat traffic to your domain by adding a free financial record keeping system to your site. 100% free, and very easy to install.
"You know, a hacker could see that there are a bunch of accounts with anonymous user names. They could see how much these anonymous accounts spent on toilet paper and their phone bill etc. Pretty boring, and of no use to the hacker.
I do agree that systems that serve larger more complex businesses would face additional security concerns. "
No matter what size the organisation is, you have to host their data in secure servers with regular back up (ours is every 30minutes) and regular intrusion deduction- otherwise the clients will lose confidence in not only your online system but the whole industry; so it's in our best interest too that data is firstly encrypted and secondly held securely
I agree with you that backups are important, whatever the task. So we have daily backups onsite and to a remote server, and an automated mechanism to email users a backup when they login (if they turn this feature on).
Our site serves people tracking their personal budgets, and self employed small business people like wallpaper hangers, hair dressers, and so on.
As example, a wallpaper hanger would list how much they spent on paste, tools, materials etc, and how much they received from each client and so on. Even if some outside party gained access to this information, it would be of no use to them at all.
I have access to the data. But even I usually don't know whose data is stored within an account, because typically users create accounts using anonymous screen names.
Your more sophisticated system may be storing credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers and so on, in which case, I would of course agree with everything you said.
-- Edited by Phil Tanny on Sunday 13th of February 2011 10:22:52 PM
__________________
Free Bookkeeping Software For Your Site -
Build repeat traffic to your domain by adding a free financial record keeping system to your site. 100% free, and very easy to install.
