I have heard many posts on book-keepers forum asking what is the best accounting software and what package is right for a particular type of business. It can be really confusing to somebody without a degree in accounting to comprehend what software they should buy when there is so much choice in the industry. We have created a comparison website that helps small businesses match their business requirements to products available in the industry. This tool allows small business owners to find the perfect software for their business quickly and easily.
I think that every business should take advantage of accounting software. But so many small business I know have bought the wrong package paying far too much for features the never use. We want to help the small business community make decisions based on requirements rather than brand.
I noticed that you;ve posted several links to your site so thought I would try it out to see how independant it is.
The front end seems quite smooth and professional but I worry about the results that it gives.
The facility doesn't return all possible sollutions for the requirments. For example :
For Payroll it returns neither MoneySoft nor 12pay.
For bookkeeping it does not return VT Transaction+
Under no circumstances does it ever return Sage... Think some on here might agree with that appraisal!
For the software that it does return the prices shown are not competative. For example, you quote £224.10 for Quickbooks Pro but current price on Amazon is under £140.
I do like the idea of your site but feel that your product coverage and sourcing needs to be expanded somewhat before going live as at the moment the advice offered is incorrect as best products and prices for individual needs are not necessarily being offered.
If the situation is that the software advised is only the best of the vendors that register with you then that is quite different to the best software for the client.
You have to ask yourself, what position does this put you in if anyone acts on your advice and the software that they purchase was not the best for their given situation?
kind regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I can assure you the last thing we are set up to do here is mislead customers into paying more for their software. In terms of your specifc example I am aware that Amazon currenlty have an offer regarding Quickbooks Pro. However, they also state that the rrp for the product is £293.69 and this is a limited offer. That said, I do intend to speak with intuit to ensure that the offer we have on comparesoftwareforbusiness.co.uk is competitive as anywhere else in the field. It is worth noting that we are offering simple start for £10 cheaper than amazon, even with their offer in place. At compare software we offer a 10% discount on all quickbooks products against rrp. If somebody in the market offers the products for less we will immediately investigate.
With regards Sage not being on panel - we do not believe the Sage products represent the best value for money for Small Businesses. Personally, I do not like the instant accounts package and simply feel that there are better products in the market more suited to small businesses. Compare Software for Business has been created to support small businesses and therefore any product that we have in our panel will be chosen with small business value and suitability in mind.
In terms of panel size, we are always working to ensure that our panel remains relevant to the target audience and I dare say that we will be adding to the panel over time. Your suggestions regrding missing software is welcome and will be considered going forward.
Thanks again for your feedback - I do believe that comparesoftwareforbusiness.co.uk offers a good service to small businesses. We help them find a product that matches their requirements as well as having resources on the site to help them understand their requirements more clearly. We can always improve - and thats where feedback come in
Louise
-- Edited by lcurrall on Sunday 10th of July 2011 08:29:25 PM
