As the subject says above, this is one of those questions. I've read a lot about bookkeeping software both on this site, on ICB's and accountingweb. But since 2015 is here, I just wanted to ask what others use. I sent my practice licence application to ICB on 31 dec, and now they are reviewing it this week. Talk about being comfortable. So I might finally do some work on my own that I studied a long time for. I thought I should use VTT+ and Xero. I don't want to spead myself on too many softwares for the short to medium term. Thank you for sharing your ideas and experience.
1. Sage, main software for business been using it for years and know it really well
2. Xero, been using it for about 18 months and getting used to it and quite like it. I am also using it alongside Receipt Bank and that is working really well y linking them both
3. VT+, just started using for a client, recommended by an accountant I work with on a couple of other clients, and to be honest it's not a piece of software that I would choose to use. The accountants set the bookkeeping up on VT+ and passed it over
Any problems that you have with VT just post on here and we'll try to give you some guidance. It might be it's annoying you with something where there's a very simple work around (I've found that there is invariably multiple ways of achieving the same goal with it).
I think that the main issue that people have with it is using Sage first so they actually try to find in VT the equivalents to how Sage would do something but they are very different beasties (just look at the discussion between Ian and myself the other day where we were both attempting to explain the same thing but we might as well have been talking two completely seperate languages).
If you think about it, thats true of many things that its easier to learn something from scratch than it is to unlearn something else first which to a certain extent I feel that you need to do with a Sage to VT move.
Of course, each software has its strengths and weaknesses.
Once you have used it for a while I suspect that you will move all service businesses, annual only accounts, etc. onto VT but keep any businesses requiring proper stock control on Sage that way you get the most from the costly Sage licencing.
Certainly with my own business I don't use Sage products at all but thats just personal choice (and a bit of a personal protest at their licencing).
kind regards,
Shaun.
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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.
Thanks for the advice and tip about coming on here for help
I am sure you are right, no correction I know you are right about VT and learning it. It is just a matter of getting my head round how it works & also trying to get my head around what the accountants have actually already set up on it.
I know I'll get there in the end, its just that it is not Sage
Good to see that you still keeping the protest going at Sage over their licensing
Yes, the licence is per person not per machine. I've got one licence with the software installed on four machines. I also same the .VTR files to dropbox so that each machine can access the same data. (and dropbox of course creates a copy of the data on every machine thatt it is on).
Also worth noting that there is no limit to the number of clients that you can have on it.
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 think VT really could use stock control and online banking features in a possible future release.
I loved it regardless in the trial period.
What I don't like in Xero is that it is subscription based. It makes it expensive in the long run.
And possibly even more expensive if you need to use 3rd party APIs.
What I don't like in Xero is that it is subscription based. It makes it expensive in the long run. And possibly even more expensive if you need to use 3rd party APIs.
Depends what you use Xero for and what 3rd party addons you use.
I did a client today where imported 1800 lines of bank transactions for the year and uploaded about 650 invoices/receipts that had been sent to receipt bank. That is 2400 lines of transactions that would need to be input which assuming you could do at 60 an hour works out at 40 hours or lets say a week full time.
Downloaded online bank statement and imported to Xero and published invoices/receipts from receipt bank to Xero in an couple of hours. Ok over the year Xero and Receipt Bank costs us about £400 a year. But we have saved 38 hours at say £30 per hour charge out, £1140, cost us £400 for the software but we can reduce fee slightly to keep the client happy and still make over £500 return on the work without the tedium of posting transactions and concentrate on the high worth services such as tax and business structure advice.
Will be moving a lot more higher transaction volume clients over to Xero and Receipt Bank. Some will be happy to pay for the software as they will use it to invoice plus they dont need to file and keep purchase invoices/receipts whereas others wont pay but we will pick up the tab as we can save processing time but still charge the same fee.
I joined this topic a little late as I was testing VT before changing from my existing software.
At first It seemed awkward to use because I was trying to use the "set up " of my previous software.
In fact I tried to import data from VT into Accounts Production using the guidance from my existing software until Shaun put me right.
I have now dropped my previous package and use VT+.
The more I use it the more impressed I am. I think it because it works logically.
I keep a separate asset register which in many way I prefer due to the copious ( and often unnecessary ) notes I make.
