Business Owners, what do you use?

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For those of you who own your business, what kinds of programs do you use to track your expenses, profits, taxes, etc?BrettUSAF SSgt - Explosives ExpertHobart Handler 187Hobart Airforce 4001989 Lincoln SA-200 Classic I
Reply:Originally Posted by AMMO22For those of you who own your business, what kinds of programs do you use to track your expenses, profits, taxes, etc?
Reply:the old school paper ledgersidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Quickbooks is an excellent program. Be sure, however, that you understand the basics of accounting--  because when you make a mistake you still have to know a debit from a credit. That said, Quickbooks is far better than Quicken, which is really just for personal finance management. As a small business owner it is too easy to co-mingle funds (personal and business) and you could end up paying income tax on monies you already paid tax on :-( so I would highly recommend either taking a class (check your Small Business Development Agency or local community college)  OR  hire a certified Quickbooks consultant who can at least get you set up and on the right track... (can you tell I used to consult Quickbooks for a living! )-----------------------Carmen Electrodewww.CarmenElectrode.comand the boss blogs at  www.JoeWelder.comall powered by  www.Arc-Zone.com
Reply:I use Excel templates, pencil and calculator.  Buying a bookkeeping program was an expense I decided to do without.  There a lot of ways a SB owner keeps their books in order, the complication can depend on the state or how big the business is.  But any which way you choose to keep your finances, the best advice I'd give is BE CONSISTENT.  If you have the means for an accountant or adviser that's a real good way to go.  The business of small business takes the fun out of making money.  Fortunately its not so complicated now that I can't do it.  But I do see having an adviser/accountant as my (our) finances become more complicated.
Reply:Home made spreadsheets.  I use OpenOffice.   essentially a free version of MS Office.I update the project tracking sheet whenever new work comes in or an ongoing project is completed.Expense tracking spreadsheets get updated once per month with all the receipts i've piled up over that time.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:I am not in the family business, but I know they use quickbooks, updated a couple times a week (as bills and payments come in).  Not positive but I think it has a thing for customers with credit accounts so you know when their bills are due to be sent etc.For taxes we have an accountant/tax guy that does them quarterly.  A lot of times its worth paying them in order to save your company a lot of money and time.  The way the tax codes are written seems like its a full time job just to understand them.  But i think this part is business size dependent.  As the number of employees increases so does the amount of paperwork you have to wade through so if you only have a couple employees and are a savvy businessman it may not be needed.
Reply:I have a soft spot in my heart for GnuCash (http://www.gnucash.org/).  It is free, and doesn't co-mingle accounts on the screen the way Quickbooks does.  I also used Quickbooks for a while, as do many other businesses that I work with, but I found that it doesn't really suit me.  My soon to be wife uses GnuCash for her baking business as well.  Just another alternative for anyone looking for workable accounting software.
Reply:My daughter is an accountant, she uses Quick Books, and has for years. I had Peachtree when I had my Contracting business, and it was diffcult for me to use. She could use Peachtree also, sh she tried to teach me to ues it, but it was still diffcult. Finially I got frustrated one day and purchased Quick Books Pro, after reeading the book and following instructions I picked it up quicker than the Peachtree...And I have never looked back, infact I am real pleased with it.  When Peachtree called me asking why I had changed, I gave them an earfull!   Quick books has  different levels of programs to fit anyone in Business.
Reply:Quick Books
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Reply:wife!
Reply:QuickBooks Pro 2010. Keeps track of customers, jobs, taxes, vendors, checkbook, credit cards, you name it. I can check my P&L and other reports anytime and anywhere.
Reply:A bunch of envelopes labeled, "tools", "material", "supplies" " Invoices", "Mastercard", .....and an accountant to do the right thing with it all!!!200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:This is an interesting discussion. thank you for sharingdebt management firmsdebt management foundation
Reply:A notebook on the front seat of my truck and carbon copy slips.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:The wife is moving everything to excel, and tax act.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Originally Posted by bert the welderA bunch of envelopes labeled, "tools", "material", "supplies" " Invoices", "Mastercard", .....and an accountant to do the right thing with it all!!!
Reply:Originally Posted by welder_onehere, here! my tax lady hates my guts for it.... i put all receipts in a 5 gallon bucket... but, then again, she didnt pay anything for the ornamental railing that wraps all the way around her house =))
Reply:I file cash in my pocketDisclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."