Anyone recommend accounts software?

For importing you are going to be looking at some of the mainline packages - SAGE, QuickBooks or MYOB

Something like DOSH$ is a bit crap really - fair enough for keeping your own accounts on but not for a business of any size. Iit is just a cashbook - you cant deal with stock etc.

Really depends on how complex your accounting needs are as to what would be the best bet - each of the main packages have various levels but TBH they all would benefit a lot from a professional set up. I tend to spend longer with clients sorting them out after 6 months than I would have doing them for them at the beginning (and with a result of client with more hair as they don’t spend 6 months in the dark tearing it out!). My pick is normally QB regular which is about £120. Many online services actually provide QB compatible imports so it can work pretty well but can need a lot of fiddling about with the set ups, especially if there is VAT involved and its a US shopping cart [did one of those about 6 months ago and I dont fancy doing another one!]

As an aside, you may be able to get away with an excel solution if the number of transactions isn’t too high or your accounting needs too complex, but from your website I imagine you would need something chunky to deal with all the stock etc.

It really is “use your accountant” time I’m afraid – you should get a lot more out of it if you approach it knowing what output you need from your accounts rather than guessing and ending up spending time importing too much detail, or not importing enough and having to do a massive retrospective task on your year end.

Hope this helps, and sorry if it soudns like a sales pitch but what you are looking at here really isnt that simple if you have any volume for a business like yours.

Regards,

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James Smith
Chartered Accountant
www.jamesesmith.co.uk

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Your indispensable guide to Small Business Bookkeeping, Self-Assessment & VAT

Have a look at www.hereforhelp.co.uk

They offer Sage, MYOB, Quick Books and more though haven't yet added them all to the site. However contact details are on there. Give Andrew a call, tell him it's from the Start Ups forum and he will help you out with what you need.

Have used him myself and am very happy to recommend him.

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