Software Advice - Tas Books?

candlewax

Hi Guys,

Hope I have the right section for this. I have a quick question regarding accounting/book keeping for a small business. Im part of a small operation (2 employees, 200-300 customers) and was wondering if Tas Books would be of any use for keeping track of accounts/statements? My biggest problem is that currently at the end of every month I have to go through all our invoices for the last few months and update each individual statement one by one on excel before printing them and sending them out. I was wondering will Tas Books make this job easier or is there a similar time saving piece of software? My partner is convinced I am wasting my time every month doing it manually (though it only takes a few hours at the end of the month)

Any help with this would be hugely appreciated!!

Thanks in advance,

Candlewax

unklerosco

If you're interested I've a copy of Sage(they took over Tas books) for sale with full support till next year.
http://www.adverts.ie/software/sage-instant-accounts-2011/524561

Only selling as I got another copy from my father..

DubTony

I used Big Red Book in a retail environment, so my use was different to yours. It was still a pain in the arse. But it is good to have the software track everything for you, and your spreadsheet could be expanded to use macros and links to enter information as you go.

Personally, I'd recommend a good software package. It certainly makes end of year stuff a lot easier and can help reduce accountancy fees.

antoinolachtnai

Yep, this is pretty much what the accounting packages do.

There is a free version of some of these packages, which might be fine for you.

You should talk to your accountant and to the sales departments of the software companies.

There are also online options.

ssbob

Looking into this myself at the moment and it looks as if I might start on the free version of tas books(Sage) and maybe upgrade once we start increasing sales and customers.

I will be ringing Sage this week to see what they advise.

Oracle

You could also try a free software package, one of the better ones is GNUCash: http://www.gnucash.org/

It's completely free and full featured, also cross platform for Windows, Mac and GNU/Linux. I've used it and it's very user friendly with lots of helpful wizards to configure accounts.

I've heard reports that TAS is not good and BRB is better, but I haven't used either.

DoMyBooks

candlewax wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Hope I have the right section for this. I have a quick question regarding accounting/book keeping for a small business. Im part of a small operation (2 employees, 200-300 customers) and was wondering if Tas Books would be of any use for keeping track of accounts/statements? My biggest problem is that currently at the end of every month I have to go through all our invoices for the last few months and update each individual statement one by one on excel before printing them and sending them out. I was wondering will Tas Books make this job easier or is there a similar time saving piece of software? My partner is convinced I am wasting my time every month doing it manually (though it only takes a few hours at the end of the month)

Any help with this would be hugely appreciated!!

Thanks in advance,

Candlewax

I spent a lot of time looking at accountancy software in the last few years and decided on http://www.xero.com/ and http://www.sortmybooks.com/

With Xero its a single click to email all your statements. This can save a huge amount of time (and money!) with 300 clients if you can convince them to switch to email.

Herbalist

If you are buying an accounts package, buy a new one. It is against most licence agreements to sell on an accounts package registered to a company.

Most accounts packages will allow you to either enter key in invoices onto the system onto customer accounts (if you have already written them out manually you would use this manual invoice number for reference) or you can create the invoices on the accounts package and then send them to your customers either by printing and posting them or by emailing them.

Once you have your invoices entered you should be able to so a statement run and view an aged debt report. Your statement run will create statements for you that can be sent out to your customers. Your aged debt report will show you how much is owed to you from each debtor and how long the amount has been owned. This will help you to keep on top of your cashflow and to prioritise which outstanding amounts to chase up.

Some packages will also allow youto set a credit limit on a customers account and will alert you when they have gone over that limit in terms of what they owe you.

Sage Instant Accounts will allow you to create a customer, specifiy a credit limit, create an invoice and print or email it, record batch invoices onto the system (where you have written them out manually), create and print / email customer statements and run an aged debt report.

Tas Firstbooks will allow you to do all of the above but does not have the emailing facility for invoices and statements -this facility does reduce the cost of printing and postage but is really only suited to your business if your customers use and do business by email. Tas Books which is the next step up does have the email facility.

Tas Basics is the free package it will allow you to record invoices and run an aged debt report but as it does not do invoicing and statements it may not be the best fit for you.

I hope this information is of help, I am connected to the company

ssbob

Herbalist wrote: »

If you are buying an accounts package, buy a new one. It is against most licence agreements to sell on an accounts package registered to a company.

Most accounts packages will allow you to either enter key in invoices onto the system onto customer accounts (if you have already written them out manually you would use this manual invoice number for reference) or you can create the invoices on the accounts package and then send them to your customers either by printing and posting them or by emailing them.

Once you have your invoices entered you should be able to so a statement run and view an aged debt report. Your statement run will create statements for you that can be sent out to your customers. Your aged debt report will show you how much is owed to you from each debtor and how long the amount has been owned. This will help you to keep on top of your cashflow and to prioritise which outstanding amounts to chase up.

Some packages will also allow youto set a credit limit on a customers account and will alert you when they have gone over that limit in terms of what they owe you.

Sage Instant Accounts will allow you to create a customer, specifiy a credit limit, create an invoice and print or email it, record batch invoices onto the system (where you have written them out manually), create and print / email customer statements and run an aged debt report.

Tas Firstbooks will allow you to do all of the above but does not have the emailing facility for invoices and statements -this facility does reduce the cost of printing and postage but is really only suited to your business if your customers use and do business by email. Tas Books which is the next step up does have the email facility.

Tas Basics is the free package it will allow you to record invoices and run an aged debt report but as it does not do invoicing and statements it may not be the best fit for you.

I hope this information is of help, I am connected to the company

Hi Herbalist,

Thanks for the detailed information. What are the prices for the packages you mentioned?

Herbalist

No problem both Sage Instant Accounts and Tas First Books start at 156 euro ex vat and delivery.

ssbob

Herbalist wrote: »

No problem both Sage Instant Accounts and Tas First Books start at 156 euro ex vat and delivery.

Sounds good. Thanks for your help.

romans

I have been using http://sortmybooks.com/ since their beta release 2 years ago and have all 4 years of our accounting in there and invoices are always look nice. Certainly try them.

I bought TAS Books and couldn't figure them out at all and it seemed too difficult to use as well.

ssbob

Hi Guys so I had a look into Sage instant accounts and it doesn't have a Forex module so not for me as most of my suppliers are Chinese who will be looking for $$$ or Chinese Yen/RMB

Does anyone have a cheaper alternative than Sage 50 Accounts Pro which is over €1,000

Just need the basic:
AP
AR Invoices & Statements
Bank Rec
P&L and BS function
Would lvoe some sort of a stock control system but not essential.

Herbalist

tas books has dual currency, but prob not good enough for what you describe, esp for suppliers...

MBateson

Quickbooks pro has multi currency, it's circa 300 I think. Much easier to use, with great reports etc