All Your Accounting Online in One Place
Business accounts need to be constantly updated throughout the year to keep track of progress and earnings. Using traditional accounting methods such as Excel spreadsheets can often be difficult and time-consuming as they require a lot of manual data entry. These systems also need to be consistently backed up and can only be accessed via desktop.
An alternative to these accounting methods are the more recent cloud accounting applications and websites. These systems make bookkeeping faster and easier, by providing intuitive features to speed up the process and having a simple to use system. As the system is in the cloud, data can be accessed at any time, from any location, on any device. In addition, multiple users can access the system which can be useful for small businesses.
Sending invoices, paying a bill, transferring funds etc. are all made effortless with this software. There are many accounting applications/websites on the market. One such accounting website is designed to be “an accounting system for the non-accountant”. This website is called QuickFile and we have reviewed its features below.
Overview
QuickFile is a useful cloud accounting system for self-employed individuals, directors and small business owners. One major benefit of QuickFile is that it is free to use if you choose the XS, Small or Medium package. Many competing apps and websites have a subscription fee so this one can save you some money.
Signing up is easy and once you are logged in, a dashboard appears which contains all the essential features. From here you can navigate to which task you require such as ‘create new client’ and ‘log a purchase’.
The interface itself is not the most aesthetically pleasing but is very clear and easy to navigate, which is appreciated when dealing with something as important as your accounts. However, it does seem that the software was primarily designed for desktop usage, as the experience is much less optimized for mobile but is still usable on a mobile phone or tablet.
One stand out feature was the community forum where you can get help getting started and ask any other questions you have. This is a handy place to ask for advice and share information with other users.
One potential issue is the software’s reliance on an internet connection, meaning you must be connected to Wi-Fi, an Ethernet connection or mobile data to access your account.
Key Features
Here are some other features of the app that we found to be very useful:
Automated accounts – no one wants to be sat for hours inputting data. With QuickFile a lot of the work can be automated for you, with features such as automatic bank feeds and intelligent tagging. This saves a lot of time.
Bank tagging – this allows you to tag transactions when uploading a statement (e.g. client payment, tax payment). This means transactions can be easily found when needed.
Invoices – QuickFile enables you to create smart, customisable invoices. Creating an invoice was quick and easy.
Online Receipts – we found this to be a clever feature which enables you to get rid of paper receipts. Using your phone, you can snapshot receipts then upload them to QuickFile, meaning you will have a digital copy of all your receipts.
Online Portal – a branded online portal can be generated, where customers can view, print, download and pay invoices. This is a great feature for customers and users alike.
Payment Portals – we like how the system can be linked to a variety of payment portals including Paypal, Sagepay and Gocardless. Setting up these connections is simple and provides an easy way for customers to pay their invoices.
The Verdict
QuickFile is an easy to use accounting system. The user interface may not be as visually engaging as other accounting apps and websites but the navigation is logical and therefore intuitive for first time users. The biggest pitfall perhaps is the requirement for an internet connection, which will be easier for some to adapt to than others. However, the software is free and the community forum is available to help with getting started, so you could trade tips and ask further questions in there.
Considering the great features mentioned above, and the fact that there is no subscription fee, this is an extremely useful system for small business owners. We would recommend giving it a go.
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