Disclaimer: Please note this article is not financial advice. The purpose of our blog is purely educational, so please consult a professional accountant or financial advisor before making any financial decision.
Starting your own small business is a high-risk, high-reward type of situation. You will have to take money out of your own wallet to use as capital to get your business off the ground. Aside from monetary concerns, you also have to be well-connected to suppliers and dealers. It's a whole complex web that can easily overwhelm any new entrepreneur.
As a small business owner, you can take at least one thorn off your back by automating some of your accounting-related tasks. Accounting software such as Sage Accounting and QuickBooks can make your entrepreneurial life a whole lot easier by doing most of the work for you. Aside from turning manual encoding into a thing of the past, accounting software can work in tandem with your accountant if you do have one.
Between Sage vs QuickBooks, which is the better option for your small business? Read more and see how the two fare against each other.
What Can an Accounting Software Do for Your Business?
Running a business is no easy feat. Aside from investing your hard-earned money in this risky endeavor, you also have to get your hands busy. When you first start your busniess, you have to do everything yourself. The many tasks you're responsible for include accounting and bookkeeping. These tasks on their own are already overwhelmingly complicated and burdensome.
Accounting software can speed up your accounting and bookkeeping tasks by automating everything from invoicing to payroll. They have additional features and functionalities that can make your life as an entrepreneur easier. For instance, advanced invoicing features can automatically let you know who among your clients have yet to settle their payments.
What Does Intuit QuickBooks Online Do Better Than Sage Business Cloud Accounting (QuickBooks vs Sage)?
QuickBooks from Intuit is one of the go-to accounting software in the ecommerce industry. Compared to other accounting software, QuickBooks excels in flexibility thanks to its tiered pricing. Each plan in its lineup offers good value because of its price tag and features. Aside from the popular cloud-based QuickBooks Online, Intuit also provides desktop-based alternatives.
Tracking Clients and Projects
Keeping track of your clients and billing them can be challenging if your business is rapidly growing. Having an expanding client base is both a blessing and a curse. More customers translate to increased revenue. However, tracking bills and invoices becomes more difficult as you have more customers.
Instead of becoming frustrated and losing sleep over spreadsheets and numbers, you can let QuickBooks Online track your clients for you. The accounting software can bill your customers with exceptional accuracy and efficiency for billable hours. Project management has also become a piece of cake thanks to the project management feature on QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.
Managing Your Inventory
Another thing that QuickBooks Online (and QuickBooks Desktop Pro) do well is inventory tracking. When you start diversifying your offerings and keep a vast number of stock units, keeping track of where one item goes can be tricky. Hiring more inventory managers may help but will surely add a significant amount to your monthly expenses.
If your business falls under the small to medium-sized enterprise category, QuickBook Online's built-in inventory management platform will suit your needs. In addition, it provides seamless integration with other bookkeeping and accounting software. However, add-ons can further improve its functions and features and keep it up to par with rival software.
Seeking Help From Bookkeepers
Many accounting software only offers a platform that you and your bookkeepers can use to keep track of your cash flow, invoices, and inventory. If your hands are already full, you may need to employ a bookkeeper to do all bookkeeping and related tasks for you. Such an approach can help free your time from tedious tasks, letting you focus on running your business.
In addition to their cloud-based accounting platform, QuickBooks offers a Live Bookkeeping service. QuickBooks will match you and your business with a professional and expert bookkeeper through this service. This Live Bookkeeper will get to know your business inside and out and, as a result, offer the best possible bookkeeping service tailored to your business.
What Does Sage Business Cloud Accounting Do Better Than QuickBooks Online (Sage vs QuickBooks)?
Keeps It Simple
Older accounting software can be too much of a headache to use. For instance, some desktop-based accounting software have too many functionalities and features that you won’t know how to use. Sometimes simpler is better. New small business owners would do better by using more straightforward accounting software.
Sage Business Cloud Accounting lets you have a hassle-free accounting experience, free from the burden of overly complicated added functions. Sage Business Cloud Accounting will serve you well if you don't need extensive features and would like to keep things simple. Even if you are not an accounting major, you will find that the user interface is easily accessible.
Not Heavy on the Budget
Starting at around $10 per month, Sage Business Cloud Accounting offers an affordable alternative to QuickBooks Online. If you are a micro-enterprise or are self-employed, the features of the entry-level tier Sage Accounting Start can help you manage your finances. There are instances when Sage steps up and offers sales for up to 70% off for six months.
The $10 basic plan includes the essential features you expect from any accounting software. Sage Accounting Start can help you issue invoices and send them to your valuable clients. Complementing this feature, you can track how much clients owe you with one click. However, only one user can log on to the platform at any given time.
Accounting On The Go
Everyone brings their smartphones wherever they go these days. With how advanced smartphones have become, you can squeeze out more functionalities from them than before. Some even use their smartphones as a laptop alternative. That's why accountants and bookkeepers appreciate accounting software with a functional mobile app.
Sage Business Cloud Accounting also has a mobile app counterpart that has most, if not all, of the browser-based platform's features. You can draft and issue invoices, take photos of your receipts, note expenses, and view the dashboard (including expense tracking and accounts receivable) with a few taps on the mobile app. If you're stuck in traffic and left your laptop at home, you can check your business's financial health and performance using the mobile app.
Final Thoughts
The true champion of the showdown between QuickBooks Online and Sage Business Cloud Accounting depends on your business's needs. Not everyone has the same demands and expectations. Different accounting software (Sage Intacct vs QuickBooks Pro) offers features and functionalities that may or may not meet your needs.
Only you can determine which one can better offer the best financial management solution for your small business.If you need help settling your small business's finances, Unloop can help you take control of your books. Head on over to our Bookkeeping page to know more about how Unloop and our excellent team of bookkeeping experts can save you from bookkeeping-related headaches.