Get your head in the cloud

It used to be if someone said you had your head in the clouds they meant that you were dreaming. Today, however, it’s a totally different story.

Why should you move you business accounting to the cloud (i.e. the internet). There are several good reasons.

1. Flexibility to invoice and receive payments anywhere, anytime.
2. Record expenses as they occur and upload a record of the receipt using your smartphone.
3. Let’s you see how you’re doing right now. No need to wait to produce month end reports.
4. Allows your remote bookkeeper/accountant to keep an eye on what you’re doing and correct any mistakes before they become a major problem.
5. Easy integration with a wide variety of productivity improvement apps.
6. Automatic and secure backup of data. No more lost data because you forgot to backup.
7. You are always using the latest software version and payroll tables.

Moving to the cloud is easy. Most of the major cloud-based software systems provide the ability to upload your existing desktop data, especially if you are staying with the same company (e.g. Intuit or Sage). You do, however, need to be careful to set up your online system to match the data from your desktop system. I would recommend you hire a reputable bookkeeper to help you with the transition.

If you are still using a paper-based accounting system, the task is a little more daunting as you won’t be able to simply upload your previous transactions. Having done such a transition myself, I recommend you pick a transition date that coincides with the start of a new accounting year. Get your chart of accounts set up ahead of time so they match and run both systems in parallel for a month or two to make sure you work out any discrepencies that might occur.

There are a wide-range of cloud-based system available so you will need to do your research (or hire someone) to find the best solution for your business. Keep in mind that price is rarely the best factor to base your decision on. You want to consider the value you will receive for the money spent and the systems capability to grow with your business.

If you would like free evaluation of what it will take to move your business accounting to the cloud, contact me and I will get in touch with you shortly.