Where to begin vol. 3

• A second choice of software is Peachtree®. In times past. Peachtree® used to be more integrated for the CPA and Accountant than for the client. It was difficult to understand and to use unless you understood accounting. They have upgraded the software to become more compatible with the end user. It is much easier to use and to understand. If you have clients that book inventory and are in the manufacturing or retail business. Peachtree® will be the best software to use. hands down. The inventory- portion of their program is above all the others in keeping consistent and accurate inventory values and totals. I also really appreciate the way Peachtree® will close out the accounting month and force you to switch months before you can change any prior data. That is very important especially if you have clients using the software who like to go back and change things, e.g.. making your Year-End Balance Sheet no longer equal the Corporate Tax Returns Balance Sheet. However. Peachtree® has not yet enabled you to import your journal entries and changes to your clients via disks, so you would have to do all your work at your client's office, which isn't a bad thing.

• Peachtree's® costs are very similar to QuickBooks Pro®. The regular complete accounting version is $299.95. the multi-user version is $699.95. and the lower-end accounting version is $199.95.

• You can also become a Peachtree Advisor. The membership fee is $100. and is an annual membership. You sign up with the Best
Software Accountants Network which enables you not to just limit yourself to only one software: they also train on Timeslips. MAS90. MIP and many more. The Peachtree complete Library costs around $295 to sign up. then $195 per year after that. Which brings your total Peachtree Advisor costs to around $395 as your initial signup costs. They supply the 5-User version of software, customer support, and tax tables. It's a very good price for what they supply, considering their software also starts at $299.95. Peachtree is marketing their accountant programs pretty diligently right now. so they are offering discounts on memberships to try and get QuickBooks® advisors going to their side as well. I have enclosed their enrollment form for your convenience. You can also download it. for use with Adobe Acrobat Reader, from www.bestaccountantsnetwork.com. Peachtree's® contact and website information is located at the back of this book with your other important phone numbers.

• My advice and suggestion is to initially concentrate on just one software while you are starting your business. However, order the Peachtree Trial Software as well and install it so you can learn both of them. You will be пюге valuable knowing more than one software, and you will get business for that knowledge. Most of the small business world knows and requests QuickBooks Pro®' because it is more widely known and used. Use Peachtree as a back-up resource for knowledge and clients who keep inventory. Hither way. you're going to be the one- suggesting which software you prefer and which would be best suited for the client. What a wonderful thing, to have someone actually care about your opinion and suggestion. Respect isn't easy to come by. but you earn it when you work for yourself!