Talking Cents
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2014 is the year for small business to embraceAs a small business owner, time is the most critical and precious resource at your disposal and we’ve never met a small business owner who was bored and had so much spare time they didn’t know what to do with themselves. Creating systems and procedures within your business is the key to maximising efficiency and minimising clutter, confusion and costs. Cloud accounting is and has been the next step in the IT world’s advancement to simplify our lives. Many business owners are still reluctant to embrace cloud accounting without realising they are more than likely already using the cloud for other matters. Internet banking is the best example of cloud computing that the vast majority of business owners use to save themselves time. Given the take up rate in laptops, tablets such as the IPad and smartphones it’s only natural to want to make the most of the mobile technology. The cloud allows this to happen, whether it’s just storing files online via Dropbox or Google Drive, using online email providers or fully embracing the cloud via the raft of new business management tools that are all cloud based. Xero is the market leader and was recently described in a news article as being the “Apple of accounting” by Credit Suisse. Xero allows online management of your businesses financials and online real time collaboration with your accountant and bookkeeper. As great as that is for the small business owner, it’s the add-on community that has flourished around Xero. Applications such as Deputy for staff rostering, Kounta for point of sale systems and Freshbooks for online time based invoicing are all great for small businesses in their own right but the integration is the key to creating a full cloud based business that can literally be run from anywhere you have an internet connection. |