Accounting Add-Ons

Ratings and Reviews of Accounting Add-On Software

Accounting Add-On Software

Accounting and Financial "add-on" products provide adjuncts to more "comprehensive" accounting packages and/or offer simple

ways to do things like invoicing and time tracking and other basic business functions without investing in and dealing with an accounting package (maybe you have a bookkeeper and accountant to do all of that for you!). In any case, there a re a number of products out there to help you meet the specific requirements of your business or industry. What should you remember when choosing a "point" product?

The biggest thing is compatibility. If the "point" product you choose doesn't work with anything else you have (Microsoft Office applications for example - or the accounting package your bookkeeper and accountant use....) then you'll spend (or you'll pay for your bookkeeper or accountant to spend) a significant amount of time manually integrating data. A real time waster!
We keep talking about support. Where software is concerned, getting the "kinks" ironed out is always a big issue - especially when operating systems, office suites (like Microsoft's Office line) and accounting software is constantly being revised and upgraded. You need to know that when you make a change - like upgrading Microsoft Office XP to the next version that is coming out at the end of November of this year - that your "point" software will continue work, and that if you DO have problems, that your vendor will be there to help you - without it costing you an arm and a leg, or more than the software itself!
Finally, and we keep stressing this, make sure you know how you want to use the software. What business function are you trying to automate? What do you need NOW, versus in the future. Spend some time BEFORE you buy thinking about what you need to do and how you want to get it done - by yourself? With help? A single package? A comprehensive solution? And how much time you are willing to invest to learn how to use the software you purchase effectively.

Web Home Office Reports

So, let's take a look at some of the interesting "point" solutions that are out there to help you make your business hmmmm...

Some vendors offer more than one package in this category. We'll review them in table format within that manufacturer's detailed review.

Accounting Add-On Software Review

Accounting and Financial Software "Point" Products*

(Rankings - best, 5 symbols, worst, 1 symbol)

Company	Best For*	Simple Start-Up	Cost	Time Savings	Ease of Use	Works With	Support	Features	Overall Rating
AttitudePOSitive	RP	¹¹¹1/2	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp1/2	iii1/2	%%%1/2
Avanquest	AR	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	pp	iii1/2	%%%1/2
BillQuick	RP	¹¹¹1/2	$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@1/2	YYY1/2	ppp1/2	iii1/2	%%%1/2
Broderbund	AR	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	pp1/2	iii1/2	%%%1/2
CMS Construction	RP	¹¹¹1/2	$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@1/2	YYY	ppp1/2	iiii	%%%1/2
G7 Productivity Systems	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii1/2	%%%+
Intuit	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	pppp	iiii	%%%%
Nova Development	AR	¹¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	iii	%%%+
OneMind Connect	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY1/2+	ppp1/2	iiii	%%%%
Village Software	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	p	iii	%%%1/2
Z-Firm	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp1/2	iii1/2	%%%1/2+

* A = Amateur, R = Rookie, P = Pro

AttitudePOSitive

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹1/2

AttitudePOSitive makes point-of-sale software (also supply hardware and supplies for a complete "solution") that integrate with QuickBooks and Peachtree accounting software. Their software is easy to use once installed and can accommodate touch screen monitors for input.

Cost - $$$1/2

Attitude POSitive's software pricing is outlined in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Point of Sale Basic	$595.00 $350.00 per additional station	Windows 98 or higher	Point of sale software add-on for QuickBooks or Peachtree	Collect sales information using a scanner, touch-screen or manual entry Updates accounting software at the end of each day Update totals of individual items sold and price sold for Adjust inventory quantity on hand Update sales and customer accounts Post payments Basic - cash register-like usability Supports deli and produce scales	QuickBooks, BusinessWorks, and Peachtree
Point of Sale Pro	$795.00 $350.00 per additional station	Windows 98 or higher	Point of sale software add-on for QuickBooks or Peachtree	Collect sales information using a scanner, touch-screen or manual entry Updates accounting software at the end of each day Update totals of individual items sold and price sold for Adjust inventory quantity on hand Update sales and customer accounts Post payments Basic - cash register-like usability Supports deli and produce scales Track customers Interface with credit card processing Interface with bard code printing	QuickBooks, BusinessWorks, and Peachtree
Point of Sale Gold	$995.00 $350.00 per additional station	Windows 98 or higher	Point of sale software add-on for QuickBooks or Peachtree	Collect sales information using a scanner, touch-screen or manual entry Updates accounting software at the end of each day Update totals of individual items sold and price sold for Adjust inventory quantity on hand Update sales and customer accounts Post payments Basic - cash register-like usability Supports deli and produce scales Track customers Interface with credit card processing Interface with bard code printing Suspend sales Touch screen macro programmable Supports food stamps as tender type	QuickBooks, BusinessWorks, and Peachtree
Point of Sale Elite	$2,495.00 $550.00 per additional station	Windows 98 or higher	Point of sale software add-on for QuickBooks or Peachtree	Collect sales information using a scanner, touch-screen or manual entry Updates accounting software at the end of each day Update totals of individual items sold and price sold for Adjust inventory quantity on hand Update sales and customer accounts Post payments Basic - cash register-like usability Supports deli and produce scales Track customers Interface with credit card processing Interface with bard code printing Suspend sales Touch screen macro programmable Supports food stamps as tender type Reduced scan times Distribute processing load between work station and server Increased reliability and reduced network traffic	QuickBooks, BusinessWorks, and Peachtree
Accucount Inventory	$1,695.00 with wireless scanner	Windows 98 or higher	Inventory add-on for POS software	Adjust inventory using handheld portable scanner (can be supplied by AttitudePOSitive)	QuickBooks, BusinessWorks, and Peachtree
AccuSHIFT Time Clock Solution	Not Available	Windows 98 or higher	Time Clock Software	Touch screen drive Time error correction User defined pay employee types Automatic reporting to accounting	QuickBooks, BusinessWorks, and Peachtree

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

If you are making or selling items from your home based business, a POS solution with bar coding and inventory management is a real time saver (and helps you KNOW where your business is at every day!).

Ease of Use - @@@@

AttitudePOSitive's software is well thought through - touch screens are big helps in speed and usability.

Works With - YYY

AttitudePOSitive products are designed for the Windows environment only.

Support - ppp1/2

The tech support area on the AttitudePOSitive site includes a FAQ, knowledgebase and software downloads. If you need more help, support pricing is $435.00 per year for Basic, Pro, and Gold versions with each additional workstation priced at $120.00. Elite support is priced at $795.00 per year with each additional workstation at $190.00. Tech support can be contacted via email or telephone (no "800" number, you'll pay long distance charges where they apply).

Features - iii1/2

AttitudePOSitive provides all the features and functions you'll need to implement a POS solution that integrates with QuickBooks, BusinessWorks or Peachtree accounting software. They offer "solutions" as well, including complete systems, keyboards, scanners, monitors (including touch screens), supplies, peripherals and more.

Overall Rating - %%%1/2

AttitudePOSitive delivers a sound POS solution for the small business. Integration with QuickBooks, BusinessWorks and Peachtree is a big plus, especially for Peachtree users who, unlike QuickBooks users, do not have a solution provided by the maker of their accounting software.

Avanquest

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Avanquest's software is designed for use by home and small business users. They've simplified installation and the user interface needed to perform most tasks.

Cost - $$$$

My Invoices & Estimates Deluxe is priced at $39.95, My Invoices & Estimates is priced at $29.95, Sales & Inventory Manager at $39.95.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
*My Invoices & Estimates Deluxe*	$39.95	Windows 2000, XP, Vista	Invoice, estimate, statement and purchase order software	Create invoices, estimates, purchase orders, statements Track receivables and aging Automatic tax collection Product inventory 25 reports Track payment history Collection letters Email invoices, estimates, statements and purchase orders 10,000 graphics 400 fonts Manage customer contacts Preset forms for business types including professional, product, service, time & materials Create mast list of products, goods & services Add personalized messages, company logo & graphics
My Invoices & Estimates	$29.95	Windows 2000, XP, Vista	Invoice, estimate, statement and purchase order software	Create invoices, estimates, statements and packing slips Preset forms for business types including professional, product, service, time & materials, customizable Export invoices and estimates in PDF Customize invoices and estimates emails Search by date range and billing information Export products, customers and vendors list as CSV files Email invoices, estimates and statements Create master lists of products, goods & services Automatically calculate totals, taxes and discounts Add personalized messages, company, logo & graphics Change estimates into invoices Create matching invoice, estimate & statement designs Manage customer and contact payments Track payment history, customer discounts and special terms Print payment history Print reports Track outstanding invoices Generate collection letters Back up data with reminders	PDF, CSV
Sales and Inventory Manager	$39.95	Windows 2000, XP	Manage inventory, sales and shipping	Set up, sell and ship products Automate sales operations Create purchase orders Control inventory Manage sales orders and customers Ship products Import data from Microsoft Excel 30 reports - Inventory List, Inventory Re-Order Status, Purchases by Week and Month, Customer Rank by Sales, Sales by Week and Month, Weekly Invoicing Summary, Average Weekly Product Shipments, Vendor Contact List Categorize products by type and class Manage contacts, vendors and contact information 3 types of sales orders (open, on-hold, closed) Automatic unit conversion Automatically calculate totals, discounts, taxes, shipping costs Print packing slips and invoices Print different size shipping and product labels Supports drop-ship Receive goods against purchase orders Process sales and purchase returns Monitor on-hand, on-order and reorder points Automatic inventory updates Low inventory updates	Microsoft Excel

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

For basic customer interaction - statements, invoices and estimates - the Avanquest software is effective and will save you a ton of time over manual production. For those who want more - the Sales and Inventory Manager manages contacts, customers, sales, inventory and shipping. It also prints invoices and shipping labels as well as generates 30 reports.

Ease of Use - @@@@

Avanquest's software interfaces are straight forward and easy to use.

Works With - YYY

Avanquest software is designed for the Windows environment only.

Support - pp

The Avanquest web site includes a FAQ. If you need more help - you get what you pay for. Cheap software - expensive technical support. In fact, technical support, if you need to speak to a "live" body, will cost more than the software itself! $24.95 for the first 10 minutes (and how many tech support calls have you had resolve in 10 minutes or less?) and $2.95 per minute after that. And by the way, this is not an "800" number, you'll be paying long distance charges as well (unless you have one of those new "bundled" local and long distance packages from MCI, SBC or Verizon!). Finally, tech support is only available 7 AM to 4 PM Pacific Monday through Friday (with the exception of Wednesday when they close at 2 PM!). Basically, if you need help - throw out the software and kiss your $40 or $30 good-bye!

Features - iii1/2

With the Avanquest software, you can do what you need to do - produce invoices and check payments and/or product invoices/estimates and payments, print checks, generate basic legal documents and manage a mailing list. Or, manage inventory, sales, shipping, invoicing and contacts in one package.

Overall Rating - %%%1/2

Again, Avanquest offers "quick and cheap" solutions for home-based businesses. We are less than impressed however, with their support strategies. But, if you just need a "quick and inexpensive" method of getting invoices and estimates, or doing very basic account functions, these software packages will work.

BillQuick

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹1/2

BillQuick offers timecard and billing management software for consultant and other "contract-based" professionals. The software has a good deal of functionality, so it will take a bit of time to become acquainted with.

Cost - $$$

BillQuick offers a number of stand alone and "add-on" software products. Pricing is as noted in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
BillQuick Lite 2007	Free, $249.00 per year support	Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003	Timecard and project management software	Off-site time entry and data merging Standard reports Customizable reports, invoices and statements Project management reports User level access control Automated billing and invoicing Agent turns time entry red if project goes over budget Send invoices via email Timer function tracks time automatically	Microsoft Access
BillQuick 2007	Basic 2 users $495.00, $249.00 support, 3-4 additional users $100.00, $20.00 support Pro 5 users $895.00, $349.00 support, 5 additional users $85.00, $10.00 support Enterprise 5 users $995.00, $399.00 support, 5 additional users $525.00, $59.00 support	Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP	Timecard and project management software	Basic Time & Expense - create time & expense entries, copy and past entries, track overtime and compensation time, write up/down entries, record unlimited length notes for time & expense, track sick, vacation & holiday Employees and Vendors - create an manage employee & vendor information, group employees & vendors, clone employees & vendors Projects - Create & manage projects and phased projects, change multiple projects at once, track over budget projects, lock projects at contract amount, group projects, automatically create projects for clients, assign activities, expenses and employees to specific projects, clone projects, create budget Clients - create & view clients, save contact details for clients, group clients Billing, Accounts Receivable & Payments - create invoices in bach and manual modes, create recurring invoices, create & complete invoices, create fixed invoices, create hourly invoices, create hourly not to exceed invoices, create billing schedule, email invoices, record historical account balances, service fee schedule, expense fee schedule Reports - generate reports using 350 report templates, print pre-billing reports, create memorized reports Data Exchange - Timeslips conversion, Wind2 conversion, import/export, BQ-Peachtree integration, BQ-MYOB integration, BQ-QuickBooks integration, BQ-MS Office Accounting integration Others - wizards, reminders, audit trail Database Support - Microsoft Access Pro - All Basic Capabilities Plus Time & Expense - submittal, review and approval workflow Projects - allocate hours per employee per activity for a project, create estimate, maintain project journal, track & complete in budget Billing, Accounts Receivable & Payments - create retainer invoices from Retainer History Screen, save invoices as PDF's, delayed fee schedule, create invoice from estimate, create invoice from budget, credit memo, retainer invoice tracking, retainer management Reports - Store reports as PDFs Data Exchange - Intuit payroll integration, LEDES export feature Others - messages, document management, multi currency Database Support - Microsoft SQL Express 2005 or MSDE Enterprise - All Pro Capabilities Plus Database Support - Microsoft SQL Server	Timeslips, Wind2, Intuit Payroll, Peachtree, MYOB, LEDES, QuickBooks, MS Office Accounting, Microsoft Access, SQL Express 2005, MSDE, SQL Server
Web Suite 2007	Basic 5 users $675.00, $279.00 support, 5 additional users $75.00, $9.00 support Pro 5 users $675.00, $279.00 support, 5 additional users $75.00, $9.00 support Enterprise 5 users $845.00, $349.00 support, 5 additional users $445.00, $49.00 support Mobile Basic $295.00, $119.00 support, 5 additional users $35.00, $5.00 support Mobile Pro $295.00, $119.00 support, 5 additional users $35.00, $5.00 support Mobile Enterprise $365.00, $149.00 support, 5 additional users $245.00, $29.00 support	Server - Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 Client - Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Macintosh OS	BillQuick add-on	Extends BillQuick using Internet and the web 3-tier application - Web i Server, Web i Setup, Web Suite Web Suite includes Master Info - employee, project, clients, activity code, expense code; Time and Expense - time card, timer and expense code; Billing and Reports - billing review, invoice review, reports; Management - approvals, fee schedules, project controls; Settings	Firefox 2.0, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Netscape 7.1, Opera 5.0, Safari .NET Framework 2.0, Internet Information Server 5.0 or later, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Netscape 7.1, Firefox, Opera 5.0, Safari
eTools Basic, Pro, Enterprise 2007	Basic 5 users $395.00, $119.00, support, 5 additional users $55.00, $6.00 support Pro 5 users $395.00, $119.00 support, 5 additional users $55.00, $6.00 support Enterprise 5 users $545.00, $179.00 support, 5 additional users $385.00, $40.00 support	Windows 2000, XP, Vista	BillQuick add-on	BillQuick style navigator Send data in addition to time and expense entries - schedules, budgets, project controls Client address information included Security settings Submission of employee, vendor, client, activity, expense and project lists in single send session Address multiple recipients in single send session Transfer of multiple data sets in single send session Off-site time/expense entry and data merging Drop down lists Startup Interview Context sensitive pop-up menus Currency multiplier Auto update Automatic download and transfer of data file from email program into BillQuick database Send Client Contact Information when sending client information SMTP server authentication
BillQuick PDA 2007	Basic 1 user $95.00, $19.00 support, additional users $55.00, $6.00 support Pro 1 user $95.00, $19.00 support, additional users $55.00, $6.00 support Enterprise 1 user $135.00, $29.00 support, additional user $75.00, $8.00 support	Palm OS 3.0 or higher Windows CE 3.0, Pocket PC 2000 or better	BillQuick Time entry on PDA	Two-way synchronization Sync multiple PDAs with same PC Integrates with BillQuick program Built-in timer
Agent	Basic 1 user $195.00, $85.00 support, additional user $85.00, $10.00 support Pro 1 user $195.00, $85.00 support, additional user $85.00, $10.00 support Enterprise 5 users $495.00, $120.00 support, 5 additional users $445.00, $50.00 support	Windows 2000, XP, Vista	BillQuick add-on	Schedules BillQuick reports for automatic printing and/or delivery via email Automatically checks for incomplete time entries and sends email reminders to employees Set custom Alerts that Agent monitors and delivers on-screen, via email or to cell phone as text message
Assistant	Basic 1 user $95.00, $19.00 support, additional user $55.00, $6.00 support Pro 1 user $95.00, $19.00 support, additional user $55.00, $6.00 support Enterprise 5 users $395.00, $79.00 support, 5 additional users $195.00 $19.00 support	Windows 98SE or later	BillQuick add-on	Import Outlook Contact list to BillQuick as customers, employees, vendors or projects Uses "smart guess" technology that gets smarter as you use it Transfer billable and non-billable appointments to BillQuick Assign bill rates to appointments or let Assistant assign automatically	Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003
HR	2 users $495.00, $249.00 support, 2 additional users $95.00, $20.00 support	Windows NT 4.0 Server, Workstation, 2000, XP, Vista	BillQuick add-on	Measure employee's earned vacation, sick and compensation time Record employee's performance review and generate reports of all previous reviews and compare with other employees' reviews employee journal maintenance, track items such as degrees, achievements, warnings Track incidents such as accidents, injuries Maintain employment hsiisory and salary history Includes standard compliance forms and documents to aid in hiring, managing and terminating employees
Resource Allocator	$295.00 for two users, $99.00 per year support, $85.00 for each additional license, $10.00 per year per license support	Windows	BillQuick add-on	Project management software Resource planner Skills assessment Task management Calendar and scheduler Gantt charts
Auto Reporter 2007	$95.00, $45.00 12 months support	Windows 2000, XP, Vista	BillQuick add-on	Automates QuickBooks reporting Scheduled reports Memorized reports Print and preview reports Report direct upload to FTP and web sites Auto updates	HTML, XML, PDF, DOC

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

If you are a consultant or other professional who bills clients based on time and expense, BillQuick's products can do a lot to make your business more productive, efficient and profitable.

Ease of Use - @@@1/2

The BillQuick systems are fairly straightforward. If you are having trouble, BillQuick offers both online and seminar-based training classes (contact BillQuick for more information).

Works With - YYY1/2

BillQuick's software is designed for the Windows environment (Palm and CE/Pocket PC as well).

Support - ppp1/2

BillQuick's tech support isn't cheap. Every piece of software you purchase has a tech support price, so - make sure you understand the total cost of supporting your BillQuick investment before you buy Add it all up and you could spend more a significant amount on tech support!

Features - iii1/2

BillQuick software gives you the features and functions you'll need to track your time, expenses, project budgets and projects - and bill them back to your clients. The best asset of the software in our minds is the Palm and Pocket PC integration.

Overall Rating - %%%1/2

If you're a consultant or other professional that tracks time, budget, project data and expenses, the BillQuick software is an option. We believe pricing is on the high side for most individual consultants - using the capabilities in QuickBooks Pro might be a more cost-effective solution.

Broderbund

$15 OFF Purchase of $49 or more! Save on all items at Broderbund.com, plus FREE shipping!

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Broderbund's FormTool, Financial Forecaster and Staff Manager software is easy to install and begin using. Lots of templates and wizards to help you out.

Cost - $$$$

Pricing for Broderbund software is detailed in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
*FormTool Version 6*	$29.95	Windows 2000, XP	Form development tool	Microsoft Office style interface Create forms from scratch or customize included templates FormTool Filler auto fills information previously provided Tutorials Automated form routing and approvals Includes 800 professionally-designed forms Drag and drop editing Automatic line, box and circle tools Rulers and snap-to-grids Property palette for style definition/editing Customize any graphical element One step duplicate tool for charts and tables Form intelligence (calculations, database lookup, validation) Make forms with check boxes, radio buttons, drop down menus Alignment tool Zoom and preview Multiple fill patterns Multi-font text control On screen form filling Spell checking Convert paper forms to digital, then edit Mailing Send forms via email	BMP, GIF, TIF, WMF, JPEG
*FormTool Deluxe Version 6*	$49.95	Windows 2000, XP	Form development tool	Microsoft Office style interface Create forms from scratch or customize included templates FormTool Filler auto fills information previously provided Tutorials Automated form routing and approvals Includes 800 professionally-

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