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Tag: accounting software

Sage Accounting Software - Pimbrook

Sage Accounting Software offered by Pimbrook

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Sage Accounting Software - Pimbrook

Pimbrook Software is the leading provider of Sage Accounting & Payroll Software to the SME market in Ireland. We are “Sage Partner of the Year 2018”, – an accredited Sage developer and reseller with over 17 years’ experience implementing and supporting Sage products. We offer a first-rate accounting software and payroll system and aim to equip our clients with the Accounts and Payroll skills and support necessary to optimise their business.

Our expertise in Sage Accounting & Payroll Software gives us the knowledge to solve our clients toughest accounting and payroll challenges, by providing the ultimate support service and training, delivered on a personal consultative basis.

Pimbrook Software offer industry leading accounting software such as:

  1. Sage One:
    Online Accounting & Payroll made easy. Sage One, an affordable, secure and easy to use accounting and payroll software for small, growing businesses, makes it easy to do the daily Accounting & Payroll tasks you need to get right. No experience required.
  2. TASBooks:
    TASBooks saves you hours on your paperwork, so that you spend less time on your accounts and more time on your business. TASBooks includes easy-to-understand guides to accounting basics and a step-by-step guide to installing and running your software and processing key accounting tasks.
  3. Sage 50 (Sage 50c):
    Sage 50 is trusted by over 400,000 Businesses. Sage 50 Accounts is now Sage 50cloud
    It helps you keep track of your finances – managing your cash flow, profitability, preparing and submitting VAT returns and your year-end accounts. It’s easy-to-use software that simplifies finance and accounting processes.
  4. Sage Payroll (Sage Micropay):
    Sage Micropay (now Sage Payroll) is Payroll Software that is a sophisticated yet easy-to-use and designed to address the needs of medium to large-sized Irish businesses while taking care of all Irish Revenue Requirements.

To inquire further about any of our software and to request a demo contact Pimbrook Software today! Pimbrook Software currently service over 1,300 clients and were voted ‘Sage Ireland Partner of the Year 2018’ and ‘Sage 50 Irish Business Partner of the Year’ for the past three consecutive years. We take pride in the products and services we deliver and are honoured to be recognised for our commitment.

Why You should choose Sage 50 Accounts

Why should you choose Sage 50 Accounts?

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Why you should choose Sage 50 Accounts?

Sage 50 is Ireland’s leading accounting software. Sage 50 is an easy to use Accounting Software solution for small to medium size businesses. Thousands of businesses in Ireland from brand new start-ups to existing established companies choose to use Sage 50 Accounts as their Sage Accounting Software of choice.

Sage 50 Accounts helps to keep your accounts simple, which gives you more time to focus on improving your business. There are many reasons why choosing Sage 50 Accounts is the right choice, here are 5 great reasons:

  1. Sage 50 Accounts can be setup quickly :
    The process of setting-up Sage 50 Accounts is one that can be done quickly and with ease. Fully setting-up Sage 50 Accounts requires you to complete seven simple steps and from there you can customise to effectively match with your business structure. Sage 50 Accounts even offers a practice mode where you will have the ability to test changes, before you commit fully to making them.
  2. The ability to effectively manage and control your businesses finances:
    Sage 50 Accounts grants you the ability to effectively keep track of cash flow and to manage your cash, card and cheque payments. You can even download the free Sage 50 Accounts Mobile App, which will allow you to stay in complete control of all your finances,regardless of where you are.
  3. The process of accurately calculating your VAT is simplified:
    Sage 50 Accounts simplifies the process of managing your VAT, so that you can be confident that you are successfully complying with VAT legislation. To help you correctly complete your VAT returns, Sage 50 Accounts will provide you with easy to follow guides.
  4. The ability to effectively manage your customers and sales:
    Another ability that Sage 50 Accounts offers is the ability to manage your stock levels and also to easily be able to record any sales, raise quotes and invoices all in one simple click of a button. You will also have the chance to create invoices with a professional look and/or customise invoices with details such as your logo. Sage 50 Accounts also helps you to identify sales patterns and trends that may be appearing in your industry, thanks to a wide range of customisable reports. Outstanding customer invoices can be viewed with the click of a button and there is a selection of customizable letters & emails to use to contact customers.
  5. Information to analyze and understand the performance and success of your Business:
    The customisable reports in Sage 50 Accounts greatly help you to keep on top of your cash flow, by easily identifying who owes you money and who you owe money to. You can also run profit and loss reports that allow you to see just how profitable each particular area of your business is.

As Sage Ireland Partner of the Year 2018 and the ‘Sage 50 Irish Partner of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017’, Pimbrook is ideally positioned to ensure you get the most out of your Sage 50 (Sage 50c) investment, whether you are a new or existing user.

If you have any questions or need help to choose the right Sage 50 software package for you, then call us on 051 395 900 or arrange for us to call you back.

7 Key Ways To Foster Innovation In Accounting Firms

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It’s rightfully said that there’s no such thing as standing still in business. We’re either growing or declining, and there’s simply no in-between.

7 Key Ways To Foster Innovation In Accounting Firms

This is probably even truer in the area of accounting, as there have been a number of important developments in recent years that demand change and a willingness to adapt.
Probably the most important of these developments have been the concept of machine learning and the arrival of the phenomenon that is Big Data. The immediate challenge of Big Data is how to obtain it, so there is a gradual move to robotic processing of information.

These new challenges should not be faced with fear or trepidation, as they are opportunities as much as challenges. So with that in mind, let’s have a look at how innovative accounting solutions – such as introducing small business accounting software like Sage 50 – is just one of the routes you can take to greater innovation.

  1. Innovate Your Processes And Look To New Technologies With Confidence:

    Unlike bygone days, the modern-day accounting firm is a partner to its clients, and much more is expected of it outside the sole area of financial bookkeeping. Today, accountants are expected to provide a highly informed view of the client business, plus the sector it operates in.

    Accounting innovation, of course is one of the keys to unlocking this additional time by automating repetitive tasks that don’t add much value to the client relationship. This and other ways of reducing time inefficiencies is by embracing the benefits of small business accounting software such as Sage 50.

  2. Be prepared to experiment:

    One of the biggest problems with doing something for the first time is that there’s no road map – nobody to tell you that this is how it should be handled. So, it stands to reason that the failure rate for genuinely innovative offerings will be higher than a ‘safer’ route, where you keep on trotting out the same offerings.

    In other words, you have to build in an element of trialling. For example, you might invite a small handful of clients to take part on a pilot programme, so these will be the only ones who know if the programme is not as successful as first thought, but maybe not all of the idea needs to be discontinued.

  3. Make sure it starts from the top:

    Genuine innovation involves a big change for the company – and for its staff. In order for it to be truly embraced at the earliest possible stage, the commitment to innovate needs to come from the very top. If it’s seen that there’s a genuine hunger for innovation at senior management level, then there’s a much greater chance of getting your staff on board.

  4. Look to services outside your normal offering:

    One of the greatest contributors to stagnation and decline is the notion of ‘sticking to what you’re good at’, i.e. trotting out the same old services, even though the demand from the market may have moved on. You may always have been regarded as the go to guys for Mergers and Acquisitions, but this doesn’t have to mean that you can’t be considered in other fields as well? And remember that the greater the number of services you offer, the greater your income stream, and the greater the opportunity for cross-selling or upselling.

  5. Change your markets:

    For some accounting firms, they tend to make a name for themselves in a particular market sector – especially in the early years. Once they’ve landed their first Distribution Company, for example, there’s a danger of seeing themselves as a Distribution Company specialist. This is fraught with danger, however, as it tends to blind you to other opportunities. Could small business accounting software such as Sage 50
    help you to become a master-partner for all SMEs, for example, or become the go to firm for start-ups?

  6. Look to other industries for inspiration:

    If you want a long-term relationship with a client, there’s a lot to be said for copying the best practices of companies who do this well. The advertising industry, for example, will frequently have a dedicated Account Service Director, who takes a helicopter view of the relationship, and looks after the big picture elements of the business. Having this form of relationship in place can yield real results in cementing the relationship. For example, if a particular client is cash-poor at a particular time of the year, reflecting this in your monthly billing could be hugely appreciated – and lock in the client for the long haul.
  7. Innovation takes time:

    We all get bogged down in the day-to-day minutiae of our jobs. But if fostering innovation in accounting is to be given a chance to flourish, there is a need to put aside quality time. This could be a company away day, for example, when the brightest minds in the organisation are given free rein to come up with the ideas that will drive the business tomorrow. Also, don’t forget that the best ideas can come from any source, whether it’s the office junior, an intern, or even a client. So make sure that everybody has easy access to management if they come up with something big. This could be anything from an old-fashioned Suggestion Box to a quarterly Ideas Lunch where staff can chew the fat with each other and see what comes up. So there you have it – seven great tips for making sure that your company constantly reinvents itself – and constantly remains relevant to your client. If you even introduce one or two of these practices, we’re confident that you’ll be well on the way to a more innovative and fearless company.
Sage 50 Tips

4 Simple but effective Sage 50 tips to follow

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Sage 50 is an easy to use online accounting software solution for small and medium sized businesses. Sage 50 offers features such as accounts payable, accounts receivable and cash flow management.

  1. Know your Sage 50 Support options:
    Having excellent Sage 50 Support on hand and readily available is vital as when you have questions and problems you will need an answer straight away to avoid downtime and other complications. Pimbrook has achieved numerous business awards over the years for their excellent Sage 50 Support, such as ‘Sage 50 Irish Partner of the Year’ 2015, 2016, 2017 and overall Sage Partner of the Year for 2018 and while we are proud of these, our main focus is to always deliver to our clients, exceptional Support, at all times.
  2. Compile a Monthly Sage Accounts Checklist:
    By preparing a monthly sage accounts checklist you can make the process of doing your monthly accounts easier and more efficient. When doing your monthly accounts through Sage with your newly prepared checklist on hand you will be sure that won’t let anything important pass you by.
  3. Know your Sage Function Shortcuts:
    The Sage function keys are designed to save you time and effort in the often fast-paced office environment where time can regularly be in short supply. Sage key functions from F1 to F9 are all designed with specific shortcut functions such as F1 which when pressed will generate the relevant help topics for that particular screen or F5 which when pressed opens a currency converter in a numeric field and also a spellchecker in a text field. By learning off your Sage Function key shortcuts you will not only increase your speed efficiency but it will also make the work that bit easier for you.
  4. Protect your data:
    As the data stored on your Sage 50 Accounts can be of a sensitive nature it is paramount that your Sage 50 Accounts are not only secure but maintained regularly to ensure their security. A great way to protect your data and ensure its safety is to schedule daily backups so worst case scenario you will have the most recent copy of your data saved from earlier that day should anything go wrong. Backups can be scheduled through The Sage Accounts Backup Manager.

For more information on Sage 50 and our excellent accounting solutions please feel free to get in touch with Pimbrook Software Ireland’s overall Sage Partner of the Year 2018.

9 great survival tips for entrepreneurs without accounting skills

9 Great Survival Tips for Entrepreneurs Without Accounting Skills

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If you’re planning a new start-up, or are already trading, accounting software for small business can be your friend – especially if you lack accounting skills. Any Accounting Software is better than none, but specialist Small Business Accounting Software is obviously best.

9 great survival tips for entrepreneurs without accounting skills

We recently came across a survey of entrepreneurship in Ireland from Enterprise Ireland, which had some really interesting figures on the levels of get-up-and-go in this country. Although the survey was carried out in 2017, it’s still a pretty accurate reflector of where we stand in the global rankings, as measured by the independent TEA Index.

The Index measures two groups of entrepreneurs – nascent entrepreneurs and new business owners. The first category is those at a very early stage, for example, planning the start-up, organising a team, getting money together for a start-up, as well as those that have progressed further and recently started the new business, but have not paid salaries for more than 3 months.

New business owners were defined by the survey as “people who have started a new business since January 2014, and have paid salaries for at least three months. These entrepreneurs at least part own and manage the new business.”

According to the survey, as many as 9 in every 100 Irish adults aged 18-64 said that they are actively engaged in the very early stages of starting a business (6 in every 100) or
have recently started a business (3 in every 100).

This puts us at number 6 in the rankings of 20 European countries. Interestingly, we scored ahead of counties such as France, Germany, and Italy. With so many entrepreneurs in our midst – many of them without an accounting qualification – we thought we’d offer these survival tips to help them get through those vital early days and years including use of Small Business Accounting Software. If you opt for accounting software for small business, you’ll get a product that’s specifically for companies just like yours.

  1. It’s all about the numbers – and Accounting Software can help. A lot of business plans are very high on marketing visions and intentions, but not so high on actual budgetary milestones? But if you don’t set financial targets for growth, sales etc., it’s very hard to keep your focus on what’s really important. Setting financial targets, (for example, achieving 5% year-on-year growth), is essential for helping you stay focused, and to give you something to measure success against. Otherwise, you can get sucked into ‘business’, but without putting your efforts into the areas that matter most. If doing it manually proves too time-consuming then maybe some low-cost Accounting Software is in order.


  2. Don’t let things build up – Accounting Software for Small Business can help with that. There can be a temptation to leave your accounts work till the end of the year, when you’ll pull all your invoices, outgoings and inward payments together. This can be a massive chore. It’s much easier – and much more sensible – to do this on a monthly basis. It’s much more manageable, your end of year chore is limited to adding up the totals of each of these twelve months. And using Accounting Software for Small Business obviously makes the task even easier.


  3. Accounts need to be updated – so consider Small Business Accounting Software. Things can change very rapidly for new start-ups. This is why it’s so important that you sit down at the end of each week and review where your revenues are, where your outgoings are etc. A budget that seemed okay a month ago may be barely recognisable now, so review, review, review. Using Small Business Accounting Software can make this task so much easier for you.


  4. Your time is limited, so use it wisely, with the help of Accounting Software. As a new start-up, your time will be in huge demand. You will likely be expected to be inputting to sales, marketing, financial management, HR – and the whole nine yards. Until such time as you can afford to hire some back-up specialists, it’s essential that you don’t become a firefighter. Instead, you need to develop time management skills – particularly in the area of prioritisng tasks and differentiating between what’s urgent and what’s important. Automating tasks with Accounting Software can save you a whole heap of time – time that can be better spent on growing your business.


  5. Look to the future – with the help of Accounting Software. Assuming that you know what’s going on right now in your business, you need to be aware that things may look very different at the end of the year. You may add staff, for example, so your wages bill will be very different. Or cash flow may increase as you get a lot more invoices issued as your business grows. So look forward as well as backwards when you’re putting figures down on paper. That way, there’s much less chance of a major shock three months down the line. Choosing reputable Accounting Software can make huge inroads into this task.


  6. The easiest way to make money is not to spend it – Accounting Software for Small Business can help you keep an eye on it. Even if your business is very small at the outset, you need to develop good habits when it comes to scrutinising the costs of running your business. No amount is too small when it comes to savings. If you save a postage stamp by emailing a document, you’re much more likely to be equally aggressive when it comes to examining bigger costs such as wages, utility costs, rental for your premises etc. You can keep an eye on spending much better by investing in Accounting Software for Small Business.


  7. Don’t be afraid to set out payment terms at the outset – and keep an eye on cashflow with the help of Accounting Software for Small Business. Many companies starve to death from lack of cashflow in the early stages. The best way to protect against this is to make sure your new clients know when you’ll be invoicing them – and when you expect to get paid. Sometimes, new startups believe that this sort of a conversation could lead to losing the sale, but if your new client isn’t prepared to pay on time, are they really worth it? Also, if you work in a high-margin area, you should consider offering reduction for speedier payment, e.g. a 2.5% reduction if paid within five days of invoicing. Keeping an eye on cashflow is child’s play with Accounting Software for Small Business.


  8. Don’t feel that you’re all alone – a network of your peers and good Accounting Software can give you the support you need. Being the boss can be a lonely old place in the early days. But remember that there are hundreds of others in your locality who have gone down the road of setting up their own businesses. Whether it’s joining a formal network or just hooking up for an occasional coffee with someone you know who’s built a business, it can be hugely reassuring – and hugely informative. And remember that you can also get a huge level of reassurance by having good Accounting Software work alongside you!


  9. Don’t forget that technology – including Small Business Accounting Software is your friend. Use all the innovative accounting technology you can to help you keep track of your income and expenses more easily, set alerts and reminders, manage workflow, and stay up to date with all your day-to-day business efforts. Small Business Accounting Software can make a huge contribution in this regard.
outgrown excel

8 Tell-tale Signs You’ve Outgrown Excel

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Signs You’ve Outgrown Excel for Budgeting and Planning

 

How did you know that you’ve outgrown excel?

Here at Pimbrook, we’re huge fans of the Microsoft Office suite, and are regular users of PowerPoint, Word and Excel. The latter, in particular, is a huge favourite of SME’s, particularly in the areas of budgeting and planning. It’s little wonder, as it’s super-easy to use and is a great way of collating and sharing information within the company. But sooner or later, the time comes when you start to outgrow it, and when there are better options available to you – such as the Sage 50 suite or other appropriate accounting software for small business – if you want to develop a more strategic approach to budgeting and planning. Here are some of the tell-tale signs to look out for.

outgrown excel

 

1. You’ve probably outgrown excel, if you’re working silly hours. For companies who manage budgets in Excel, there’s a lot cutting and pasting involved, not to mention rolling up data, changing formulas, creating links etc. If you find that this work is cutting into your weekends or evenings, then maybe it’s time to try and reclaim those valuable hours by moving to a slicker and easier-to-use form of accounting software for small business such as Sage 50.

2. You’ve probably outgrown excel, if errors are starting to creep in. One of the big plus factors of Excel is that it’s highly accurate. But what if there’s human error involved? What if you input an incorrect formula? Think of how bad you’d feel at a board presentation if your figures were challenged – and you were found to have been at fault? The alternative is to look for an accounting software for small business solution like Sage 50 that lets you more easily calculate various KPI’s or metrics such as expenses, cash flow etc.

3. You’ve probably outgrown excel, if sensitivities are being breached. Very often, a spreadsheet may include highly sensitive information. This could be anything from company turnover, staff salary levels, or even personal information such as staff contact details. It’s essential that such information is kept away from unauthorized prying eyes. The bottom line is that when you’re dealing with super-sensitive data, maybe it’s time to look for a more secure form of information storage, collation and dissemination – like Sage 50 or a similar accounting software for small business.

4. You’ve probably outgrown excel if, you’re the only one who understands the budgeting or forecast model. One of the big problems with a tool like Excel is that it can sometimes become the ‘plaything’ of one or two staff members, and the ability to understand it is not shared with the broader company. And this is all very well until the one or two people who understand Excel move on to pastures new and leave a huge knowledge deficit in terms of how to manage budgeting or planning in an automated fashion. You can avoid this with accounting software for small business like Sage 50, which is intuitive to use and comes with a full support option.

5. You’ve probably outgrown excel, if there’s an issue with multiple versions. By definition, a spreadsheet is meant for sharing. It contains information that can be used by multiple stakeholders in the company, and in many cases, input from some of those staff members is expected. But what happens when a number of people start making changes at the same time? It can become a form of ‘version hell’, with nobody knowing which version they should be commenting on. There should be only one master version of any budget or plan for your company, and if you find that this is not the case, then maybe it’s time to move on to a newer and better accounting software for small business solution like Sage 50.

6. You’ve probably outgrown excel, if there’s a problem with sharing via email. One of the most common ways of sharing an Excel sheet is via email. But what happens when someone can’t put their finger on that spreadsheet that you sent them last week? More than likely, they contact you again and ask you to resend it. In other words, YOU become the problem-solver, taking hours out of your week that could better be spent elsewhere. If this is happening in your organization, then maybe a dedicated budgeting or planning tool is more appropriate, letting everyone have easy and instant access to a portal where all data sheets will reside. Sage 50 offers this alternative accounting software for small business functionality.

7. You’ve probably outgrown excel, if you’re only looking backwards and not forwards too. Sometimes, you can be so busy preparing spreadsheets that you’re solely focused on what’s happened in the past rather than what’s coming down the line at you. Data should always be used as a way of understanding what’s happening in your business, and letting make the sort of short, medium and long-term plans that will see your business thrive. One of the most powerful ways of using data is creating a range of ‘what if’ scenarios, letting you see what would happen if you took a number of different courses of action, e.g. hiring new sales staff or investing in new equipment. Sage 50 offers you this option and is just one of the many benefits that this form of accounting software for small business offers.

8. You’ve probably outgrown excel, if there are delays in presenting data. For most companies, data is supplied by numerous members of staff, e.g. your sales staff or your marketing staff. And one of the problems with Excel arises when some – or many – of those staff are late with inputting their data. When you eventually receive it, you have to sort any errors, double check it with them, go through a cut and past operation etc., and then eventually present your final report. By that stage, however, you may he half-way through the next month, so your company has wasted two weeks while the information was being collated – instead of using a more sophisticated accounting software for small business package such as Sage 50.

If you find that any of these scenarios apply to your business, then maybe a move to accounting software for small business like Sage 50 is on the cards? It gives you greater levels of control, greater levels of collaboration, and greater levels of security. And when you consider how much time and effort it can save you, most businesses find that it pays for itself many times over each year.