Free software from Quickbooks – a brief review

The most basic version of Quickbooks accounting software, Quickbooks SimpleStart, is available for free download (see www.quickbooks.co.uk). Given that it is free, is it suitable for a small or start-up business? The answer is yes, but there are some things to watch out for.

 The good things first. Well, its free to begin with, no catches except the odd email. It is not a trial version, so no hidden expiry dates or missing functionality. It can do the basic business tasks: track sales and expenses, instantly create sales invoices, pay bills and print cheques. It is ideal for a small business or start-up. As the website says it’s ‘Built for Freelance Designers, Dentists, Flower Shops, Tech Startups, Chippies, Property Managers, Personal Trainers”, to name but a few.

 So where’s the catch? Well, there is one small limitation and that is in the number of customers and suppliers allowed. Both are set at a maximum of 20. If you have more than this, you will have to pay for the full version of SimpleStart, which costs about £80. Despite this limitation, the free version can still be used for a while and you can get used to the software before paying out some money. For the first time entrepreneur who wants to keep on top of accounting from day one, I think it’s worth a try.