Budgeting for Your Start-Up Business: Should You Use Software?

There are many details to consider when you begin planning the launch of your start-up business. Why not make the financial set-up go smoother by utilizing software to make budgeting your costs that much easier?

By selecting a budgeting software package such as the ones mentioned below, you can streamline the process and get your company up and running in no time flat.

mint budgeting software
Using budgeting software will help keep the finances of your start-up business on track.

Mint.com

Mint.com is a valuable tool for entrepreneurs who want to have all their financial accounts and information conveniently located in one place. To keep you in the loop at all times, this program has over 20 alerts that are sent to your email as well as to your mobile device.

Boasting over 10 million users and favorable reviews from CNN Money, Kiplingers, The Wall Street Journal, and more, Mint.com uses top-notch encryption technology for your company’s financial security. If you are on the go, you can sign up for the Mint mobile app – and it won’t cost you a thing, either.

QuickBooks

Touting improved navigation and simpler menus,Intuit’s QuickBooks is a popular choice for entrepreneurs and small businesses alike. With QuickBooks, you are able to send invoices and track expenses while you’re in or out of the office. Processing orders or managing inventory can be done from anywhere as well, something that can be invaluable for entrepreneurs. The online option gives you the choice to access your accounts from a variety of devices, including your smartphone.

You can try this financial software for 30 days without paying anything. Later on, if you decide to use it permanently, you can also select various add-on features exclusive to online users.

Sage 50

Another popular software program for entrepreneurs and small business owners is Sage 50. Formerly known as Sage Peachtree, this software goes beyond the basics to give you more expanded financial options, such as monitoring and tracking budget expenditures and managing payroll.

If you use Microsoft Excel or Word, this software will be even handier since you can export business data into either one of those programs. If you are looking for an all-around solution for keeping your start-up budget under control, Sage Peachtree may be the choice for you.

Once your business expands, you can upgrade to the pro edition to access even more options to include managing tax forms and in-depth analysis reports.

PlanGuru

If you are looking for budgeting software that also helps with start-up planning, PlanGuru could be the ticket. PlanGuru helps business owners and entrepreneurs compare and analyze financial reports and budgets, as well as predict future situations so you’re able to make better decisions in order to minimize possible risks. You can work up financial reports and then easily print or save them to either Excel or PDF format.

PlanGuru offers a free month’s trial of the full software, rather than a watered-down version.

While there are many budget and accounting software options available for entrepreneurs to choose from, there are likely several that will fit your new company’s financial requirements.

Make a list of the needs your small business has in particular, then decide which features are most beneficial for your start-up. Once you’ve done that, spend adequate time researching and comparing the available software to ensure you make the right match.

About the Author: Bev Sninchak is a veteran freelance writer with 16 years of experience producing content for print and online publications. She writes about many subjects, from online marketing to recommendations for the latest personal financial software.