Tuesday, August 26, 2008
If you are looking for a free, but still very capable accounting sofware package, look no further than Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2008. In recent years Microsoft has been releasing Express versions of it's leading software titles and now it's the turn of Microsoft Accounting.
Even though it's free, Accounting Express is still stuffed with features and is ideal for a home-based business or a small business with 1 or 2 employees. The software includes integration with a number of online financial institutions as well as eBay and is ideally suited to an e-commerce business. Of course, the essential features of invoicing, estimates and payment tracking are included as well as handy cashflow management features.
As you'd expect with software from the biggest PC software developer, if your needs outgrow the Express version, you can upgrade seamlessly to the full version of Microsoft Accounting. To get you started with the Express version, you can import data from QuickBooks and even Microsoft's own Money package.
Microsoft doesn't have a reputation for producing small packages however: be prepared to download over 320Mb to get Accounting Express. And, of course, Microsoft want you to purchase some software - to use Microsoft Accounting Express, you need to have purchased the 2007 versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel as well as Business Contact Manager.