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Editor’s note: Bryan Anderson is a Managing Member of AS360, aACE’s longest-running partner. We are delighted to share his 20 years of experience implementing software upgrades for QuickBooks users with our audience.

When you started your business, you probably found that QuickBooks was fantastic at meeting your early needs. It’s affordable, easy for one person to manage, and adequately handles the volume of financial transactions a typical new business needs to make. But as your business grows, you might find that your software is beginning to fit less like a glove and more like a cheap suit — one that’s a size too small.

Clear signals that your business has outgrown QuickBooks include:

• Data that’s spread out haphazardly across several solutions and spreadsheets
• Multiple users having trouble trying to work in the system at the same time
• Complex reports that take too long to pull or require the use of outside spreadsheets

Don’t ignore the signs. Read on for key questions to ask yourself when determining whether your business is ready to take the next step in software solutions.

Data, Data Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink

Do you feel like your data is stranded on isolated islands? Does your software act as a bridge between each department, or is your information spread out across multiple spreadsheets and solutions that don’t talk to each other? If you’re faced with the latter, you may find that you’re struggling to get day-to-day work done efficiently. Storing information in multiple places means that each system needs to be updated separately every time something changes that can’t be tracked entirely in QuickBooks — and all of that extra data entry creates more opportunities for human error. Imagine trying to take a complete picture of your company’s finances. If you’re pulling information from a patchwork of scattered sources, can you really be sure that what you’re seeing is accurate?

Too Many Cooks in the Software Kitchen

While QuickBooks is excellent for an owner-operator scenario, offering an easy-to-use solution that isn’t too complex for one person to handle, a multi-user environment brings added complications that could put stress on your software. As you scale your business, your growing company may find itself constrained by the limitations of its accounting solution. Are your employees tripping over each other trying to enter transactions throughout the day? Do you find yourself paying thousands of dollars for outside accounting services that still don’t provide the kind of visibility into your data that you need to make the best possible decisions? If you’re thinking of bringing on a CFO in the near future, you’ll also want to ensure that you have the tools they’ll need to succeed. And if you’re not quite ready to add a C-suite executive, a more robust accounting solution could help you operate more effectively without the added expense of a senior-level hire.

The Shallow End of the Reporting Pool

The larger your business grows, the more intricate it becomes and the more information you need in order to stay on top of it. Calculating complex sets of data — for instance, to forecast inventory requirements based on what’s quoted in your sales pipeline or pay your sales staff commissions based on actual margins — may be another trouble spot, forcing you to add even more islands to your sea of disparate information. Do you find yourself relying more and more on Excel to support multiple sophisticated workflows like made-to-stock inventory, drop shipping, or back orders? Are financial statements that were once a snap now taking longer to pull together as the system struggles to keep up with larger volumes of information? And if you want to report on multiple companies at the same time in the same report, are you wasting time mixing and matching data from different reports to make it happen?

Does any of this sound familiar? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to one or more of the questions I’ve posed, it could be time to reconsider your company’s relationship with QuickBooks. It might be a little overwhelming to realize your software solution has become more of a problem. The good news is, you have options — yes, even ones that a small or midsize business can afford. Contact me to learn more about how to select the business management software that’s right for your growing company.

About the Author

With 20 years of experience in implementing ERP and CRM solutions, Bryan Anderson is committed to helping every business, from the smallest Mom-and-Pop shop to the largest multinational corporation, find the tools they need to thrive. He has worked with over 200 clients using solutions such as Microsoft Navision and Great Plains, Oracle Financials, SAP, aACE Software, Salesforce, and more.

Bryan has spent the last several years developing custom application solutions and implementing ERP systems in the manufacturing, distribution, professional services, and field service industries. He’s now the managing member of All Solutions 360, LLC, an information technology consulting firm dedicated to implementing the best technical solutions to nagging business problems.

Bryan has an MBA in Marketing, Logistics & Transportation from the University of Tennessee and a BS in Finance & Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. In addition to starting his own companies, he has previously worked for General Motors, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, and Microsoft Value Added Resellers.

Bryan can be reached at banderson@asthree60.com.

Technology helps level the playing field. Whether it's with hand tools, power tools, or digital tools, technology makes it possible to do more than we could otherwise.

In this vein, SmallBizDaily.com has made it their business to help SMEs accomplish more with limited resources. The blog post titled "How Tech and Data Can Transform Small Businesses" continues this effort. Jen Cohen Crompton, a guest author from The Neat Company, discusses how a technology refresh can boost your productivity. She frames the possibilities into five basic areas:

1. Modern data storage: Paper archives in filing cabinets and reminders on sticky notes should be replaced with digital and cloud-based options. Modern solutions allow you not only to store more business information, but also to have quicker, easier access to those records. Quality enterprise content management (ECM) systems can make searching for documents as easy as using Google.

2. Modern accounting workflows: Nothing crunches numbers as well as a computer. You may be surprised at how much automation can be provided by today's accounting software packages. Letting a machine track receipts and calculate margins reduces errors, maximizes efficiency, and enables you to focus on tasks that are more valuable.

3. Modern data collection: With a smartphone camera and a small app, you can immediately digitize your records. An easy process of taking a picture, converting the image to PDF, and extracting the data can increase visibility and responsiveness in your organization.

4. Modern contacting: With today's demands for attention pressing on your potential customers, emailing them direct is likely to get lost in the churn or sent to the spam folder, calling direct may result in your number being blocked as a telemarketer, and contacting face-to-face, while ideal, may not be possible when your leads are scattered across the nation. Using customer relationship management (CRM) software can help you get better results. A powerful CRM system can analyze public social media activity to help you identify the warmest leads.

5. Modern work: Your employees have their own personal tech and they know what modern information and communication systems can provide. They know what kinds of work require a physical presence at the office and what assignments can be completed via telework. When you enable them to make the most of their time instead of requiring a commute across town, you can boost their morale and reduce your overhead.

With these pathways open to your business, it may take some strategic planning to set the best course forward. A professional services company may need an immediate upgrade to data storage tools, while manufacturing or retail might need to consider telework policies for certain staff. Each time you invest in modernizing your organization though, you'll soon see the dividends.

An ideal technology investment is one that solves multiple needs with one solution. aACE 5 is an affordable yet comprehensive business operations suite. It offers robust accounting workflows and automation, mobile apps for productivity, and a thorough CRM package. Built on FileMaker, aACE 5 operates on both Mac and PC systems, and it can be customized to your company's unique business situation. Learn more about modernizing your tools with the aACE 5 advantage.

"Coming off Quickbooks, we found that QB just wasn't offering us all the flexibility and horsepower we needed from an ERP. It needed to handle all the complexities of our day to day operations, give us the reports we needed, integrate into our existing process — and then fade into the background as everyone became comfortable with it to get the job done. aACE has done all that." ~ Derek Navratil, IT Administrator, Janibell Inc.

Sales tax obligations are often complex and can cause headaches for small and mid-sized businesses, especially when marketplace fulfillment arrangements are involved. So while an offer of amnesty for uncollected sales tax sounds like a nice gesture, it's not surprising that the details are complex. And they could cause a headache.

Deciding whether that possible headache is worthwhile is a gamble each business needs to evaluate.

To clarify the details and help you make this decision, Avalara's Scott Peterson has analyzed the amnesty offer, suggested nine incisive questions you should ask about it, and also provided the answers. Even if you don't currently sell any of your products through a marketplace, it can be valuable to learn about this latest development in how states are pursuing tax funds.

Context for a decision like this is crucial, so the Avalara advice begins by sketching out the larger picture around the amnesty decision. Peterson notes that inter-state collaboration on tax forgiveness is fairly rare; however, he later points out that many states organize their own amnesty or voluntary disclosure programs. This current program is the largest to date, with full participation by 23 states and limited offerings from five others. Another unique feature of this effort is that all eligible back taxes will be waived for any business with qualifying tax obligations (that is, taxes from nexus based on inventory stored in a fulfillment facility), whereas these programs usually only apply to registered taxpayers and typically only disclaim the penalties and interest on the tax monies.

The crux of the gamble is this: registering for the program will remove the expense of past taxes and a possible audit from marketplace sales, but it will also establish a clear, on-going tax obligation for your online marketplace sales.

The key points of this amnesty offering that Peterson clarifies move from more general information to central questions of the risks involved with each option:

1. Who does the tax amnesty impact? Any business using a marketplace provider (such as Amazon or eBay) with inventory in the affected states.

2. What states are participating? Peterson lists the 28 states (plus the District of Columbia) that are involved with this Multistate Tax Commission (MTC).

3. Do I really have to register and collect sales tax? Yes, according to the relevant state laws and definitions.

4. What about income tax? This tax obligation has more variability across states and can't be easily generalized.

5. How does tax amnesty work? Between August 17 and October 17, you can apply to collect sales tax or to exempt from income/franchise tax and the unpaid back-taxes, penalties, and interest will all be waived. However you will be registered as an organization clearly required to collect and remit these taxes going forward.

6. What are the risks of participating in the amnesty plan? It requires time and resources to maintain accurate tax collection and payments, and increased costs are never pleasing to customers.

7. What are the risks of not participating? You may some day be audited and forced to pay these taxes, penalties, and interest, and state agencies are investing more resources into identifying and collecting these funds.

8. What are my other options? Hope to not be audited before you can take advantage of another amnesty or voluntary disclosure offering.

9. How do I learn more about the tax amnesty program? Talk with your trusted tax advisor, a representative of the MTC, or the Avalara hotline (phone or email) focused on this amnesty offering.

While the obvious numbers-based decision is to not let taxes erode your profits, the chance of future audits and the relevant ethical issues may weigh more heavily for your company. Whether your company is involved with manufacturing, distribution, or professional services, this is just one example of the challenging decisions that are part of the adventure of being an entrepreneur.

To offset the difficulty of tracking sales tax and the danger of not tracking it, you can invest in software solutions like AvaTax. And to further streamline your operations, this outstanding tax automation package can be integrated directly to your accounting / CRM / ERP suite. aACE Software provides a comprehensive yet affordable system with proven AvaTax integration. This robust business solution can not only bring peace of mind and a reduced burden for managing sales taxes, but can also provide increased visibility, accuracy, and velocity in your operations.

Learn more today about the synergy of Avalara tools and aACE 5.

"I feel the whole aACE package is customized and tailored to my needs." ~ Todd Breedlove, Vice President, Knight Hardwood Flooring Inc.