WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CLOUD ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE

You can download the pdf format here

Business accounting or keeping proper books of account is a growing problem for a lot of small and medium enterprises.

Fortunately, however, micro, small and medium enterprises do not have to suffer from lack of and improper keeping of books of account if they are aware of and use cloud accounting.

That’s what you will learn in this article.

Specifically, you will learn the meaning of cloud accounting and how you can use it in your business.  You will also see how it works and how secured cloud accounting is for your financial data.  And you will even discover great benefits that it delivers

Cloud accounting software is the same thing as online accounting software and also web-based accounting software. Cloud accounting software is accounting software that is hosted in the cloud.

According to this article on Wikipedia, Cloud computing is a term used to refer to a model of network computing where a program or application runs on a connected server or servers rather than on a local computing device such as a PC. This hosted application can be accessed by any internet-enabled device such as PC, tablet or smartphone.

In this case, cloud accounting software is hosted centrally on a server. Each user can access it through their browsers and start using the application without any installation on their devices.

How Does Cloud Accounting Software Works?

Cloud accounting software works in such a way that when data are keyed into it, such data are transferred into the cloud and are processed and reports are generated.

Cloud accounting software works in essentially the same way as all other cloud-based software. Files that would normally be stored on a hard drive are stored online. This is because the information is stored in such a way that it is always accessible, you can log into cloud accounting software and perform accounting and bookkeeping functions on any computer on the planet with an Internet connection.

Thanks to the development of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, cloud accounting software mean that you can take care of your business finances from wherever you are. Whether you’re stuck in traffic or want to take a much-needed vacation, you’ll always have the ability to log in and get work done in the event that an emergency arises.

Is Cloud Accounting Software Safe?

Yes, it is safe and secured.  One of the major benefits of cloud accounting software has to do with security. The important financial documents associated with your business are protected from nearly all of the catastrophes that could spell havoc for your organization if you were using traditional storage methods.

If someone breaks into your business and steals your work computer, you don’t have to worry about them getting access to all of those financial documents at the same time.

The financial documents are safe because they were never stored on that computer in the first place. They’re also safe from a fire, from a hard drive failure, from general data loss and other types of situations that business owners needed to worry about in the past.

Cloud-based accounting software also takes the extra step to encrypt your data to help keep it safe from malicious individuals who may be trying to access it using computer systems, viruses, and other means.

What are the benefits?

Cloud accounting software has several benefits, such as:

• Secure Storage of Financial Data

Cloud accounting technology can provide a more secure method of storing financial information than desktop-based software. Data is routinely backed up to servers in multiple locations by the SaaS provider, and there are no physical hard drives or computers containing sensitive data that can be stolen. Since financial information isn’t kept on-premise, the risks of fires and natural disasters are also mitigated.

• Pay as You Grow

Small businesses often experience growing pains, which makes choosing software with future growth in mind a priority for many. Cloud accounting software allows businesses to purchase what they need and increase their spend as they grow. This includes adding more storage space, users, and more advanced features.  It does not also demand a huge investment in the purchase of software with attendant payment training and updates as in desktop software.

• Multi-User Access

Once you reach a point where your business is looking to outsource specific tasks, using cloud accounting can help scale in a cost-effective and controlled manner. The multi-user feature of cloud accounting means you can give different people access to your financial records and bookkeeping process, which they can access remotely.

This streamlines workflow and allows you to ask your advisor or accountant questions directly, all based on the most up-to-date versions of documents. The multi-user feature makes for quick communication, team collaboration and less back and forth.

• Immediate Transactions

Retail operations electronically enter transactions as they occur, whereas you might only enter your transactions at the end of each week or every other week, depending on the size and sales volume of your business. Small business accounting in the cloud compels you to keep your data entry current.

With cloud accounting in place, you can quickly spot a gap in cash flow or see if customers are abusing your extension of credit. Business owners who simply place all of their receipts in a drawer to deal with at a later date might not catch a potential issue until it’s too late.

You can run balance reports or expense reports and get a financial snapshot of your business at any given point. Cloud accounting software can also handle the calculations for different currencies in the event you do business with foreign companies, compensating for the fluctuations in exchange rates. It can be time- and cost-prohibitive if you or your accounting department has to crunch those always-fluctuating numbers on paper.

• Centralizes Your Most Important Tasks

Several aspects of your day-to-day business operations, like managing inventory, invoices, payroll, and even portions of your customer relations management can all be tied into your cloud accounting software. Save your hard-earned money – no separate software is needed.

Plus, the great thing about cloud accounting software is that third-party systems integrate seamlessly with it. If your company uses an ‘actual-minutes worked’ type of format, your time tracking software can integrate with your accounting software to maintain accurate payroll records.

You can basically build the accounting software suite of tools with your favorite apps that apply to your specific business.

• Simplify Tax Compliance

You must remain compliant with the tax authorities or you can face stiff penalties. Cloud accounting software helps by showing you things like how much tax you owe (even down to specific invoices) or how much you’ve paid overtime on a specific tax. Cloud accounting software makes it much easier to compile the information you need to file a successful remittance.

• Analysis Tools

Have you ever wondered how much easier (and more accurate) your business tasks might be if only you had a personal financial advisor? Cloud accounting apps not only give you tools to customize your own reports, they even suggest reports for you based on the type of business you own. You can make solid financial decisions when you can see the bigger picture – just like having your own advisor.

There’s a report you can run for virtually every question you have regarding your business’ financial health. Wondering which of your clients haven’t paid you yet? Run an Accounts Receivable report.

• Accuracy

The accuracy of your numbers is crucial. There’s always the chance of a transposed number or erroneous math in manual entry accounting, but cloud accounting software does the calculations for you. And the software also maintains other necessary information, like inventory on hand, supplies on hand, and which vendors you use for which products. Need to mail something to a client? Even your client’s addresses are maintained in cloud accounting software for easy access when the need arises.

Conclusion

You have just discovered what cloud accounting software is, how it works, how secured it, and the benefits of using it in micro, small and medium enterprises.

However, a word of warning – just know how it works does not mean you will be able to use it by yourself, more especially, if you are not an accountant with very good knowledge of double-entry bookkeeping.

You will need to work with an experienced accountant like Taisha Associates to help you access the cloud accounting software and maintain it for you.  This will give you an opportunity to monitor your business from anywhere there is an internet connection.

The key is that you need to take action on what you just learned so that you can be in full control of your financial reporting

You can download the pdf format here