Free online accounting software is changing the way small business owners manage their finances – for the better. These free web-based accounting applications offer many advantages over manual accounting systems. Many perform all the functions that a manual system does, but with much less work. For example, manual data entry is all but eliminated, and calculations are done automatically. You’ll be able to track sales, provide estimates, invoice customers, manage projects, and run your business more efficiently. As a business owner, you can avoid mistakes, save yourself headaches, and speed up the process of bookkeeping without paying a fortune for bookkeeping services. The best online accounting software solutions intelligently organize your information with minimal effort from you, putting the facts and figures you need at your fingertips. When tax time comes around, you’ll find the process surprisingly painless, and you will probably end up paying lower taxes and receiving bigger refunds, thanks to intelligent expense tracking and deduction assistance.

Many small business owners have found the use of free online accounting to be revelatory, changing the ways in which they view and understand the money side of their businesses. One successful business owner recently blogged about his experience with web-based accounting, saying that he had never able to truly grasp the financial fundamentals of his business until he learned to create and understand cash-flow reports on his accounting software. Before that time, he didn’t really know where his business was headed financially, so he couldn’t decide which opportunities to pursue.

Many small business owners are driven, idea-oriented people who don’t necessarily intuit the numbers involved in business strategy. Free online accounting levels the playing field, so anyone can run a small business intelligently. Online accounting software helps business owners manage and track various financial transactions, but it also provides easy-to-understand analysis of business performance over time. Assessing the performance of your business is vital to continued success, whether you’re first starting out or running an established company.

Some of the concrete benefits to using accounting software are: speed, automation, appraisal & forecasting, convenience, and savings. Using online accounting will undoubtedly speed up all of your financial procedures, from invoicing to expense tracking. By automating your transactions, accounting software will not only save you time, but help eliminate mistakes as well. With all the time you’ll save, you’ll be able to focus on more important work to grow your business. You’ll be able to measure your cash flow and financial performance, both long-term and short-term. And then you can use this detailed information about your company’s financial position for planning and budgeting for the future of your business. Online accounting is also extremely convenient; most of the work is done for you, and you can do the rest wherever you are, whenever it’s convenient. Finally, free online accounting can save you lots of money on bookkeeping services. You can even save on postage because you can start sending invoices via email. With all the time and money you save, you can reinvest in your business.