Desktop or Cloud

www.oakbookkeepingservices.co.uk  Your Reading based bookkeeper

The cloud is here to stay so do you stick with your desktop software or move to the cloud.  I see pros and cons with both.  For me the main ones being security and access to the internet. 

I want to be sure my clients will feel confident that no-one will hack into their accounts - if it’s on the web we worry it may happen but if it’s on my laptop we worry it may be broken into. 

The same with the internet – if it’s on my laptop I know I can work anywhere my laptop is and if it’s on the web my clients can also have access to it. The former means I am doing their bookkeeping for them unless they do their accounts during the month / quarter / year and then pass me the backup to do the reconciliations, month/ year end accounts etc.

The latter also allows them to see at a glance how their business is doing.  More and more clients these days want to have more of a hand in their accounts which is as it should be.  In the past if an owner was asked ‘how’s business’ they would have had to ask their accountant. Now they can see with the touch of a button how it is. 

With smartphones and tablets the clients can issue invoices as they leave their customer or can scan expenses and receipts straight in. 

Although there is usually a monthly charge for web based accounting packages it can easily be recouped by business owners  as they can also do some of their own bookkeeping which, if they have the time, will help keep administration costs down. Especially in the early start-up days when you’re trying to minimise your outgoings and don’t want to have to pay up too many upfront costs, a web based system is the way forward.

I have some clients who just want to know how much they’ve made, have to pay in VAT etc so don’t want to see the accounting system and I have some who want to be more involved in the day to day running of the accounts. So for me I’m going to keep a foot in both camps.   I also want to be able to do some work when my broadband occasionally goes down.