bookkeeping software

[rookie]

I am looking for feedback for what might be the best computer software for keeping farm books. I've seen some. Any opinions?

[domitz]

I have used Intuit's Quicken Home and Business edition for the last few years. It handles all of my financial needs. The only thing it does not do is herd management.

[dansmall]

I use Quicken Home and Business 99 as well. It is cheap to run, has lots of documentation and support, and now Pocket Quicken for your Palm handheld means you can keep track of your bank and credit card balances anywhere. You can enter new stuff in your Palm and when you sync it you can send that data back to your PC at home! Try that with other accounting programs!

There are specific farm programs out there that are expensive with poor support. I'm not a fan of them. If you run into problems there is always somebody else you know that uses Quicken. Remember, it wasn't that long ago we didn't have any kind of computers at all but we still kept our books balanced. Don't buy more than you really need...

[settler]

There are a lot of generic "off-the-shelf" options for accounting software - most all of which do what they suggest - basic accounting.

Over 8,000 successful farmers across Canada are using farm specific software published and supported by Settler AgExpert Software of Regina since 1983. Settler's popular GOLD program provides pre-set charts of accounts for several farm types and it offers additional ag-specific management features like cost of production calculators, capital asset management, cashflow planning, tax forecasting etc. that typical accounting software just don't offer.

Settler provides 7 days week toll-free support for the software and other related questions you may have relating to the management of your operation. Additionally, as a company, Settler works with leading accountants, bankers, govt depts. to ensure that the reports from Settler programs are suitable and acceptable for the continual reporting requirements these groups require.

The Settler GOLD program delivers much more than other generic accounting software when compared with the management value it offers It's still very affordable at only $495 (which includes 1 year of toll-free unlimited priority support as well) - and your investment in Settler GOLD pays off in the management information return to you. The time you invest in data entry is really the most expensive ongoing part of any management system - so it's important to make a wise decision and get the software tool that offers real value to your operation.

Regarding handheld data entry, Settler has released and currently developing a solution for the field and crop records, and are reviewing the needs for accounting users as well.

For more information, visit http://www.settler.com or call 1-800-667-7893.

[kaniteo]

Rookie,

Tell me a little about your farm. The complexity and size of your operation can have a bearing on the type of system you need. Some of the packages may be overkill for you while others may not be robust enough to serve your purpose. Do you need to track inventory? Do you have payroll?

Also what is your experience with manual accounting? Computerized accounting is not really going to help you if you are unfamiliar with manual accounting. It will just let you make bigger mistakes faster.

Regards and best wishes for the holidays
Ted

[winston]

Try Quickbooks also. Try to avoid the costly large programs that promise to do it all for you. Management, accounting,tax info,inventory tracking and production info are all seperate areas and trying to keep them in one set of books will take a lot of time and if you are not very experienced it will drive you bonkers