Most entrepreneurs are tough. Very little rattles them (or they’re great at maintaining a strong front). They don’t sweat the small stuff because they’re “big picture” types. They’ve got a plan not only for their business but also their life. And then there’s accounting software. For a variety of reasons, accounting software tends to make even the toughest entrepreneur uneasy. It’s this weird dichotomy: They know they need it, yet they drag their feet when it comes to engaging with it—from purchase to use. Well that doesn’t have to be the case. Accounting software needn’t be the cause of cold sweats or heart palpitations. It doesn’t have to freak you out—and here’s why… It’s Not That Hard To some (most) small business owners, accounting is perceived as hard. To others, it’s the software element that makes them nervous. But here’s a little secret: accounting software is not hard. It’s not hard to evaluate. It’s not hard to use. And it’s not hard to realize the benefits it can provide entrepreneurs the world over. For those of us in the small business accounting software space, the name of the game has been—and continues to be–simplicity. We’re designing our product to align with what small business owners expect. Straightforward language. Helpful tips throughout. Libraries of tutorials and resources. Intuitive experiences to create things like invoices, expenses and reports. We understand that no small business owner is the same so we strive to make accounting software as universal as possible. Often times, the hardest step is the first. With accounting software that typically is the case too. But once you’re in, giving it a spin, the hurdles start to disappear. You Don’t Have to be a “Numbers Person” Plenty of entrepreneurs shy away from accounting because they’re not “numbers people.” At first, that’s understandable. Someone doesn’t become a freelance photographer because they’re pumped to manage finances. They do it because photography is their passion. Accounting is just a necessary evil, one that they will avoid until they no longer can. They avoid it because in their mind, they’re not a numbers person. Just the mere mention of concepts like accounts payable, cash flow, and general ledger make them cringe. But yet again, there’s a little secret! You don’t have to be a numbers person to dominate your books these days. Apps have revolutionized the math element of accounting. Your bank accounts sync in real time. You pull reports instead of crafting them by hand. If you put in the data, accounting software will handle the numbers. It Can Actually Be Fun Know that little feeling of glee that you experience when someone retweets a tweet of yours or likes a photo on Facebook or Instagram? That’s your brian releasing a little bit of dopamine, a nerotrasmitter related to reward-motivated behavior. Well guess what? The same is happening in accounting software. Seriously! It feels good to crank out an invoice from your iPad in just a few taps. It feels even better to mark that invoice as paid! And when you pull up a P&L report… yeah, that’s the best of the best. Basically, accounting software confirms that “my business is doing great” feeling with real, hard numbers. So don’t let accounting—or accounting software—intimidate you! It’s not as daunting as you might think…
