Hi all :)
I’m setting up a small business in the UK, and need some accounting software to keep track of everything, and generate invoices, that sort of thing. I tried Wave a few years ago, and it looks like it does what I need, but is US based and proprietary.
It has the option of linking to your bank account too, and automatically pulling your transactions etc. This is quite important, as I’m trying to get diagnosed with ADHD, and have a terrible memory. I won’t remember to manually enter transactions regularly.
Being able to use it on Android and Windows / Linux would be ideal. I can self host it if there are any options that work.
Does anyone have any ideas please?
I’ve heard of GnuCash but I have no experience or knowledge of it
- open source, multi-platform
- aimed at individuals and small business
- Features
- looks like it can direct connect to your bank (but a Reddit post indicates might not be the most intuitive)
.
EDIT: only came across it because I was looking at the Guile language and GnuCash is listed as using Guile
EDIT 2: unwarranted advice – for memory and ADHD, take a look at the original bullet journaling (not the Instagram/TikTok fad it’s turned into)
It looks great, thanks :)
It looks like it covers everything I should need and more. I’ll have to see if it will connect to my bank, or if only some banks use the protocol, but it looks promising.
Unwarranted advice is welcome too :)
I haven’t had much luck with journaling, as I usually don’t like the act of writing things down. If it can be done digitally though, it’s worth another look, thanks
How to Bullet Journal – a quick intro by the original creator (biggest problem is that it’s been turned into a craft project by Instagrammers, more weight put on picking out the right washi tape than keeping track of tasks)
Thanks :)
For invoicing at my small business, I use Invoice Ninja.
Open source, self-hostable, and they offer cloud hosting. Free for the base version with less than 20 users. It has a bunch of features, you are able to create very professional invoices, define services and products, calculate taxes, fees, etc.
It’s very clean, fast, and intuitive.
For accounting, I use GnuCash. It’s old looking and clunky, but it has a bunch of features and works fine for everything I need.
They look good, thanks :)
I like the fact that InvoiceNinja can be self hosted too
No prob! Yeah I’ve been super happy with Invoice Ninja particularly, it’s a really solid piece of software.
Perhaps Firefly? It is meant for personal finances but considerably complex still. I am not sure if it does invoicing though.
Edit: This should give you a more precise idea of how fitting it might be: https://docs.firefly-iii.org/explanation/more-information/what-its-not/#business-finances-small-business-accounting-payroll-management
That looks like it could be really good, thanks :)
I’ll have a play with the demo and see how it works.
That looks fantastic, thanks :)
There’s definitely more than I’ll need for now, but that looks like it could manage most situations.
It is a entire ERP/CMS suite. It might be to big for most when starting out. However, it allows for growth with the buisness.
These 2 are worth a careful look
- ledger and its derivatives
- quickfile
I am from the UK and been doing this for over 10 years, with a CSV general ledger.
I find the double entry accounting equation simple, but need meticulous book keeping and to fully understand the scheme of accounts to minimise the time spent preparing for tax, vat and PAYE along with annual financial statements to companies house.
To work on my own I follow the ‘plain text accounting’ principle, ledger seems good, but simpler for me to use SQL on a CSV file and a Rust program to handle MTD for VAT.
I’ve studied many accounting packages, all seem over complex and obscure the simplicity of the task.
To work with an accountant I would choose quickfile. It is remarkable, and one very smart person I expect to choose the best application uses it so I feel that it has credibility.
