Accounting is a huge piece of any pet sitting business (make that any business as a matter of fact). Getting set up with accounting software is one of the major steps in transitioning from “pet sitting as a hobby” to “pet sitting as a career”. While we have pet sitter clients that manage large companies without software, the vast majority of our clients have something in place. Quality accounting software can really organize your financials and makes running your business easier. Because accounting is such a huge part of your business, choosing accounting software can be tough.
Today, we are going to outline some of the major players and do a quick comparison. We will provide some links so you can continue your research outside of this blog post too. The most important thing to keep in mind is this — not all accounting software will work for everyone. You need to test a few and make sure you are comfortable with your selection. Just like we tell people who are reviewing pet sitting software — no one wins when you select a program that you are unhappy with.
The three major providers of accounting software are QuickBooks, FreshBooks and Xero. Quickbooks is the largest provider and the most well-known. Time To Pet actually integrates with Quickbooks Online. This means that all invoices and payments created in TTP will automatically by synced with your Quickbooks account. FreshBooks is newer but has a large and very loyal user base as well. Xero is the newest but is also one of the fastest growing small business accounting software solution on the market.
While all three can be a great solution for your business — there are differences. Because Quickbooks is the largest provider, accountants and third-party applications (like Time To Pet) tend to make working with their system a top priority. Quickbooks also has robust features and allows you to grow your business with easy upgrade options. Freshbooks tends to be more focused on Invoicing and Expenses (great for a small business) and less on more robust accounting features. Xero has a great user interface and has a robust feature offering as well.
While integrating your Time To Pet system with Quickbooks is not mandatory — it does help to reduce your workload. Therefore, if you don’t have an accounting system yet — we encourage you to check out Quickbooks Online. Remember — not all accounting software works for everyone! Make sure whichever provider you choose works for you!
Here’s a great review that digs in deeper to some of the costs and the features: http://www.sleeter.com/blog/2013/08/cloud-accounting-recommendations/
Here’s one more: https://www.getapp.com/user-compare/accounting-software/freshbooks-vs-quickbooks-online-edition-vs-xero
