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Simple Software Bridges Gap Between Spreadsheets and Digital Bookkeeping

10th Aug 2018
Brought to you by
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Pandle is cloud bookkeeping software made with real people in mind.

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Soon enough Making Tax Digital (MTD) will be upon us and those who are not yet ready will be scrambling around for answers and advice. It’s going to be a busy time for many accountants. This is particularly true for those with clients still using pen and paper or spreadsheets.

For those with clients who are hesitant to change the way they’ve always done things, it’s going to be a challenging time helping them adapt.

Clients who are new to bookkeeping will be looking for the easiest and most cost effective way of doing their bookkeeping. For many that means simply using a spreadsheet.

Using special software to do it may be considered too complicated or expensive. Others, who are used to doing things a certain way, will be hesitant to fix something that’s not broken.

However, MTD means that in some way or another these clients will have to change a huge part of managing their business.

Convincing these clients to adapt

As their accountant, it’s best to bring up the subject of digital records and bookkeeping software sooner rather than later.

We would recommend that alongside convincing clients to use software, you encourage them to use cloud-based software too. Cloud-based software is more accessible and easier to update whenever and wherever the client is. This may address some concerns hesitant clients are having.

The best way to convince them to move to bookkeeping software is to put yourself in their shoes and ask them why they’re using their current methods. If they use spreadsheets because it’s easy, highlight that bookkeeping software can be simple to use and update, especially with guidance from their accountant.

Here are some points to highlight if you’re trying to encourage clients to go for cloud-based bookkeeping software:

Business growth

Use facts and figures to highlight the tangible benefits. For example, you could direct them to this study by Deloitte and Google. The study revealed that businesses using cloud technology grew 26% faster with 21% more profit from those that don’t.

Saving time and money

As business owners, your clients will always be looking for ways to save time and money. Highlight that businesses can save time by using the automated features within software. For example, users can link their bank accounts to the software and therefore automatically pull over transactions, removing the need to manually input them.

Making the bookkeeping process easier and more efficient frees up clients to spend time on making money and increasing profits.

Ease of collaboration

Cloud-based software that isn’t limited to the computer it’s installed on means that collaboration with colleagues is easier. If several people need access to the accounts, it’s as simple as giving everyone a separate login to access when convenient. Similarly, collaboration with accountants is improved as you can work alongside your clients on the same accounts in real-time.

Helping them choose

If you’ve convinced your clients, even the reluctant ones, this is a great step forward. The next step is recommending cloud accounting software.  

Your clients may look at the huge market of accounting software providers and wonder which to choose. Naturally, they will ask their accountant for advice.

We would recommend sticking with simple software solutions for those who are used to spreadsheets or paper. Bigger names in this industry, while providing excellent software, can be overwhelming for many smaller enterprises with limited experience in this area.

Pandle’s simple approach

At Pandle we believe that simplicity is key to helping clients get the most out of this new era of digital account keeping.

Pandle was developed with small businesses in mind to be easy to use. We aim for our software to be less daunting for those without business or bookkeeping experience.

Simple software allows clients to start off small. They could start by just linking their bank account up. This will pull over transactions automatically and save clients a ton of time. Once they see the benefits of such a simple solution they may be encouraged to use the software to its full extent.

This can end up saving accountants time and energy as the client is encouraged to take a more proactive approach to their accounts.

Partner with us

Are you interested in introducing your clients to simple accounting software? Pandle currently offers two partnering options, our basic version and our Brandle version.

Brandle is Pandle but with the added benefit of being able to use your own branding material in the software. All mentions of Pandle will be replaced with your own company name and logo. You can customise how it looks and also host it on a domain of your choosing to make it truly yours.

For more information about what Pandle and Brandle can do for you and your firm, take a look here or download our Brandle resource.

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