ABC6 Accounts Software

I have designed and programmed a number of Accounts
programs over the last 40 years,including the original design for Pegasus. I have also been
Managing Director of 3 companies specializing in providing installation of accounts software and its support for many small to medium businesses. By far the best piece of software that I have encountered has been ABC6. It is very easy and intuitive to use
and does everything that most business require.
It covers everything from full double entry accounting to a Spread Sheet,Filing and Reporting system,Word Processing,Stock System,Alarms & Diary.There is also an optional Payroll System.
With the Reporting system there are in addition to the many standard reports the options to design your own or for really complicated requirements ABC (who are based in England) will design and write them for you at an incredibly low cost.
You can import and export data in a large array of formats. More than enough to satisfy the demands of a Bank,Head Office,Customers or Suppliers requirements.
The ABC6 program is the latest in a long line of programs dating back over 25 years,and has constantly been improved by implementing customers suggestions.
Its versatility is such that you can produce virtually anything from a full blown audit to a single label on a dot matrix printer.
Over the years I have been involved on customers behalfs with Bank Managers,VAT Inspectors and Inland Revenue Inspectors and I have never been asked by any of them to produce anything that ABC could not handle.
Out of all the Accounting Systems on the market this is the one I use myself.

I have been using ABC accounts programmes through different versions for more years than I care to remember. The accounts are for a design typesetting company. ABC is very easy to use. My accountant has very little work to do at the end of the year to complete the annual accounts having been given the ABC printouts, and this keeps costs down. I am able to send the required payroll end of year accounts to HMRC through a simple programme which ABC uses and have never had any problems. ABC customised my invoices and statements for me. For a small yearly payment I receive excellent support from Chris Hicks, the designer of the programme. The small number of problems I have had over the years have been resolved with patience and consideration over the phone. At present I am using ABC 5 and am preparing to go over to ABC 6 this year. I have no hesitation in recommending ABC accounts programme. David

First thing you'll notice when installing ABC are some slightly oddball photos of a beardy guy in a rumpled T-shirt sat at a keyboard. Where's the suit and pretentious corporate gloss? It's your first hint that ABC is not like other accounts software.

There are dozens of small business accounting packages on the market, and many bad reviews for most of them. The more well-known the software (=big marketing budget), the worse they are. Don't take my word for it, go and look. The same issues come up again and again : "incomprehensible", "useless without expensive training" and so on. Unless you're a career accountant who understands this stuff, accounts software is largely a teaser for selling training, consultancy, support contracts, books, upgrades, Anadin.

ABC6 is the latest in a 25 year development of a different approach (by a beardy bloke in a T-shirt). It is aimed at sole traders and SME's who know the business they're in, not accountancy, and need a big magic cardboard box that will bring order out of chaos. It produces proper accounts that will keep an accountant and VAT inspectors happy, but you don't need to be an accountant to drive it or understand the reports it produces. If you understand basic business tasks like keeping a cashbook, writing invoices, paying bills, ABC is common sense plus a fairly easy learning curve aided by a proper printed manual, preloaded demo files to play with, and online help. Where discipline is necessary to protect the integrity of your accounts ABC does its best to stop you getting in a mess.

Moreover ABC is NOT just accounts, it is a complete run-your-business suite of programs that work together. It isn't cheap, but it is powerfully flexible. The integrated word processor, spreadsheet, filing and custom report design ensure it is genuinely all the software many people will need for running a business. It can become multi-user, multi-company, PAYE etc. If your horizons expand, or you're a demon with Excel it cooperates nicely with MS Office or Open Office. It is unlikely to be a cul-de-sac, although I don't think it does multi-currency, not yet anyway.

Weirdly for software as dreary as accounts, ABC users become quite passionate about it, and tend to stick with it forever. I am no different. I began using ABC in 1987 after buying v1 at a computer show (from a beardy guy in a T-shirt), to run on my dual floppy Amstrad with DOS 3.1 and a monochrome screen. A dozen computers and successive versions of Windows later I have considered other products from time to time but I am still a photographer not an accountant and I've not found anything that comes close to ABC. The clincher for this peculiar loyalty is that the same straightforward philosophy carries over into support. No phone queues, scripted evasions or unanswered emails here; in all this time I don't think I've had a single problem that wasn't answered within 24hrs. Bugs usually get fixed the same day they are reported, and the evolution of the package continues to be guided by user feedback and suggestions. I still don't exactly enjoy doing accounts much, but after 23 years of this, it's hard not to be a fan.

Tony Sleep.