• Platform:   Windows Me / 2000 / NT / 98 / XP
• Media: CD-ROM
• Item Quantity: 1

Sound extreme? Well there's nothing magic about Sage's products, but then there's no magic to staying in business either. The 20,000 of us who choose to go it alone will all have ambition, drive and (mostly) a good idea. Where 16,000 of us go wrong is in the book-keeping, credit control, invoice chasing and job costing. That's where Instant Accounts comes in.

It's only as good as the information you input. That means details of customers and suppliers, bank accounts and--starting from today--sales and purchase records. Instant Accounts makes this simple at least, with a customisable look-and-feel new to this version, and the new My Business Set Up allowing you to configure the package to your company.

Now you have access to sales and purchase ledgers and to the bank and cash book; customer and supplier records let you track and chase bad payers, there is a currency calculator and the software integrates with MS Office; you can generate VAT returns and make e-payments to participating banks, and the task manager keeps you on track with lists and alerts of jobs to do; the software generates invoices and financial stationery.

This is all crucial to keeping the business ticking over, but more interesting are the analytical tools. Credit control lets you swiftly chase late payers (and find out what you owe). And the Accounts Analyser (new to version 10) gives an instant snapshot of your business's health without running any reports. Compare the business onscreen, by year-on-year comparisons for example, to help you make better decisions: the function stores the snapshots so you can pull up last week, month of year for comparison.

Instant Accounts has always been a solid package. The new navigation tools are minor extras, but the enhanced analysis tools are a big plus in an increasingly affordable piece of software. --John Rennie

Manufacturer's Description
Sage Instant Accounts makes bookkeeping a straightforward task for small businesses, letting you record, control and examine your finances quickly and easily. Instant Accounts products are ideal for small companies of every type, including sole traders and new start-ups. Sage Instant Accounts products have all of the usual accounting ledgers and they do your double-entry bookkeeping for you. Routine tasks are made simple and straightforward; for example, when you fill in your VAT Return, you fill in the details on a screen that looks like the VAT Return you send to the tax office.

No prior knowledge of accounting or computers is needed; the User's Guide takes you through how to use Instant Accounts on your computer and provides step-by-step instructions on how to set up your new accounting system. Keeping track of your trading is easy because graphs, tables and built-in reports show at a glance where your money is coming from, going to and where it is right now. Instant Accounts is also fully compliant with the latest legislation.

Sage Instant Accounts: