Discover Why QuickBooks Is Perfect for Small Businesses

QuickBooks for small business transforms financial management from a time-consuming burden into an automated, streamlined process that saves business owners 10-15 hours monthly while delivering up to 488% return on investment. With features ranging from automated invoicing and expense tracking to AI-powered insights and real-time reporting, QuickBooks eliminates the complexity of traditional bookkeeping and empowers small business owners to focus on growth rather than administrative tasks.

As someone who has guided thousands of small businesses through their financial management journey over the past two decades at Complete Controller, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the right accounting software can transform a struggling operation into a thriving enterprise. When I first started this company, business owners were drowning in spreadsheets and shoeboxes full of receipts—today, with QuickBooks for small business, I see entrepreneurs confidently making data-driven decisions and scaling their operations with unprecedented clarity and control. This article will show you exactly how QuickBooks delivers measurable time savings, proven ROI, and the financial visibility needed to compete effectively in today’s marketplace.

Why is QuickBooks for small business the right choice for growing companies?

• QuickBooks for small business offers comprehensive financial management with automated invoicing, expense tracking, and real-time reporting in one integrated platform
• Small businesses save 10-15 hours monthly through AI-powered automation and streamlined workflows that eliminate manual data entry
• The software delivers measurable ROI with studies showing 488% return on investment and $59,000 net savings over three years
• Cloud-based access enables business management from anywhere while maintaining bank-level security and automatic data backups
• Seamless scalability accommodates growth from sole proprietorship to 25+ employee operations without switching platforms

Essential QuickBooks Small Business Features That Transform Financial Operations

The foundation of QuickBooks’ effectiveness lies in its comprehensive suite of features designed specifically for small business needs. QuickBooks accounting software goes far beyond basic bookkeeping, offering automated solutions that address the most time-consuming aspects of financial management. The platform’s intuitive interface makes complex financial tasks accessible to business owners without formal accounting backgrounds.

Consider this striking reality: 51% of small businesses with 1-19 employees don’t use any accounting software, with 30% relying on spreadsheets and 21% using no digital tools whatsoever. These businesses miss out on automation that could save them up to $18,000 annually in time and productivity costs.

Automated invoicing and payment pocessing

QuickBooks invoicing solutions eliminate the tedious cycle of manual invoice creation and payment follow-up. The system automatically generates professional invoices, schedules recurring billing, and sends payment reminders to reduce outstanding receivables. Business owners can customize invoice templates with their branding, set up automatic late fees, and enable online payment options that accelerate cash flow by getting paid up to 5 days faster.

Companies spend an average of $15 processing every invoice manually compared to just $2 for invoices processed digitally through QuickBooks—an 86% cost reduction per transaction.

Real-time expense tracking and categorization

QuickBooks expense tracking connects directly with bank and credit card accounts to automatically download and categorize transactions. The mobile app’s receipt capture feature allows instant photo documentation, with AI technology extracting relevant information and matching expenses to appropriate tax categories. This automation proves invaluable during tax season when all business expenses are already organized.

The platform’s AI-powered features save customers an average of 30 hours per month by automatically categorizing transactions and streamlining expense tracking workflows.

How QuickBooks Payroll for Small Business Streamlines HR Operations

Managing payroll represents one of the most complex aspects of small business operations. QuickBooks payroll for small business transforms this challenge into an automated process that calculates wages, taxes, and deductions while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Direct deposit functionality eliminates paper checks while automated tax filing reduces administrative burden.

The integrated payroll system handles everything from employee onboarding to year-end tax forms, creating a seamless HR workflow that scales with business growth.

Integrated time tracking and compliance

Built-in time tracking tools integrate seamlessly with payroll processing, allowing employees to log hours through the mobile app. The system automatically calculates overtime and project-specific labor costs, eliminating disconnects between time tracking and payroll that often lead to errors.

QuickBooks maintains comprehensive audit trails and generates all necessary tax forms, including W-2s and 1099s, while providing documentation that satisfies regulatory requirements without specialized HR expertise.

Setting Up QuickBooks for Startups: Building Your Financial Foundation

Setting up QuickBooks for startups begins with selecting the appropriate plan based on current needs and growth projections. The setup wizard guides users through essential configurations including chart of accounts, tax settings, and integration preferences aligned with specific business models.

For businesses transitioning from other systems, QuickBooks provides import tools to ensure clean data migration without losing historical information. The platform integrates with over 750 third-party applications, allowing existing business tools to connect rather than requiring replacement.

Industry-specific customization

QuickBooks allows extensive customization for various industry requirements, from inventory management for retail to project tracking for service providers. Custom fields, tags, and categories capture industry-specific data points that inform specialized reporting unique to each business model.

QuickBooks Pricing Plans for Small Businesses: Maximizing Value

Understanding QuickBooks pricing plans for small businesses requires evaluating both immediate needs and growth trajectory. Pricing ranges from $20 monthly for solopreneurs to $275 for advanced enterprise features, with each tier supporting specific business sizes and complexity levels.

The Simple Start plan at $38 monthly serves single-user businesses with basic invoicing and expense tracking. Essentials at $75 monthly adds multi-user access and enhanced reporting. Plus at $115 monthly introduces inventory tracking and project profitability analysis. Advanced at $275 monthly provides enterprise-level features, including custom permissions and dedicated support.

Proven ROI and long-term value

The Forrester Total Economic Impact study demonstrates that QuickBooks Online Advanced users achieve 488% return on investment over three years, with net savings of $59,000. Finance teams create reports 20% faster, and business leaders make core decisions 15% more quickly due to improved data quality and accessibility.

These benefits compound as automation reduces manual tasks, improves accuracy, and enables strategic resource allocation that directly impacts profitability.

Benefits of QuickBooks for Small Businesses: Measurable Impact

The tangible benefits of QuickBooks for small businesses extend beyond basic accounting to encompass strategic advantages driving growth. QuickBooks holds 81% market share in accounting software, serving 6.5 million subscribers globally—clear evidence of its effectiveness for small business needs.

Real-time financial dashboards provide continuous visibility into cash flow patterns, enabling proactive decision-making. Cash flow forecasting projects financial position up to 90 days ahead, allowing businesses to negotiate better loan terms or identify optimal timing for investments. Study participants report 50% reduction in loan interest payments due to improved cash flow management.

Security and peace of mind

QuickBooks employs bank-level security, including 256-bit SSL encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits. Automatic daily backups across multiple data centers ensure business continuity, while granular user permissions control access to sensitive financial information based on employee roles.

Final Thoughts

QuickBooks for small business represents a comprehensive financial management platform that transforms how entrepreneurs approach their operations. From automated invoicing to AI-powered insights, QuickBooks eliminates administrative barriers that prevent focus on growth and customer service. The platform’s proven ability to deliver measurable returns makes it an essential investment for serious entrepreneurs.

Throughout my years helping small businesses optimize their financial operations at Complete Controller, I’ve consistently seen QuickBooks users achieve greater financial clarity, improved cash flow management, and more confident strategic decision-making. The combination of powerful automation, seamless integrations, and scalable functionality creates a foundation for sustainable growth.

Ready to transform your financial management approach? Visit Complete Controller to learn how our team can help you implement QuickBooks for maximum impact and ROI in your business operations.

Frequently Asked Questions About QuickBooks for Small Business

Is QuickBooks good for small businesses?

Yes, QuickBooks is specifically designed for small businesses and offers comprehensive financial management tools including automated invoicing, expense tracking, payroll processing, and real-time reporting that save business owners 10-15 hours monthly while delivering up to 488% return on investment.

How much does QuickBooks cost for small businesses?

QuickBooks pricing for small businesses ranges from $20 per month for solopreneurs to $275 monthly for advanced plans, with most small businesses finding the Essentials plan at $75 monthly or Plus plan at $115 monthly provides the optimal balance of features and value.

Can QuickBooks handle payroll for small businesses?

QuickBooks includes integrated payroll processing that automatically calculates wages, taxes, and deductions while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, plus features like direct deposit and automated tax filing that streamline HR operations.

What makes QuickBooks better than other accounting software for small businesses?

QuickBooks stands out through its combination of user-friendly interface, extensive automation capabilities, integration with 750+ third-party apps, cloud-based accessibility, and proven ROI with comprehensive customer support and professional resources.

How secure is QuickBooks for small business financial data?

QuickBooks employs bank-level security, including 256-bit SSL encryption, multi-factor authentication, automatic data backups across multiple data centers, and granular user permissions to protect sensitive financial information with the same standards used by major financial institutions.

Sources

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• SMB Group. (2022, August 2). “Why Small Businesses Don’t Use Accounting Software—and Why They Should.” www.smb-gr.com/blogs-laurie-mccabe/why-small-businesses-dont-use-accounting-software-and-why-they-should/
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• Forrester Consulting. (2022, June). “The Total Economic Impact™ Of Intuit QuickBooks Online Advanced.” quickbooks.intuit.com/oidam/intuit/sbseg/en_us/Blog/Downloadable-assset/Ebook/total-economic-impact-quickbooks-forrester-study-june-2022-us-en.pdf
• Intuit. (2024, June 10). “Intuit QuickBooks delivers value through accountant-specific improvements that drive small business growth.” Firm of the Future. www.firmofthefuture.com/news/accountant-specific-improvements/
• Attract Group. (2025, April 9). “How Accounting Software Helps Small Businesses Save Time and Money.” attractgroup.com/blog/how-accounting-software-helps-small-businesses-save-time-and-money/
• Forbes. (2021, July 27). “Streamlining Business Operations: How Cloud Accounting Transforms Practices.” www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/07/27/streamlining-business-operations-how-cloud-accounting-transforms-practices/
• National Institute of Standards and Technology. “Cybersecurity Topics.” www.nist.gov/topics/cybersecurity
• Forrester Research. www.forrester.com

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Reviewed By: Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.

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While accounting is considered the boring part of every business, you cannot deny that it is the heart and soul of an organization. Without an up-to-date accounting department, an organization in today’s economy will fail miserably. With the advancements in technology, accounting as a function has improved by leaps and bounds. But, if you are resisting upgrading your accounting department, you are putting your organization at risk of excessive payroll, data theft, and discrepancies in financial data. Every organization today needs to adapt to technological changes rapidly. They are supposed to make your life easier. The same is the case with accounting. When being an essential department of your organization, you need to constantly check on the latest trends and developments to upgrade your accounting department and ensure risk-free.

Here are some of the most prevailing trends in the accounting sector that have helped many businesses streamline and manage their accounting departments with ease.

Evolution in accounting software

While desktop-based accounting software is nothing new, but the upgrades have recently made them revolutionary. First off, most accounting software today operates with a cloud-based backup, giving you the advantage of not securing your data in a single computer that is prone to virus attacks and hackers. Instead, when your data is on the cloud, you are at peace knowing that your information is always secure on a cloud server even if the computer is attacked or dies down. Secondly, today, many accounting software come with an entire ecosystem that allows you to connect your bank accounts, inventory management apps, invoicing apps, and the like. All your data is continuously updated and available to you through a single platform. Long gone are the days to check different software, extract the data and manually reconcile it to have the final analysis.

Enter the realm of artificial intelligence

In the past two years, artificial intelligence has taken the market by storm. Artificial intelligence works like a miracle for businesses, automatically completing mundane and repetitive tasks to reduce the load and make the overall process more productive. Similarly, even in accounting, AI plays a considerable role by automating processes and allowing accountants to focus more on planning and analysis. In contrast, AI takes care of repetitive ones. Whether you are looking to analyze financial data or plan for your company’s future, you can have it all in a couple of seconds, or even less with AI-based accounting software.

Remote working via cloud software

By the end of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a halt to business activities worldwide. Most regions in the world were in complete lockdown situations for months. The only way out was to start working remotely. Even businesses that thought their processes would never work in a remote-based setting explored new horizons for the first time. And it worked! The remote workforce quickly became a trend for most industries. However, it impacted specific sectors since switching to remote working was not an option, and financial data management and accounting were among them. However, gradually, even these industries changed to remote-based working, and this is where the world understood the importance of cloud-based accounting software. It stored all financial data online, and accounting teams would access them from anywhere or everywhere. Of course, there are always security checks in place, but overall, it helped massively keep things moving. 

While accounting was previously considered an in-house, mundane, and tedious job, it is all changing thanks to the trends. Business owners can easily see their ROI, statistics, analysis, and forecasts with AI-based software while the team is working online. The data is updated and secured now and then. Accounting is no longer boring, mundane, and a job was bearing no fruits. Accounting today is more accessible, productive, and more fruitful than ever before!

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

In the recent past, small businesses have heavily relied on online advertising to generate sales. Online advertising is cheaper than traditional marketing, and it offers never-seen-before results and analytics. You can analyze your performance and where you are spending the budget. If you don’t like it, you can always change and optimize it for better performance. You have all the luxury in the world to select the type of audience you want to target and how much you want to spend every day. With such unique features, online advertising has shifted the way businesses operate today. Unlike previously, small businesses don’t have to stick to hectic marketing methods like door-to-door marketing or telesales. With just $100, you can start generating sales for your business.

Yet, with all those many benefits, small businesses struggle to make sales because of a few mistakes. With just a little bit of help, any small business can reach the acme of success. So, to help you out, here are a few tips that you need to follow to make sure your marketing budget is reducing your campaigns achieve the milestones you are aiming for:

Tip # 1: Regularly optimize your cost

When you are marketing through online mediums such as social media and search engines, you have the liberty of checking the analytics now and then. It is an opportunity that most business owners overlook. It gives you the leverage to constantly update your marketing campaigns to reach their target, especially in terms of cost. If you run a campaign for a week in multiple regions and on various keywords, make sure to check which areas or keywords are performing best. Eliminate the ones that are not generating any leads or sales immediately.

Tip # 2: Regularly optimize your performance

Cost and performance optimization work hand in hand to give you good results, probably half the cost you previously incurred. You may ask how? Well, once you find out the key indicators of your performance, such as the regions that are converting most sales, the keywords that are getting the most traffic, etc., the next step is to build more ads and reach these indicators and stop the ones that aren’t. You will control the campaign from spending on factors that are not working instead of adding more assets to the working campaigns.

Tip # 3: Be available for customers

A recent survey indicated that most online buyers are skeptical of buying from new brands because of trust issues. On the one hand, online business has made life easier for many and, on the other hand, has given way to scams and frauds. Therefore, many of your customers will become skeptical if you cannot answer their queries and win their trust. Mention your availability on your website and social media pages. Make sure to be available whenever you are running your ads. If you are not available, stop the campaign and then restart it later. This way, you will not only be saving your cost but also converting more sales.

Tip # 4: Performance marketing is the future of online advertising

Performance marketing refers to a marketing technique where you only focus on marketing to get results. You focus on putting your cost on lead generation while generating brand awareness through organic mediums. This way, you are simultaneously growing your brand and sales but only spending your hard-earned money to boost your ROI. If you haven’t heard of performance marketing, it’s about time to switch to it to ensure you are not spending your money on campaigns that are not generating any sales.

In 2021, small businesses are facing tough competition. Many people lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and they have shifted to online companies. And even the more prominent organizations are now focusing on online advertising. Hence, the only way to achieve success is to be smart enough to cut the competition and move ahead.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

As the tax filing season approaches every year, the CPA Firms and taxpayers spend restless nights, and there is a lot of stress. With the global pandemic, everything is changing, and there is not even a single sector affected by it. Similarly, tax filing has also been affected. Since the previous year had a significant impact on people’s finances, many things have changed. Nothing remained the same, ranging from unemployment to missed taxes and people losing their crucial documents.

The government has extended the tax filing to give the people time to gather all their documents. No matter if you are ready or not, tax season 2022 is almost here. Even if you are not prepared and do not do taxes at your firm, you must make sure that your tech stack is top-notch so that the upcoming tax season goes as smoothly as possible for you, your team, and your clients.

Here are the top tips that will help you make your tax season 2022 easier.

1. Use cloud-based software

If you are still using that old desktop-based software, it’s time to leave it and convert it to the cloud. Cloud-based accounting software like Xero and QuickBooks makes your work smooth and easy to handle clients. Moreover, there will be no stressors like the risk of overwriting each other’s work or locking each other out of the software.

2. Use dedicated 1099 software

If you do not use a general ledger software that prepares emails, e-files, and mails on your behalf, you can surely use reliable 1099 software that will do all the work. You must pay more for this software, but it is worth buying because of its increased efficiency.

3. Gather documents in advance

The first step for making your tax process smooth and efficient is to gather all the clients’ essential and relevant documents and data. It will save both your and your client’s time and reduce your workload.

Even an additional one or two weeks will provide you sufficient time to avoid the trouble of rushing to collect documents and data from the clients at the last moment during the tax season. Also, it will help you ensure to follow up with your clients regularly and receive documents on time.

 To make this task easier, you can create an online platform where clients can submit their documents rather than physically submit them to the office.

4. Understand your staff’s requirements

In CPA and accounting firms, one of the biggest hurdles is finding and employing expert staff. That’s why you must analyze and assess your staff’s needs and requirements and develop active strategies to remain efficient during the peak tax season. You can also make a rough estimate with the help of tax returns you receive that how many resources you will need to meet the needs of your staff.  

And if there is a resource shortfall, rather than wasting time recruiting an additional workforce, you can go for outsourced tax preparation to meet your deadlines faster. Taking help from an outsourced tax partner will eliminate the need for in-depth training. These outsourced teams have expert professionals and CPAs having many years of relevant experience.

5. Remain up to date with tax legislations

As the IRS is struggling with implementing the TJCA (Tax Cuts and Job Acts), staying up to date can be a tremendous struggle and sometimes exhausting.

Hence, it is essential to update your software every month. On the other hand, you can go for an outsourced client accounting software that can do this work to get acquainted with new tax laws and manage your extra workload. Outsources partners are professionals having many years of experience and thus can help to offer solutions to any accounting or tax-related problems.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

An audit is typically the detailed evaluation of a company’s financial statements, operational procedures, and policies to ensure that everything complies with the state laws and evaluates the company’s overall financial health. While for public companies, an audit is mandatory so that the investors and shareholders alike can get a clear and unbiased view of the company’s standings.

Benefits of having an external audit

Most companies have an internal audit team responsible for reviewing business operations regularly and highlighting incompetence in the processes & discrepancies in the financial statements. Companies often resort to a third-party audit firm to get an external audit as that is more reliable, unbiased, and objective. 

It helps identify the areas of strength and weaknesses and highlights any potential risks and discrepancies in the financial statements. An audit is essential for those seeking investments from banks and other entities. An audit strengthens the confidence of potential investors in the company and ensures financial transparency.

An external audit also helps streamline the processes and internal systems and controls and provides credibility.

Countless international auditing firms are operating which lend their review services to large- and small-scale companies. Since the auditors and audit companies are chiefly responsible for reviewing and streamlining operations of a company and are usually not related to the company in any way, they must follow a set of ethics.

What are auditing ethics?

Auditors usually have complete access to a company’s financial data as well as operational guidelines. It makes them crucial to the company but also puts a hefty responsibility on them. Auditors need to carry out the audit without bias and report without malicious omission of facts. For all of this to happen, auditors are bound to follow a pre-defined set of ethics.

The auditing ethics secure the company’s rights being audited and make sure that the audit process happens correctly. Many global bodies of Certified Public Accountants have published lists of auditing ethics that act as a beacon for auditing procedures. Keeping these guidelines in mind, auditing companies formulate operational strategies for their auditors to ensure no regulations are compromised.

Here are some basic auditing ethics that are important for a smooth and unbiased auditing process.

Auditors must be independent: This is the essential purpose of having an external audit. The auditors must be independent and should not be associated with the company or the owners/management of the company being audited. Relationship with the company owner or direct or indirect involvement of order in the company’s operations can cause faulty or biased judgment, killing an external audit’s whole purpose. The auditor must be independent by fact and by appearance to ensure an impartial evaluation of a business. One of the critical reasons external auditors are hired is that self-review can also cloud judgment. Suppose the accountant or finance head of a company is doing the audit himself. In that case, he will likely mask information or compile unrealistic results in the book to hide his shortcoming, if any.

Precision & timeliness: Most auditing SOPs bind auditors to carry out and complete the audit in a timely manner with due diligence and accuracy. Taking longer than expected can raise questions on the credibility of the audit and can also have an adverse impact on the company’s financial standings undergoing the audit as it can delay loans and investments.

Academics & professional competence: You cannot just select anybody to do the audit of your company. It is essential to have certified public accountants on board with the necessary academic background and enough experience to lead the audit for a proper external audit. It is crucial for an external audit; otherwise, the audit is useless and renders no credibility to the organization.

Confidentiality: Since auditors get excess information vital to any business, every auditor must ensure client confidentiality, and no information carries to any irrelevant resource. You must provide the sealed audit report to relevant authorities only, and no data or information leakage must happen even through word of mouth.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Online advertising has opened many doors of opportunities for small businesses to reach their potential customers with ease. Previously, during the age of mass media advertisement, the competition was stark and dominated mainly by the big fish. A small business couldn’t advertise on television, radio, or newspaper due to the cost it would incur. Therefore, small companies resorted to distributing flyers, door-to-door marketing, and telemarketing. Probably, these were the reasons small businesses found it challenging to succeed back then. However, with the advent of online advertising, it has become easier for small businesses to grow due to its ease and cost-effectiveness. For instance, a small business can easily advertise on Facebook or Google with a few hundred dollars and reach more than a hundred potential buyers. It would have been a dream back in the 90s.

Nevertheless, there are always things to improve on. While online advertising has given way to easy and cost-effective advertising, it also is getting increasingly competitive. Therefore, small businesses might struggle to convert their audience into leads if they cannot present the opportunity the right way. If you are running a small business and wondering how to improve your advertising strategy, then here are a few tips for you:

Tip # 1: Your audience is the biggest draw of the game

Since online advertising is easy to start, most people don’t get into its intricacies and instead keep spending, hoping to get as many customers as possible. No, online advertising is not just about posting and boosting on Facebook. It is much more than that. If you dive a little deeper, social media platforms and search engines offer a lot more that you could work with to reduce your cost and increase your conversion rates. Not selecting the right audience is the biggest mistake most small business owners make. Did you know you can choose the occupation, age, gender, job role, city, state, education level, job title, marital status, and a lot more about your audience? If you have an email list of your existing customers, you can even upload that and ask the platform to find a similar audience for you to advertise. It would increase your conversion and reduce your cost since you will be making more customers per dollar spent.

Tip # 2: Mobile optimization is the key

According to a recent survey, in 2021, around 72% of people in the United States are using smartphones to browse websites, social media, and search engines. That’s a huge number that you need to focus on. Unfortunately, most small business owners are unaware of the importance of mobile optimization. If your website is not optimized for mobile, yet you advertise it on online platforms, you are losing money. When customers visit your website through their mobile phones, they cannot browse through or sign up because your website is not optimized. You would break your call-to-action form, or the signup button might not be clickable.

Tip # 3: Performance optimization of your website

Finally, if you advertise online, you need to have a fast, user-friendly website to convert customers. According to Google, an average person on the internet spends only about 3 seconds on a web page before making a move. If your website does not load within these 3 seconds, you lose your customer. Imagine paying $10 per click, and the visitors aren’t even able to view your website because it takes too long to load. That’s a lot of money lost.

To conclude

While running advertising campaigns online may seem easy, there’s a learning curve for most small business owners. Yes, they are hassle-free and cost-effective, but you need to get yourself familiar with how it works to successfully operate an online advertising campaign.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Accounting is the backbone of your investments, transactions, business, and trades. Two types of accounting exist in the world of digits and money. One is accrual, and the other is the cash accounting method. Both are just a bit different from one another. You might be wondering what exactly is meant by both terms? Let’s clarify it.

Accrual accounting

The accrual method of accounting is beneficial as it provides the complete picture of the incoming and outgoing cash of the company. Regardless of this, the investors choose to pick up these methods as it solidifies the business’s existence much longer than the cash accounting business. We have listed some advantages that might help you to choose between accrual and cash accounting methods for your business:

Make business planning simple: We all are equally knowledgeable about the words of wisdom that business is not an easy task to begin and handle. Accrual methods of bookkeeping can help you get through more efficiently. You can maintain secure data about revenues, profits, and expenses in a brief period. Storing your financial data according to the accrual method will your business be on a lane of being organized.

Help save money effectively: Once you start pinning your credit score and financial statements according to the accrual accounting, you will see a visible decrease in the over-spending habits you once owned. It will amazingly increase your saving decreasing your spending.

The preferable method for investors: Technically speaking, business accounts under the umbrella of accrual accounting are unsurprisingly more organized and strengthened than cash accounting methods.

However, not everything is bright and sunny with the method. As the accrual method is convenient for the firms operating on a large scale, its precise auditing cycle requires a month to complete on a minimum scale. But the transaction detailing reports are filed frequently to ensure that none of the credit details skips the records. It can be a challenge for small-scale businesses as the recording and tracking of accrual accounting requires an entire crew. Small business owners might not be able to afford accrual accounting. Cash accounting would be much more suitable for them; it can be the most sedate drawback in some cases. You are required to clear your tax dues on the payment that is still not received or is still pending. Make sure you take measures that urge the customer to release your payment on time or even before time.

Cash accounting

The dealings and receiving confined with the in-hand cash are cash accounting. Here, cash is the pawn that can be a checkmate for you and your business. There are no second thoughts in the fact that along with plenty of benefits, cash accounting also has a bit of drawback that can startle your business foundation.

Cash accounting methods are used mainly by businesses that operate on a relatively small scale. Some of the aces of cash accounting are listed below:

Represents the accurate picture of your business: Cash is the head of the company, and the cash flow is crucial to maintain. One most measurable benefit of cash accounting is that it helps you interpret how much cash you have saved and spent in a specific time.

Holds you from making decisions based on predictions: Cash accounting methods can save you from making decisions that can be risky for your mature and established business. The plan of actions you align for your trade is more practical, with minimum chances of potential financial loss. 

Convenient recording: The financial data, transaction details, and credit scores are simple to understand and record with the cash accounting method. The method is based on the management paid or earned in-hand cash. Also, you do not need to hire professional financial experts to align the record of whatever you debit or credit.

Cash accounting also has some rip-offs that can be a bit pushing for the business you run. In some cases, you might miss out on one or maybe two customers that have not cleared their payments. Remember to pen down each detail to resist financial losses. Business liabilities are not shown; you assume that you have much more money to spend than you have. Such unconsciousness can cause you and your businesses significant damages. 

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

An investor has two things: a critical mind and a wish to multiply their wealth.

If you’re here right now, reading this article, chances are you have both. But taking the plunge the first time can be a little intimidating as one doesn’t know if they are making the right choice or are cooking up a recipe for disaster. Continue reading the article to understand what kind of investments you should be looking for.

Every avenue for investment has its own sets of advantages and disadvantages. It would be best if you found out which one suits you best. One does not have to be a millionaire to start investing, which is a common misconception. You could start small and eventually climb up the ladder. All you need to have is the patience and understanding that would allow you to make the right choices and see your riches multiply.

Since you are new to the business, there is one thing you should never forget; do not invest all your money in one area. You should constantly strategize and opt for different avenues to narrow down the chance of losing a considerable sum to a crooked investment.

Yes, investments are not all about gaining money because there is a 50% chance of losing your investment. So, before jumping into the train of investments, make sure you do your homework and make a rational decision.

Why should you invest?

Investments serve as future monetary plans that allow you to prepare in advance. Your assets bring in returns that assist you in making bigger and better investments for the future that would inevitably yield even better results.

With inflation on a constant rise, you must start making investments right now to ensure a better future. You can save up the profit yielded from these investments, or you could invest them too to open new pathways for yourself.

Types of investments

There are different types of investments that are common amongst investors. These modes of investments have brought in exceptional results, which is why they remain fan-favorites.

• Real estate
• Stock
• Insurance policies
• Cryptocurrency
• Mutual funds
• Bonds

Despite being the go-to avenues in the world of investments, all of these may not precisely be beginner-friendly. It is why you should continue reading to identify which category would work best for you in terms of making your first investment.

Best investments for beginners

Following are investment ideas that would be perfect for you if you cannot take huge leaps of faith.

1. Gold, silver:

The prices of gold and silver fluctuate according to the political scenario. The prices stay relatively the same if they do not get better.

Gold and silver are a good form of investment because the investor has the authority to choose how much they want to give in. It is beginner-friendly because one does not need to have billions to invest in gold or silver. You could start with a few hundred bucks and build a way for yourself from there.

Just keep an out for all the environmental changes and the political scenario to realize whether these metals would be a good choice for you. Try buying gold or silver when it is considerably lower in price and then wait for the prices to rise again. That is when you can resell them for a better price and enjoy the profit.

2. Cryptocurrency:

The idea of cryptocurrency is still relatively new to the market. It is a digital currency that you can buy and sell online.

When the cryptocurrency price rises, your investment multiplies, which means you would see a profitable increase. Despite being a risky environment, people welcome this currency with open arms because it is a relatively new idea.

3. Mutual funds:

A mutual fund is a form of investment that a wealth manager does on your behalf.

Mutual funds are very well-liked in the world of investments because of the low chance of risk involved. In such an investment, the wealth manager spreads your money out in several different avenues, who tries his best to get you the best returns.

Make sure that you carry out your research before you invest. Choose what you feel is best for you, calculate your risks, analyze your strengths, and take the leap. Happy investing!

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Cloud computing is accessing and storing the data on the internet, which is secure and guaranteed protection. A lot of people think that cloud computing is a hard drive. Well, that is not true. Many of the already running businesses use cloud storage to guard confidential data and information regarding their corporation. Like every technology and software, cloud computing comprises multiple pros and cons as well. But the benefits associated with the technology are much more prominent than its rips-offs. Apart from being cost-effective, cloud computing offers a various plethora of services to new and mature businesses. Before getting knowledgeable about the perks and benefits of cloud storage, you must be aware of cloud computing.

Categories of cloud computing

The trend of cloud computing is rapidly covering every business and enterprise. It is further categorized in following:

1. IaaS (Infrastructure-As-A-Service)

IaaS is also referred to as Infrastructure-As-A-Service. It is defined as the essential components of computing that you can rent, like storage, networking, servers, and virtual machines. IaaS route is beneficial in several ways. The online infrastructure encourages innovation and creativity, making usage more accessible. The IaaS is the best and suitable match for the industries eager to develop applications from scratch. The services enable rapid deployment, which automatically reduces the operational cost. This category of cloud computing requires strong technical skills for coordination. IaaS is beneficial because:

• On-demand innovative and rapid services are available
• No investments are required
• Infrastructure scales on-demand to support vibrant workloads

2. PaaS (Platform-As-A-Service)

PaaS is known as Platform-As-A-Service. It is an improved layer of cloud computing, advanced than IaaS. All the features of IaaS are already inbuilt in the PaaS. Apart from that, it contains some updated tools and software essential and critical in application development. These tools include middleware, database management, operating systems, and development ones. Let’s set an eye on the benefits of PaaS:

• Middleware (software) can reduce the intricacy
• Develop applications
• Helps to reach the market faster
• Deploy applications on the cloud within a few minutes

3. SaaS (Software-As-A-Services)

SaaS is called Software-As-A-Service. Delivery of different applications as a service is listed in the SaaS type of cloud computing. The use of SaaS is surprisingly increasing over time. There is no second thought to confuse that SaaS is the most dominant type of cloud storage. The focus and aim of SaaS are the application it delivers. This variety includes HRM (Human Resource Management), CRM (Customer Relationship Manager Etc). The add-ons of SaaS are:

Each mentioned type has its benefits to cater to. But as the technology is rapidly growing these days, the use of SaaS is at its peak. Cloud computing has a comprehensive list of aces that can cut down many firms’ maintenance costs and operational expenses. A Few benefits include:

• Caters the maximum needs of the users in a professional technical way
• The data is super secure even after a disastrous breakdown.
• Application and data are accessible from any connected computer
• Encourages rapid signup enabling usage of innovative applications

 Aces of cloud computing

Businesses stand firm if they have made some worthy and repaying investments. A prosperous business can run if you have the wit to play smart and safe. Cloud computing is a huge investment your company can ever witness. Cloud computing is constantly evolving its services to let business owners have a better experience helping them solve the significant issues of potential loss of confidential data. The major benefits of clouding system are:

• Cost-Effective – Saves a lot of your money
• Greater And Better Security – Data is transmitted over networks and stored in databases
• More Mobility – End users can access corporate data and confidential pieces of information via smartphones and other devices
• Constant Update – To improve the customer experience
• Improved Collaboration – People can exchange information is more accessible with cloud computing
• Business Continuity – Makes business much more straightforward.

Final words

Switching to cloud computing for data access and storage can be a change. It can save you much time and money. In case of sudden and uninvited downtime, you can sit back and relax as your data is safe and sound on the cloud.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

QuickBooks Online Certification helps you to spend some time on the product. If you want more advanced learning, you can move on to QuickBooks Online Advanced certification training. In the QuickBooks course, accountants learn about inventory management, non-standard transactions, billable charges, making advanced categories, multicurrency, advanced topics for banking, and complex file conversions. QuickBooks training is for those accountants, and accounting professionals can learn a lot through online resources because today is an era of the Internet. You can find whatever you want on the Internet. The same is in the case of QuickBooks. You can search for whatever you want to learn and easily access your desired field. Who is trying to learn to QuickBooks Online and needs help getting started? After the training, they will be able to tell how Accountants can collaborate with client files and emphasize the essential and prominent features of the product in front of the customer companies. If you are running a business or a new company, it is possible that you might not be in the condition to pay financial expenses to give paid training. Luckily, there are ways to learn how to do this training free of cost. 

Here are eleven resources and methods to get started in the below article.

Tutorials and learning center

If you are trying to find information related to a program, sometimes it is best to turn to online tutorials to start with. Maker of QuickBooks usually offers free-of-cost, easy-to-follow video tutorials for small business owners and for professionals and accountants who use the software. The information is designed to quickly get your desired results because of the advanced software. One more colossal platform that plays the role of the primary source of information is Intuit. It is getting training through the QuickBooks Learning Center. This feature adds to the software, which is accessible for you through the help menu. Here you can see short learning modules. You can also download PDF guides and connect with other users from all over the world for guidance through this learning portal from professionals and newbies.

Online learning platforms

There are a lot of online learning platforms to learn QuickBooks online. For example, Udemy is a very vast platform for learning. It gives access to both unpaid and paid classes. It shows you that you can get access to a lot of topics with varieties of tasks. Some of the issues are task-related, while some are just theory. There are a lot of advantages of using this online platform and other media. The main reason for using them is that you can see reviews of other users and other people who are using those platforms, and it will help you to let you know which field is suitable for you and which classes you should take. New guardians start at any time, so you should check after regular intervals to see if they added something new because if you are late, you can miss something important from the course.

Dummies brand

Many people know about the dummies brand who made uh it easy for people to learn things online. But most people have no idea that they can have access to QuickBooks training here free of cost. It is a massive help for people who want to learn QuickBooks training online because it offers it for free. Their content is not much in complex form, and it is so comprehensive that you can learn it so quickly by yourself. More than 10,000 titles are related to QuickBooks, so you can find whatever you want related to QuickBooks online training if you search it.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.