I'm no great fan of MS™ Office, the price tag is part of it. When I want to type a letter or do a spreadsheet, my take is - get 'er done! Maybe you like using MSO because it is graphic friendly, which makes this software I found something you may want to take a look at.
It's called Office Software Suite and it looks a lot like MSO. The nice part about it is the price - going for $47 on sale (even at the regular $59) it should be within the budget of the smallest Solo Entrepreneur!
You'll like that it feels like MSO, but what sets it apart from other clones is that it really will create and read Word, Excel and Power Point files. Take a look at Office Software Suite, I think you'll really like this one for those Oh Damn! Please let this stupid thing work.
Have you decided that it's more work than it's worth with doing your own bookkeeping this year? I suggested hiring a full-charge bookkeeper part time but if your budget is saying 'she has lost her mind, again' then this might help you a bit.
I've recommended QuickBooks in the past for a few solo business owners because their business required invoicing or keeping track of inventory.
However for Solo Entrepreneurs, the requirements for at least the first year or two is a bit different. I'm recommending QuickBooks Simple Start. At $79 the last time I checked, it will fit your needs better until you're ready to move up to something more powerful.
Simple Start is also a great accounting product for small contractors, those starting any kind of consulting or other service business because it allows you to do many things more efficiently that you are probably doing already by hand:
* Pay bills and print checks
* Track sales and expenses
* Create estimates and invoices
If you use a Mac, then you want to take a look at QuickBooks too because there is a package just for Mac Owners!
You have options too - access your solo business numbers anytime, anywhere with the online editions or new for 2007, design your own custom forms using Google Marketing Tools. Don't ask - everywhere you look the Big G shows up!
Anyway you look at it folks, inefficient tools or the wrong ones can influence how you feel about working on your business. If you feel overwhelmed and frustrated because the simple things are taking more time or are overly complicated for you - then it's going to show up in how you treat your customers and vendors. That can spell D-O-O-M for your business - work smarter and enjoy the ride!
That's if for now and I leave you with this:
"Venture nothing, and life is less than it should be." - Malcolm Forbes
