With today’s complicated technology, sometimes we all have that desire to throw our laptop out the window and go back to the good ol’ days of pen and paper. But when it comes to balancing your checkbook and managing your expenses, taking advantage of available software definitely beats paper-based accounting.

Take QuickBooks. Relatively easy to learn and even easier to manage, there are almost no downsides to using this accounting software – even if you are small company or one-man team. Here are a few features that appeal to construction professionals:

• For one, the software was built for users who are far from being accounting or computer whizzes. It’s easy to use because it’s geared toward smaller, home-based businesses and contractors. This goes hand in hand with training employees – teaching someone to use QuickBooks is simple, so spending money on training sessions is unnecessary.
• QuickBooks eliminates the need to dig through statements and cancelled checks –a task that’s all too common in paper-based accounting. At the same time, QuickBooks software also lets users print checks and 1099 forms, which saves time and gives those checks a more professional look.
• This accounting software also helps individuals who manage a smaller number of projects but need to focus on a high level of detail, such as organizing and managing deliveries, subcontractors, custom orders and meetings.
• Lastly, QuickBooks integrates with Microsoft Office, which allows for easy data transfer between numerous programs and lets users easily update clients simply by sending out a Word document. QuickBooks also makes all necessary data available for exporting to TurboTax; when tax season comes around, users aren’t scrambling to find the right numbers.

QuickBooks also allows for growth in ways that paper-based accounting cannot. While it’s geared toward a company owner who knows everything going on within the company and simply inputs information himself, it also has the capability to do much more, as users can upgrade beyond QuickBooks Online Free or the $99.95 QuickBooks SimpleStart.

QuickBooks Pro starts at $199.95 per user and is designed for those who travel to different work sites for jobs on an individual, client-by-client basis. The software allows for tracking basic construction business accounting. The next version, QuickBooks Premier, runs at $399.95 per user and comes in six different versions. The Contractor version allows for more specific reporting and job costing and provides more tools for dealing with and comparing estimates and bids. Finally, there’s QuickBooks Enterprise, which caters to large companies that have several accountants or want users to have remote access to QuickBooks.

There are also a number of add-ons for QuickBooks. Plug-ins range from task managers to payroll to estimating and bidding programs and often enhance or add features that QuickBooks may be missing. Many are free, but some charge a small yearly fee. Before you download anything, check out the list of QuickBooks compatible plug-ins, as some may not integrate as smoothly as others.

Overall, the advantages of QuickBooks software over paper-based accounting are numerous. When it comes down to it, why risk making mistakes on paper when there is a simple, cost-effective solution that will not only check your numbers for you but also provide a multitude of other features? The risk of making a mistake (and possibly losing money) is far outweighed by the small price your company will pay to use QuickBooks. You may as well have your cake and eat it too.