Are iPhone Accounting Apps Really Useful for SMBs?

Many accounting software vendors have developed iPhone accounting apps to supplement their software, but are they actually useful? The majority of them require that you already subscribe to their software; and even if you are a customer, the app doesn’t always have very good functionality. How useful are iPhone accounting apps that allow you to look at your company’s information, but not make any changes or alterations to your business plan? Here’s why you shouldn’t depend on your iPhone to run your small business financial operations.

Does Your Business Need iPhone Accounting Apps?

Few technologies have swept the market quite like the iPhone, and it’s hundreds of thousands of available apps have made it almost a necessity in the modern world. Considering its popularity, it’s understandable why many small business owners want to take advantage of the iPhone and iPad in their business operations. Restaurants might use iPad apps to track reservations, and a florist might use an iPhone to take orders and check inventory. However, are these tools ready for higher-level business operations?

iPhone accounting apps generally don’t have all the functionality that you might need in order to handle complicated financial processes. While there are iPhone accounting apps for making purchases or taking payments, as well as invoicing and billing, they can’t really help you with budgeting, planning, and forecasting. In fact, though useful iPhone accounting apps like those mentioned do exist, there isn’t really an app that integrates all those processes. Rather, you have to buy separate iPhone accounting apps for every financial process you want to track. The result is your information spread out over too many applications, making your financial management more difficult than easy.

Use iPhone Accounting Apps For the Small Stuff

If you really want to take advantage of the iPhone’s benefits in your business, then just use iPhone accounting apps for the smaller aspects of your financial operations. Use an app to keep track of inventory, orders, and the overall monetary health of your business, i.e. the big picture stuff. Rather than trying to run everything from your iPhone or iPad, just use iPhone accounting apps to keep tabs on the small stuff.

For the more involved processes, stick to a dedicated financial management system that can handle all your information. There are many affordable options for small businesses in the accounting software market, so you don’t need to invest thousands of dollars in an accounting system. In the end, an accounting software solution will make your finances much easier to handle.

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