Schmidt, Berg & Company
Certified General Accountants
Computerizing?
Many small businesses are finding benefits from computerizing their bookkeeping, including tracking accounts payable and receivable and producing timely and useful financial reports. Current low prices on computers are another good reason to consider computerizing now.
Selecting the software
There are a number of accounting software packages available, and it is virtually impossible for our office to support all of these. Over the years we have found that the majority of our clients prefer Simply Accounting. As a result, this has been our accounting software of choice for small businesses and we can support you in all aspects of its use.
For those of you who wish to use alternate accounting software (eg QuickBooks, MYOB, etc.), we can still use your data with our working paper software for our year end accounting purposes.
If you are considering implementing a computerized accounting system, you may wish to contact John Bowling or Kirk Koroll to assist you in the transition.
Protecting your data
Whichever software you decided to use, once you have it on your computer, you need to keep it secure. With the possibility of computer failure and the proliferation of computer viruses, this is essential, especially if your computer is attached to the internet and is used for downloading and sharing music and other files using peer-to-peer software such as KaZaA, Morpheus, etc. Many of these peer-to-peer file sharing programs are maintaining open connections to the internet without your knowledge. As a result, you are more susceptible to receiving malicious software. Even apparently innocent looking e-mail from friends can harbour viruses. A virus can destroy your data or render your computer unusable. We recommend the following protection:
 | Make a copy of your accounting data
onto a disk or CD when you finish each data entry session, and keep the backup
in a safe place away from your computer. Retain several copies (so you can go
back to a previous copy in case of a problem) and do not repeatedly re-use the
media. |
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Use anti-virus software, update the virus definitions regularly and do regular virus scans of your drives. |
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Consider purchasing a hardware firewall or router if you have an "always on" internet connection such as ADSL or cable. |
All advice given on our website is general and may not apply to your specific situation. If you feel any of these considerations may apply to you, or would like more information, contact our office for personalized advice.
Our priority is to ensure that we are providing our clients with the highest possible level of service. Please contact us if there is an issue you would like to discuss or a problem you would like to bring to our attention.
Client referrals are the main method by which our practice has grown. Should you know someone who would benefit from our expertise, we would be pleased to meet with them.