Free software is answer to small businesses woes
DID YOU know that small businesses contribute as much as £1,046 billion to the UK's economy each year? Well, Intuit hopes to bolster the sector by offering a free version of its Quickbooks software for free for three days. Here.
What you actually get is a copy of QuickBooks Simplestart which would normally set you back £39.10. Simplestart is aimed at startups rather than established businesses.
One objective is to enable startups to lift some of the promised £20 billion loans package which the UK government is offering to small businesses.
It's no good going down to the bank or the government with your business plan on the back of a fag packet as was previously the case. You've got to look slick.
That's where Simplestart comes into the equation. Once the firm starts to grow - Intuit obviously hopes - then the downloader will opt to upgrade to one of Intuit's more sophisticated business packages.
The INQ was keen to find out if Simplestart could work with financial data created elsewhere - such as spreadsheets and Microsoft Money files.
However, while you can download the package for free from today [20th] until the 22nd January, you still have to wait for Intuit to send through the necessary passwords and product codes. It's obviously not a swift process and the INQ is still waiting.
Some-one said that fortunes are made in times of economic stability but empires are founded during periods of economic downturn. It could have been Felix Dennis, perhaps? µ
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Okay, so it's free as in no cost. Free as in beer if you like.
As great as this is, what's stopping Intuit giving these startups say 3 months or maybe even 6 months (once they have a fair whack of data on there) and then saying - right, you're free lunch is over, time to pay up for a full licence.
I'd be cautious about this, great if they keep it free, but a bummer if you find you have to fork out for a licence later on down the line.
I think I'll stick to Free as in Freedom.
Rob
Freeware is not Free Software.
This is trialware, not free software. You try it for 3 days and then it is 'hand over your cash' time.
How can you even think it is free software. And 3 days!! Most companies give you at least 30 days, although sometimes that is crippleware because all the features are not enabled!
The great news here is that unlike most "freeware" offers where it is either limited in functionality or time that you can use it, this is a full blown version of the Simple Start software which is limited by neither of the above.
If you download it, it work fully and for as long as you wish to use it! No questions asked.
It's just our way of helping new starters get something in these tough times to get their businesses up and running in the right way.
Thanks for the feedback on the codes etc, they will be sent via a seperate email within 24 hours of download - so hold tight, it's on it's way!
Please feel free to let anyone you know who may need this software about the offer - the more the merrier!
Was that intentional?
Great that it's completely free if you signup over the next 3 days. Nice one.
A three days trial is not enough. In my business, a "Micro Business" of 3 people and growing at the speed of dark.(UK's "Business Link's" company size category). I have 22 department hats to wear, and I am the line employee, supervisor,manager of each and director.
It took me two years of ... a friends...(how can I put it. Sorry I do not have the courage to mention). An Intuit product without invoicing, I used a word processor for invoices then, before I felt at ease spending out. I plunged in and bought -for the invoicing function- my copy of quickbooks pro version 6 in 1999 for I think £299 or £399. I am still using that same copy 10 years later. How's that for sweating an asset. 10 years is a standard target for a factories assets.
1) I quickly learnt not to use its intergrated payroll because after the first year,the yearly tax updates and software fix updates, then the software functional changes in new versions, etc cost more money. The main issue against changing updates is the disruption to my business. The demands on my time and headspace required handling changes that the new ways, the differences, the bugs, etc that new software versions bring. After the first year of using its payroll function, I used the old manual payroll method for years and plugged the payroll figures in manually to QBpro v6 once a year. So much quicker and easier. Three years ago I purchased someone else's (Non Intuit) UK stand alone payroll package and still transfer the yearly totals to QBv6. This Saved me money, but more importantly, head space not having to upgrade over the years to new function, which is after all, over and above my humble requirements.
2) QBv6 does not produce UK Revenue and Customs compliant Limited Company profit and loss account reports. It is USA complaint accounting standards, so profits are outside the line(I am told). Drives me to an accountant and irritates him.
3) Year end dates have to be on a month boundary, not my 06 April. I discovered that after 4 years.
In summary though I was very pleased with the purchase. It has taken me years to be at ease with it, after years of building up courage to spend on purchasing QBpro v6 in the first place.
Conclusion: 3 days is not enough. 3 months is not enough. A year is more realistic from the customers perspective. Intuit know that. I know there objective is something else. That's fair enough. The pound in your pocket. Keep up the good work Intuit UK. For me it was the way to go I do not regret.
Loyal Customer,
It took you three attempts to comment because you sir, are a moron. Learn to read and comprehend. If that does not work, try reading the other comments. They will explain the article to you in small words your simple mind can understand. Have a good day. That is all.