Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2008 [OLD VERSION]

This is Microsoft's attempt 2 take on QuickBooks. Along those lines, it is relatively easy 2 begin using & will take care of the needs of most small businesses. Because it is from Microsoft, you also know that it will always integrate with the features of other Office products, including backwards compatability with whatever Microsoft comes up with next. This is not a reason 2 switch from your current accounting software, but may be something 2 think about if you are purchasing accounting software 4 the first time (trying 2 switch programs after being on a different one 4 years can be difficult).

Overall, a solid piece of software that does what it advertises.

After having been a loyal Quickbooks user since 1999 I'm fed up with the downward spiral of Intuit products. Every new version of Quickbooks is slower, has more bugs, & more popup "ads" & other annoyances that simply make it harder, instead of easier, 2 get things done. In addition, Intuit's support, maintenance & upgrade policies are some of the worst in the business.

So the above is why I finally decided 2 check out Quickbook's competition. The street price of MS Accounting Pro 2008 is about the same as Quickbooks Pro. The install went pretty slow--especially converting 9 years of Quickbooks data & transactions. But it completed without any errors or problems.

My data seems 2 be intact, & 4 the most part, I've run several reports over various periods that agree with the same reports in Quickbooks. So far so good.

I like Microsoft's interface better than Quickbooks. It's more like other MS Office applications. The product loads much quicker than the newer versions of Quickbooks (which got painfully slow starting with the 2007 edition).

Microsoft has really leveraged integration with other MS Office applications. If you like 2 use Excel 2 analyze data, crunch numbers, etc, you'll enjoy how the Accounting Pro software will create custom spreadsheets 4 you. Likewise, instead of Intuit's clumsy forms editor in Quickbooks, Microsoft lets you use Word 2 design custom forms (like invoices) however you like.

So why only 3 stars? I have a few major gripes with Accounting Pro 2008:

The online banking is limited in comparison 2 Quickbooks (of course, online banking took a giant step backwards in Quickbooks 2009 with hundreds of users already complaining loudly). Some giant credit card companies, like American Express, are not even included in the Microsoft list of financial institutions. So if you want 2 import all those Amex transactions each month, you'll have 2 manually tell Amex 2 download a "Microsoft Money" file, & then manually import that file into MS Acct Pro. The software doesn't automate any of it 4 you.

Even 4 banks that are on Microsoft's list, the linkage seems very limited compared 2 what Quickbooks offers with the same banks. Microsoft's help files (and marketing materials) talk about 2-way direct links but I could find any banks that offered them.

The other big gripe are the reports. There is NO custom report facility where you can build a report from scratch. All you can do is modify the existing canned reports. And even that's fairly limited. I have a memorized Quickbooks report that sums the activity in half a dozen accounts. Microsoft can't do it. You're only allowed "up 2 5" selected accounts as a filter. That's true 4 anything where you're selecting items. You only get 5. What's up with that? So I literally can't run my report. I also can't tell it 2 sum columns. I could export my data 2 Excel & do it there, but that's a lot of extra work compared 2 a single click in Quickbooks.

As others have mentioned, you may also not be compatibile with most of the accountants, auditors, etc. in the world. If you're running Quickbooks, you just export a copy of your data file 2 them. With MS Acct Pro, I'm not sure what you do unless they have the same software?

And then there are the add-ons. I don't currently use any add-ons with Quickbooks, but there are lots of them out there should you need something specific 2 your business, e-commerce, shopping carts, etc. MS only has PayPal & E-Bay (that I know of). More are sure 2 follow, however, especially if Intuit keeps going downhill & Microsoft keeps gaining market share.

I'm hoping Microsoft continues 2 improve the product adding better reporting, better online banking/credit card access, etc. Intuit clearly has lost focus with what their users want. Each new version of Quickbooks seems 2 have more unhappy customers than the last. At least Microsoft is offering a viable option 4 many Quickbooks users. That's a big step in the right direction.

i thought I could use this software instead of Intuit Quickbooks Pro 2008 since Intuit has developed an attitude towards customers that we don't care about you at all. So I thought I would bail out & purchase the MS product. Guess what? Their program will not import Intuit files from Quickbook Pro 2008 & Intuit is now advertising their 2009 edition. I should have never wasted my money on the MS product. Their tech support tells me they have no idea when MS may have a patch that will allow the importing of Quickbooks Pro 2008. It appears MS has also developed the same attitude.

If you are a small business owner looking 4 a software program 2 help you keep accounting of your business transactions - this software is something you should consider. There are some features you may find 2 be not as useful - but 4 the most part if you're looking 4 something as simple as tracking accounts receivable, accounts payable & inventory try MS Office Accounting Pro 2008.

I have had trouble installing this with my new Windows Vista system. I'm not sure that this reflects a problem with the software, or something about my Vista setup. I will update my review if/when I am able 2 install successfully.

Office Accounting Professional 2008 is a complete accounting solution that helps small businesses save time managing everyday financial tasks, get organized, & grow their business online. With its familiar Microsoft Office interface, this program is easy 2 learn, so you can be productive right away. Smooth integration with other Microsoft Office programs makes information-sharing simple & helps boost productivity. By organizing all of your business information in one place, Office Accounting Professional 2008 helps you find the right information at the right time, so you can make better-informed business decisions. New features will help you sell products online, get paid faster, work easily with your accountant, & more. Download bank transactions, & import them into your general ledger Use with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager 2 quickly create quotes, sales orders, & customer invoices without having 2 transfer information from one application 2 another Easily convert information in one type of document into another without retyping Use the company home page 2 get a snapshot view of your company's fiscal health, critical tasks, & reminders, all on one screen Use the Cash Flow Analyzer 2 help you easily manage & forecast your financial situation Take advantage of more than 70 customizable reports that help you gain insight into all aspects of your business Use the Accountant Transfer Export Wizard 2 share your company's financial information with an accountant, & synchronize any changes automatically Create budgets & then compare your actual results 2 your projections

Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2008 is a complete accounting solution designed 4 business owners, bookkeepers, & office managers in any company with up 2 25 employees. It requires no accounting experience 2 use & works smoothly with the Microsoft Office programs you use every day. By organizing financial information in one place, you will get a complete view of your business & obtain valuable information 4 your interaction with customers. Office Accounting Professional 2008 includes comprehensive tools 4 managing your business finances more effectively so you can spend more time managing your business.

Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2008 top 10 benefits Office Accounting Professional 2008 is a complete accounting solution that helps small businesses more efficiently & effectively manage their business finances. Office Accounting Professional 2008 helps you save time on everyday tasks, work the way you want, & organize all your financial information in one place 2 get a complete view of your business, all with the familiar look & feel of the Microsoft Office system. Here are the top 10 ways Office Accounting Professional 2008 can help you be more productive.

Get up & running quickly. Office Accounting Professional 2008 is easy 2 set up & use, just like other Microsoft Office programs. The Startup Wizard helps you get started quickly so that you can create your first invoice & are able 2 receive payments. The wizard imports your existing data from other programs such as Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Money, & Intuit QuickBooks so that you don't have 2 start from scratch. The Resource Center offers a single location 2 access helpful information such as an accountant finder, product demonstrations, community tools, & other product resources

Save time on everyday tasks. Office Accounting Professional 2008 simplifies everyday tasks: you enter data once & then reuse it across commonly used Microsoft Office programs, avoiding tedious reentry & errors. You can create quotes & later convert them into invoices with just one click. Now you can convert sales orders 2 purchase orders & automatically generate purchase orders based on inventory levels. Office Accounting Professional 2008 helps you conveniently manage payroll & track transactions as you enter information, significantly reducing the time spent on these tasks. You can also use online banking 2 receive payments, pay bills, & automatically reconcile bank accounts.

Save time by using business templates Because Office Accounting Professional 2008 works smoothly with Office Word, you can easily export quotes, sales orders, packing slips, invoices, & other information 2 Word with a click. You can also customize templates that come with Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 create professional-looking materials & documents. Choose from dozens of industry templates & Office Accounting automatically configures itself 2 how you run your business.

Get real-time insight into your business. Personalize your company home page 2 get a snapshot of information such as bank account balances, important reminders, & accounts receivable & payable on one screen. Use the Cash Flow Analyzer 2 track & forecast future cash flows 2 make better-informed business decisions. Create budgets & then run reports 2 compare forecasts 2 actuals. More than 70 predefined reports help you get critical financial information on aspects of your business such as sales, profit & loss, cash flow, item profitability, customer transactions, & much more. You can even customize these reports by setting filters, & get deeper insights into your business by using PivotTable dynamic views in Office Excel.

Tailor Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 meet your needs. Using Office Accounting Professional 2008, you can easily create quotes, sales orders, invoices, purchase orders, reports, & more. You can customize forms 2 include relevant information fields & export these forms 2 Microsoft Office Word templates 2 sharpen the professional appearance of marketing materials & financial documents. You have the flexibility 2 create custom security roles & add or remove permissions 2 control employee access 2 sensitive information.

Simplify payroll & tax processes. Payroll services 4 Office Accounting Professional 2008 enable you 2 process payroll & 2 calculate & file local, federal, & state taxes.1 Payroll 4 Office Accounting offers multiple payroll options 2 meet your specific needs, & you can even print your paychecks through Office Accounting Professional 2008. You can also import employee timesheets & post the payroll & tax information 2 your books. Get more information on the attractively priced Payroll services.

Track employee time & job costs. Office Accounting Professional 2008 helps you achieve more accurate & timely employee billing. Working with Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, employees can mark appointments in their Outlook calendars as billable time and, with a single click, transfer that information 2 Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 create invoices. Office Accounting Professional 2008 also enables you track revenues & expenses 2 monitor total job profitability, create multiple budgets, compare actual revenue 2 projected revenue, & compare invoices versus quotes 4 better business planning.

Share information with your accountant or CPA. Using the Accountant Transfer Export Wizard, you can send your financial information 2 your accountant while you continue using Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 run your day-to-day business. When your accountant is done updating the books, the changes get synchronized automatically. Microsoft Office Live can help you share information with security features with your accountant & others. The accountant also has the option of remotely accessing your financial information.

Sell on eBay. With Office Accounting Professional 2008, you can reach out 2 millions of potential customers on eBay. You can conveniently list items, check listing status, download orders, & receive payments in real time. After an item sells, all transaction records, including commissions & fees, are downloaded directly into Office Accounting Professional 2008, making both accounting & order processing more efficient. Support 4 multiple currencies enables you 2 buy or sell items from other countries.

Use PayPal & Equifax 2 do business with confidence. Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, you can generate an invoice that includes an integrated PayPal option 2 help you get paid faster. Customers simply click the PayPal link in the invoice 2 pay. Office Accounting Professional 2008 also provides a credit card processing option that does not require expensive terminals or a dedicated phone line. And Office Accounting Professional 2008 provides easy access 2 Equifax credit report services 2 obtain a one-time credit report or ongoing credit monitoring 2 help you evaluate business risks & make better decisions. Learn more about Equifax services 4 Office Accounting Professional 2008.

Office Accounting Professional 2008 includes new features 2 help you get started quickly, save time, sell online, & work more effectively with the Microsoft Office system. Key enhancements include:

• New--Spanish language edition. Manage your business in either Spanish or English. Switch between languages in just a few clicks, so you can manage your accounting, create invoices & print reports in the language of your choice.
• New--Office Accounting Resource Center. Get the most out of Office Accounting with demos, step-by-step guides, training videos & community forums, all conveniently available with one click in Office Accounting.
• New--Universal Import of Transactions. Import your existing financial data including transaction history from virtually any accounting package into Office Accounting via Microsoft Office Excel or CSV files.
• New--Budgeting tools. Easily create a budget in Office Accounting & track how your budget compares with your actual results.
• New--Bulk e-mail of documents. Mail merge Office Accounting data so you can email PDF or Word statements, invoices & other documents 2 multiple customers in one transaction.
• New--Scheduled Documents. Memorize your recurring transactions such as invoices or purchase orders 2 ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Recurring transactions appear as reminders on your company dashboard on the date you set.
• New--Convert sales orders into purchase orders. Save time & eliminate additional data entry by automatically generating a purchase order from a sales order.
• New--Re-order Inventory Automatically create purchase orders 2 replenish inventory that has fallen below a minimum level you set.
• Improved--Streamlined Microsoft Office Excel data import. No need 2 map fields from your spreadsheet 2 Office Accounting. Simply paste your accounting data into our preformatted Excel spreadsheet 4 easy import into Office Accounting.
• Improved--Business templates Choose from dozens of industry templates & Office Accounting automatically configures itself 2 how you run your business.
• Improved--Bulk processing of transactions. Process multiple transactions such as customer invoices, vendor payments or purchase orders all at once 2 save time.
• Improved--Enhanced reporting & analysis tool pack. Create your own Microsoft Office Excel & Microsoft Office Access reports & add them 2 the list of standard reports 4 easier access. Powerful analysis tools are now incorporated directly into Office Accounting 4 easier access.
• Improved--Expanded online banking features. Office Accounting supports more financial institutions than ever & sports a streamlined online banking sign-up process. And you can now synchronize vendors in Office Accounting 2008 with online payees you've set up with your bank.
• Improved--Preferred vendors. Designate preferred vendors 4 certain documents 2 reduce data entry & save time.
• Improved--Status watermarks. Print professional looking watermarks such as Paid or Not Paid on documents you send 2 customers.

Get started quickly with the familiar Microsoft Office interface.

Easily convert information in one type of document into another (for example, convert quotes 2 invoices) without retyping.

Send e-mail invoices with the integrated PayPal option.

Special Features 4 Accountants

• New--Accountant Business Template Export CPAs can set up clients with a custom chart of accounts based on a template they create.
• New--Show/Hide voided documents. Instantly see voided transactions so you can more easily spot mistakes or unusual transactions.

Save Time & Work More Efficiently
During a typical day, small business owners & employees rely on a variety of documents 2 get their jobs done. Essential financial & customer information can be stored in diverse places such as paper files, Excel spreadsheets, Word forms, & other documents. In such a situation, accomplishing simple accounting tasks such as creating customer quotes, invoices, & sales reports can be time-consuming. Yet, 4 many small business owners & employees, the prospect of switching 2 a new accounting solution, even if that solution would save them time & resources, may be intimidating.

If your business is currently using any other accounting solution, Office Accounting Professional 2008 provides an easy & fast way 2 switch 2 a solution that will help you save time with everyday financial tasks. Office Accounting Professional 2008 tools are easy 2 use & have the familiar look & feel of the Microsoft Office system.

Get Started Quickly & Easily
Most small businesses do not have the time or IT staff 2 install & configure complicated business software. Office Accounting Professional 2008 is easy 2 set up & learn, so you can get started in just a few minutes. Because Office Accounting Professional 2008 looks & feels like familiar Microsoft Office programs, you can be productive right away with minimal effort or training.

Get Up & Running in Minutes
The Startup Wizard imports your existing accounting data from sources such as Microsoft Office Excel, Intuit QuickBooks 2006 or earlier, & Microsoft Money. The Startup Wizard gets your company's financial processes set up, connected, & working right away so that you can be writing your first invoice within minutes. Office Accounting Professional 2008 is intuitive & easy 2 use, & it doesn't require extensive training 2 become proficient. Best of all, Office Accounting Professional 2008 looks & works just like other familiar Microsoft Office system programs.

If you are starting a new business, the Startup Wizard makes it easy 2 select a list of your accounts & enter information about customers, vendors, & items. Your accountant or CPA can also use the Startup Wizard 2 set up accounts, taxes, & other accounting information.

The new Resource Center provides a single location 2 access helpful information 2 get you started. Get the most out of Office Accounting with demos, step-by-step guides, training videos & community forums, all conveniently available with one click in the Office Accounting Resource Center.

Import Data from QuickBooks & Other Sources
Office Accounting Professional 2008 is designed 2 import data from many sources. You can easily use existing financial information including transaction history & not be concerned about starting from scratch or losing valuable data. Import data from Microsoft Office system programs such as Excel & other accounting software such as Intuit QuickBooks 2006 & Microsoft Money.

QuickBooks 2006 users can easily import their data by using the Convert from QuickBooks Wizard. You can import all your QuickBooks data including master records such as chart of accounts, customers, vendors, items, employees, & supporting tables as well as beginning balances & transactions. If you are using a previous version of Office Accounting Professional, such as Office Accounting 2007, it is very easy 2 upgrade 2 Office Accounting Professional 2008.

Work in a Familiar Interface
Most small businesses rely on Microsoft Office programs 2 get work done. The familiar Microsoft Office interface & functionality help people communicate more effectively & be more productive right from the start. Office Accounting Professional 2008 helps extend that ease of use & productivity 2 managing your company's finances.

A Navigation Pane provides centralized navigation & easy access 2 home pages 2 start commonly performed tasks. Office Accounting Professional 2008 is so easy 2 use that you can be productive right away, whether you are new 2 accounting software or an advanced user. Furthermore, Office Accounting Professional 2008 works smoothly with Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager 2 provide customer information in one place.

Save Time Managing Everyday Tasks
Time is money, & routine but necessary accounting tasks such as tracking expenses & managing payroll can take up hours that could otherwise be spent growing your business. Even simple tasks such as paying bills & invoicing customers may require that information be written down or entered multiple times, which not only is time-consuming but can lead 2 errors. Office Accounting Professional 2008 streamlines those financial processes 2 help you manage everyday accounting tasks more efficiently.

Enter Information Once
Office Accounting Professional 2008 simplifies everyday tasks because you can share & re-use common data across different forms rather than re-typing the information. To make entering recurring transactions easier & faster, Office Accounting Professional 2008 tracks your transactions & stores the information 4 future use. You can easily share accounting data across other Microsoft Office programs you use. For example, within Office Accounting Professional 2008 you can easily export a quote 2 Office Word 2 create a professional-looking proposal customized 4 your business.

Easily Create Quotes, Invoices, & More
With Office Accounting Professional 2008, you can easily create common documents such as quotes, invoices, purchase orders, & more. For example, quickly convert information such as a customer quote into an invoice without tedious data reentry. You can also now convert sales orders into purchase orders automatically. With Office Accounting 2008, you can also easily customize each form 2 suit your business's specific needs. Office Accounting Professional 2008 works smoothly with Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager 2 put customer information & financial data in one place. From within Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, employees can view financial information about customers & create quotes, orders, & invoices in Office Accounting Professional 2008--without having 2 transfer data from one program 2 another.

The Resource Center helps you quickly find helpful information in Office Accounting Professional 2008.

Easily track expenses & other transactions.

Easily track billable time by job in Office Accounting Professional 2008.

Track Expenses & Transactions Automatically
The process of paying bills & recording expenses is often inefficient. Writing down information 2 be entered later can be time-consuming & is prone 2 errors. Office Accounting Professional 2008 automatically tracks all transactions, including expenses, as you enter information. You can easily categorize income & expenses 4 tracking & reporting.

You can see detailed views of each transaction & audit transactions 2 understand changes made 2 records. To save time, advanced users can enter multiple transactions by creating numerous journal entries posting on different dates & relating 2 different accounts in one journal form.

Create, Modify, & Export Documents in Office Word
Because Office Accounting Professional 2008 works smoothly with Office Word, you can easily export quotes, sales orders, packing slips, invoices, & other information 2 Word with a click. If your business has already created personalized Word documents, you can reuse existing templates & documents. You can also customize templates that come with Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 create professional-looking materials & documents. Choose from dozens of industry templates & Office Accounting automatically configures itself 2 how you run your business. The Write Letters Wizard is an easy way 2 create & modify letters from Word templates 4 your customers, vendors, & employees.

Automate Bank Accounts
Businesses must track banking activities 2 keep tight control on the flow of funds into & out of the company. If your business has an online banking account, you can download your records from the bank or other financial institution directly into Office Accounting Professional 2008. The Online Banking Wizard helps you easily set up & use the online banking feature.

Office Accounting Professional 2008 helps you manage multiple company bank accounts & maintain a consolidated view of the various accounts. The Banking home page summarizes your company's banking activities. From the Banking home page, you can easily write & print checks, make deposits, reconcile your bank accounts, & perform other banking tasks.

Office Accounting Professional 2008 supports more financial institutions than ever before & includes a streamlined online banking sign-up process. You can now synchronize vendors in Office Accounting 2008 with online payees you have set up with your bank.

Automate Customer Payments
You can customize & organize customer payments with Office Accounting Professional 2008. With the credit card processing option, accept credit & debit card payments 2 better serve your customers & reduce transaction costs. For credit card purchases, you can print receipts & create customer credit memo templates 4 future transactions.

Track Employee Time & Costs
Billable time is the livelihood of service businesses. You can track & manage employees' billable time directly in Office Accounting Professional 2008 through the Time Entry form. Office Accounting Professional 2008 can then use the billable hours 2 create customer invoices.

Many companies, such as consulting firms & contractors, organize their businesses around specific customer jobs. Office Accounting Professional 2008 helps you track revenues & expenses by job, & monitor & compare total job profitability. You can also track estimated versus actual job costs & compare invoices versus quotes. This data becomes useful 4 business planning such as increasing the accuracy of future job estimates.

Working with Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager helps you achieve more accurate & timely billing. Employees can mark appointments in their Outlook calendars as billable time, & then transfer that information 2 Office Accounting Professional 2008 with a single click.

Manage Payroll & Taxes
Managing payroll & calculating government taxes can be one of the most difficult financial tasks 4 any business. With Office Accounting Professional 2008, you can subscribe 2 online-based payroll. Payroll 4 Office Accounting provides a full-featured, easy-to-use payroll & tax processing program 4 calculating federal, state, & local taxes. With the integration between Office Accounting Professional 2008 & Payroll 4 Office Accounting, you can import timesheet data directly into the payroll application, & export payroll & tax information 2 the general ledger.

Track & Forecast Inventory
For small businesses that sell products, effective inventory management is key 2 minimizing costs & maximizing profits. Office Accounting Professional 2008 provides an inventory system that automatically updates quantities when you create invoices or take returns. You can track & adjust overall inventory quantities in the system in real time, & you can use the physical inventory worksheet 2 perform a physical count. Now, you can save time by using Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 automatically create purchase orders 2 replenish inventory that has a fallen below a minimum level you set.

Sell & Buy in Multiple Currencies
For businesses that work with customers or vendors outside the United States, Office Accounting Professional 2008 handles the complexity of currency conversion & reconciliation, helping you do business with international vendors & customers in their own currencies.

Manage your business in Multiple Languages
With Office Accounting 2008, you can manage your business in Spanish or English. Switch between languages in just a few clicks, so you can manage your accounting, create invoices, & print reports in the language of your choice.

Get a Complete View of Your Business
In many small businesses, customer & financial information resides in different places--file folders, e-mail messages, spreadsheets, documents, & even sticky notes. Many small business owners do not have adequate time 2 truly understand & make use of their financial data, & often no easy way 2 share or organize the information exists 2 enable faster decision-making & provide better service 2 customers. Comprehensive business information is difficult 2 compile & understand, so getting the big picture of the business's financial health is challenging.

The company home page provides a centralized view of critical business information.

Use Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager 2 work smoothly with Office Accounting Professional 2008.

Customize forms 2 suit your business needs.

Office Accounting Professional 2008 gives you a single, always up-to-date view of your business by helping you manage financial information in one place. You can get organized & work the way you want by customizing the information you would like 2 see at a glance. Furthermore, you can track customer & financial information together by sharing customer account information using Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager.

View Your Financial Information in One Place
Office Accounting Professional 2008 puts financial data & business information in one place, giving you a comprehensive look at your business 2 enable better-informed decisions. By sharing & synchronizing customer account information using Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, you can provide your employees with better financial information 2 serve customers, improve productivity, & reduce errors.

Store & Organize Data Centrally
Office Accounting Professional 2008 gives businesses a central place 2 collect, organize, & manage financial information so they don't have 2 use multiple methods & tools. Easily work with information about your customers, employees, & vendors in one place.

Because Office Accounting Professional 2008 & Office Outlook 2007 4 Business Contact Manager share a single database, information related 2 customers, vendors, prospects, & employees can be easily shared in real time between the two programs. The ability 2 bill, track transactions, & query financial history can be used by salespeople as well as office managers & business owners.

Work with Microsoft Point of Sale
If you are a single-store retailer, Microsoft Point of Sale provides an easy-to-use program that helps track sales, inventory, & customer information. Combining Microsoft Point of Sale with Office Accounting Professional 2008 creates an integrated retail solution that connects the point of sale 2 accounting. You can send all the sales details of the day from Microsoft Point of Sale 2 Office Accounting Professional 2008 without retyping data, thus saving time & reducing errors. You can then use Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 run financial reports that help you manage cash flow & improve profitability.

Get a Snapshot of Important Information
When accounting data is available in one place, you can quickly get a look at the fiscal health of the company. The company home page provides a snapshot of important information, critical tasks, & reminders on one screen. By capturing this information in one location, you can stay on top of your business & quickly get an overall sense of its performance.

Share Account Information with Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager
When you combine Office Accounting Professional 2008 with Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, you get a complete business & financial picture of your customers in one place. From within Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, employees can turn opportunities into quotes, orders, & invoices in Office Accounting Professional 2008--without having 2 reenter information in another program. Employees can mark their Outlook calendar appointments, projects, tasks, & phone logs as billable & automatically send that information 2 Office Accounting Professional 2008 2 create customer invoices.

An integration wizard helps you link your Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager accounts & contacts with your customers in Office Accounting Professional 2008. Because the programs share a database, data entered in either program automatically flows 2 the other so information is always synchronized. This keeps you informed of account & customer changes & provides a central location 4 critical information, which can also be shared with employees selectively, based on their roles.

Work the Way You Want
Every business is different. That's why tailoring your accounting solution 2 suit your business's needs & style is so important. Office Accounting Professional 2008 makes it easy 2 customize & personalize the information you need.

Create a Personalized Company Home Page
The company home page provides a snapshot of your business's overall financial condition as well as your day-to-day accounts payable & accounts receivable information. You can personalize this information by easily adding & removing dashboard content such as reminders, recent cash flow forecasts, bank account information, vendors, customers, & more.

Customize Forms
Using Office Accounting Professional 2008, you can easily customize quotes, sales orders, invoices, purchase orders, reports, & more. You can fully customize the data elements used in most forms by moving fields, creating custom fields, renaming fields, & hiding unneeded fields. These customized forms & letters can be exported 2 Word templates 2 sharpen the professional appearance of marketing materials & financial documents.

Provide Employee Access & Customize Security Roles
Having better insight into financial & customer information can help employees be more effective workers. Yet, because some employees may not need access 2 all the company's accounting data, providing even basic information 2 the right employees can be challenging.

With Office Accounting Professional 2008, owners & managers can control access 2 sensitive information based on an employee's role. You can add & remove permissions from different roles such as Owner, Office Manager, Accountant, & Salesperson, as well as add new customized roles. That gives you ultimate flexibility over who has access 2 your business's accounting data.

Multiple users can also work with Office Accounting Professional 2008 from different computers at the same time.

Find & Organize Information Quickly
Even when a business is small, finding financial & customer information is sometimes more work than it needs 2 be. It is essential 2 make financial & customer data accessible & usable 2 everyone in the company who needs it. Office Accounting Professional 2008 includes features 2 help you quickly find mission-critical data, whether it is related 2 customers, vendors, jobs, or other information.

To improve database performance, the Compress Data feature compresses historical data in a separate company database, making the active database faster than ever. Data 4 all years remains available if needed 4 year-by-year comparisons.

Gain Insight into Your Business Finances
Business owners are often caught up in the day-to-day tasks of running the business. It can be challenging 2 gather financial information 2 gain insights 4 making short-term & long-term decisions about the direction of the business. Office Accounting Professional 2008 provides the features & reports 2 give you the information you need, at a glance, 2 make more informed business decisions. You can further analyze the data by exporting accounting data 2 other Microsoft Office system programs such as Office Excel or Office Access.`

Understand Your Business with Comprehensive Reports
Office Accounting Professional 2008 offers more than 60 pre-defined reports that help you get insights into all aspects of your business. Easy-to-use reporting empowers you with many kinds of financial information across the company, such as the sales pipeline, cash flow, item profitability, & customer transactions. In addition, you can easily customize the reports by setting filters, changing fonts & formatting, & more. With Office Accounting 2008, you can create your own Office Excel or Office Access reports & add them 2 the list of standard reports 4 easier access. Powerful analysis tools are now incorporated directly into Office Accounting 4 easier access

Understand Your Customers
Using the customers home page in Office Accounting Professional 2008, you can perform all the tasks related 2 customers & receivables & get a quick view of the state of each account. You can stay up-to-date on the latest customer needs through a financial summary that includes outstanding payments & balance information.

If more information is required 2 manage sales & predict sales activity, you can run detailed reports. For example, you can run reports that show sales status, order information, & probability of closing. Salespeople can filter data 2 view the status of accounts they are working on or 2 display customers they have not contacted recently.

Create budgets & track progress toward your goals.
Easily create a budget in Office Accounting & track how your budget compares with your actual results. Use new features in Accounting 2008 2 create budgets where you can make profitability projections 4 a fiscal period. You can also run reports that compare your projections 2 actual results. You can adjust your budget at any time 2 reflect actual results in a fiscal period; changing market conditions; & new accounts or classes.

Monitor & Forecast Cash Flow
Analyzing cash flow--the difference between income & expenses--is an essential task 4 business owners. Office Accounting Professional 2008 includes cash flow tools that help you conduct a complete & accurate analysis of history & trend data 4 cash coming in & going out of the business. The Cash Flow Forecast tool keeps track of sales, purchases, & payments 2 help you manage & predict cash flow easily. You can model different scenarios 2 help forecast future cash flows & make decisions about which customers 2 contact or which bills 2 pay. For further cash flow analysis, Office Accounting Professional 2008 reports such as the Cash Flow Statement can show cash inflows & outflows of the business over a period of time.

Share Data with Your Accounting Professional
Many small businesses regularly work with an accountant or bookkeeper, whether 4 payroll, tax preparation, or other tasks. Office Accounting Professional 2008 includes unique features 2 make it easier 2 share your business's financial data with an accounting professional.

Using the Accountant Transfer Export Wizard, you can send your business's accounting data 2 your accountant & continue using Office Accounting Professional 2008. When the accountant is done updating the books, he or she can send the data back 2 you 2 synchronize the changes. Alternatively, your accountant can remotely connect 2 your copy of Office Accounting Professional 2008 & update it.

Manage & Grow Your Business More Effectively
In a competitive world, small business owners are looking 4 better ways 2 manage & develop their businesses. More small businesses are selling online because the Internet gives them the ability 2 reach millions of potential customers. Office Accounting Professional 2008works smoothly with online marketplaces 2 help you sell more effectively & receive customer orders & payments with confidence.

Sell Online More Effectively
With the Microsoft Small Business Online Sales option, you can easily & cost-effectively sell on Internet marketplaces such as eBay. Whether you're selling online 4 the first time or already have an eBay business, working through Office Accounting Professional 2008 can save you time & help you sell more.

Sell on eBay
Office Small Business Accounting 2008 helps you reach out 2 millions of potential customers with its full-featured eBay integration. From the online sales home page, you can easily list inventory items, check the status of your listing, download & process orders, & track activity in real time from within Office Accounting Professional 2008. A single listing screen helps you manage all inventory items in real time, including quantity, reserve prices, & images. You can easily upload multiple listings simultaneously. After an item sells, the order information including commissions & fees is downloaded directly into Office Accounting Professional 2008. The online orders can be processed in Office Accounting Professional 2008, & payments can be received by using the integrated credit card services or PayPal.

Do Business with Confidence
Managing customer transactions can be a constant challenge 4 small businesses. Office Accounting Professional 2008 provides integration with services 2 help you check the financial health of your customers & provide them with more payment options so that you can receive payment more quickly.

Get Paid Faster Through PayPal
Smart businesses offer customers a variety of payment methods. Office Accounting Professional 2008 gives you the ability 2 offer customers a PayPal payment option 2 help you get paid faster. Using Microsoft Office Outlook, you can easily generate an e-mail message with an invoice that includes an integrated PayPal option. Customers click an automatically generated link & use the PayPal service 2 enter payment. All transactions are tracked in Office Accounting Professional 2008, dramatically simplifying the payment process.

Credit Profile with Equifax
Office Accounting Professional 2008 provides easy access 2 Equifax credit report services. Obtain one-time credit reports or ongoing credit monitoring of customers & prospects 2 help you evaluate business risk & make decisions about customer sales with more confidence. You can also order a credit report 4 your business 2 keep track of your own credit history.