Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to Software

For years, Grace Jordan relied on bookkeepers to manage the finances for her now-10-year-old firm, Sonic Image Ltd., a Carol Stream, Illinois, manufacturer's representative for a company that creates equipment to add audio to video products. When her most recent bookkeeper moved to another state, a client gave her some invaluable advice: "You should try MYOB Accounting."

Five years later, Jordan is delighted she listened to that advice. With the help of MYOB, the tasks that used to require a full-time employee now use up just a small fraction of Jordan's workday. "MYOB doesn't leave any blanks," says Jordan. "I fill in the amounts and it's done, it's down and it's printed."

A rather blasé approach to accounting for someone who's never even taken a bookkeeping course. In fact, Jordan, who spent almost 40 years working in advertising before moving on to the audio industry, didn't even need training to figure out how to customize the MYOB software to her needs. The product's features allow her to do such accounting tasks as billing clients, tracking sales, doing year-end taxes and paying bills without much hassle at all. "The computer does the thinking for me," she notes. "Now I can get on with doing what makes me money."

It seems Jordan is doing just that: Her company's sales are now at approximately $6 million, and showing no signs of slowing down. "For the record," Jordan adds, "I've got a lot to learn-and I'm enjoying every minute of it."

This article was originally published in the November 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: <i>Entrepreneur</i>'s Complete Guide to Software.