Accountancy Software for Bridge Club
Hi all,
A couple of clubs have recently asked me for recommendations for Accountancy Software for Bridge Clubs. I am not aware what software there is available. Can any clubs recommend software that they use?
Regards,
Jonathan Lillycrop
EBU Club Liaison Officer
Comments
Ok I will start the ball rolling. This is one of those questions that requires a lot of thought. First off do they want a "free" set up or are they willing to pay? If they look on-line for free Accounting software for clubs/associations they will get several suggestions. They need to be aware that some of these "free" options are usually 30+ day trials. Some require a sign in and I have avoided those systems. Some systems can be a bit expensive and will depend on the amount they will do and/or the "help" or assistance they will allow. There are a few free systems but they can be complex and difficult to get "your" head around, Obviously most are computer/laptop orientated but some can be used on smart phones (apps). This now puts a bit of "pressure" on the treasurer and depends on their capablities. When I looked there wasn't the systems available (4 years ago) that there are now. I don't know the layout but Free Agent is free to Natwest and some other banks' customers. Wave can be free but again you need to sign in and I don't know the set-up of their system.
So what did I choose? GNU Cash. It is difficult to get into but once you understand it, it is Ok. Don't expect to to do an Income and Expense Account with a Balance sheet very quickly at first. I think that the "Help" files are written by a computer "nerd" that has an accountant occassionally looking over their shoulder. Be aware that you will probably have to adapt the system you use to fit around your requirements. As a County Treasurer I had different types of competitions to deal with. However, I use the Bank Current account as the main "journal" to enter income and expenses. Setting up the appropriate accounts needs to be thought about but adjustments can be made later on.
Sorry if it seems that I am "teaching to suck eggs" but it isn't as simple as making a suggestion of a "good" accounting software package. After all it is just a database with some very good reporting systems. Some clubs could probably cope with an Excel/Libre office spreadsheet or even pen and paper. Hopefully more will "pile in" with their own suggestions.
CMOT
I was one of the clubs raising the question with EBU club liaison officer hence the thread. The reason for the query being that our club treasurer is changing and we were wondering whether to change from excel to a software package .
I looked on the net and there is a vast array of packages so wondered what other clubs do.
My own experience as county treasurer is that in about 2012 we bought QuickBooks Essential for about £80, a one off cost, which seems to work quite well with reports and it covers the type of headings needed for county work. However it was a one off purchase and is not supported, The equivalent is about £12 per month (£96 pa) now for a single user. This would be a supported package. (A bit different to the one off £80 10 years ago and still going strong )
At first I found QuickBooks used accountancy terms which with a bit of guidance from an accountant were understood .
I expect since 2012 the software has moved on, I wonder whether on a modern package bank statements CSV can be downloaded and categorised / adjusted in the software.
As Dibbler says there are several packages- this is perhaps an understatement of the number that are available for small clubs and charities, they seem to be numerous and vary a lot in scope and cost.. Hence the query to see what others do.. Perhaps most clubs use spreadsheets?
My experience has been limited just to QuickBooks for county work , now costing, if selected , about £12 p/m . LLoyds offer a package for £5 p/m linked to the club bank account.
The decision for the club is whether it is worthwhile swapping from Excel to a package - and then actually choosing a package. It would be helpful to know what others do,
Hi, I’m treasurer for two clubs and bank with NatWest and use Free Agent which works well, you can automatically link the account to the Free Agent software so all the bank transactions are loaded automatically. In addition NatWest do not make any charges for banking with them using their club/community account.
Makes life easy for me.