News
Issue No. 13 - October/November 2003
SA Cashflow Software’s Simplicity Rakes in 77,000 Users
Accounting software innovator Wayne Burgan of Cashflow Manager is on a crusade. Accounting software for small business, he says, is unnecessarily complicated, hard to use and can’t live up to the ‘do it yourself’ needs of small business.
Touting his own product’s simplicity—the product has done so well Wayne has named the company after it—he asserts that mass marketing has convinced most business owners they need double entry accounting programs like MYOB and Quickbooks.
“Let’s face it, everyone pushes these programs on [small business] and it is even supported by government who insist that double entry accounting must be taught in small business TAFE courses and even the NEIS courses for unemployed people," he says.
“Many accounting students with 12 months of ‘Accounting 1’ struggle with understanding accounting concepts so what hope are these people going to have?"
Wayne points out that a training industry has developed around ‘simple’ double entry accounting programs. Many people spend hours doing training, but still end up employing a bookkeeper – at more cost. “Computerised shoeboxes” is what he calls the results of non—accountants trying to use double entry programs that are simply not necessary.
“Most of these people simply need a single entry program where they can see where their receipts are coming from and their payments are going and they can manage their cashflow," he says.
The Cashflow Manager software puts this theory into practice and it has surely brought good results to a business that came about because Wayne’s clients needed help to keep financial records.
“While we are somewhat unknown here, we have 77,000 users through the recommendations of accountants. Our products are sold in the UK and Canada. In both the UK and Australia banks use our products with their customers — Westpac here and Lloyds TSB in the UK.”...
