QuickBooks & Sage Cloud Hosting for Accountants
Cloud Hosting Solutions for Accountants
Cloud computing has changed the way that accountants and accounting firms do business. It has grown substantially over the past decade, progressing from an industry trend to become the industry standard.
For accountants, cloud computing has expanded the services you offer, and it has even redefined relationships with clients. With Sage accounting software and Sage cloud hosting or QuickBooks accounting software with QuickBooks cloud hosting, accountants can efficiently and securely manage your clients and provide them with the services they need to succeed.
Benefits of Sage or QuickBooks Cloud Hosting for CPAs and Accounting Firms
Save Time
Cloud hosting allows for the automation of essential bookkeeping processes, such as entering debits and credits and making adjustments at the end of each accounting period. It also enables you to automate tedious and repetitive tasks, such as data entry and invoice filing. Automation frees your time so that you can focus on other tasks, increasing your productivity.
Reduce Costs
As an accountant, you know how quickly expenses can add up. Maintaining a computing network can be expensive, between purchasing new software, keeping it current, and paying for increased storage. Going to the cloud helps your firm save a significant amount of money.
Recover from Disaster
Disasters happen. In addition to the threat of cyber attacks, there are also the risks of on-site issues, such as damaged hardware, natural disasters, and human intervention (such as theft). Cloud hosting typically automates data backups, and many providers retain copies of those backups for a certain period of time. Summit performs nightly dedicated server backups, ensuring that you always have the latest data in the event of a disaster.
Help Your Clients Forge Their Financial Path
You provide essential services for your clients, from maintaining their records to preparing reports that become the basis of crucial financial decisions. Sage or QuickBooks hosting makes it easier for you to help your clients forge a path to success. Cloud hosting makes data available to all authorized users, wherever they are and whatever time it is. At the same time, hosting ensures the safety of that data, protecting it from unauthorized access and compromise.
Incorporate a Wide Array of Tools
With QuickBooks cloud hosting or Sage cloud hosting, you can incorporate many tools, such as ledger management, invoicing, and tax preparation. Even tools that you use locally on your computer can include cloud support, enabling you to store relevant information that you can access at any time.
Your own data management tools can include multiple versions of commonly used financial tools and apps, allowing you to work with clients who use them. Having real-time access to these tools allows accountants to provide more effective and comprehensive services to meet the unique needs of each one of your clients.
Build Stronger Relationships with Your Clients
The ease of access to tools and financial management services in the cloud allows clients to take a more active role in managing many of their day-to-day financial operations. While some people initially feared that this access would minimize the perceived need for accountants, it’s actually redefined and strengthened the relationships between many clients and accountants. It can help you to build stronger relationships with clients who gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of your level of expertise.
Cloud hosting gives you access to real-time data on demand. Rather than doing everything for your clients, you’re able to act as an analyst and an advisor, providing insight to your clients and helping them to make informed and critical financial decisions regarding their businesses.
Cloud Hosting Security for Accountants
The “cloud” is a term that refers to remote storage of data on third-party servers so that you don’t have to keep it stored locally on a computer or other physical drive. With cloud technology, you can access all of your data any time from any location as long as you have an internet connection.
Cloud services come in several forms:
- Public cloud services make it easy for users to store and access different types of data. While these services are often affordable, you do have to share the space with other users, which can increase the security risk.
- Private cloud services are typically more expensive. The server hosts one user’s data, however, minimizing the risk of a security breach. Private cloud servers also offer a wider range of services to meet the needs of the user.
- Hybrid cloud servers combine aspects of both public and private cloud services. A public cloud hosts some functions (such as data storage for more immediate use), while a private cloud hosts other functions (such as long-term data storage).
Cloud hosting offers accountants and their clients much more secure storage than a filing cabinet or a single computer, where a natural disaster or cyberattack could quickly destroy or compromise sensitive information. The consequences could harm your accounting practice and your clients’ businesses.
With data encryption and various security measures, cloud providers work to ensure the security of data. Sage or QuickBooks cloud hosting with Summit provides you with your own dedicated server, which enhances your security even further. All data is secured in an off-site location where it receives 24/7 intrusion monitoring. It’s protected by enhanced encryption and security-related certificates. It’s also secured by multi-factor authentication, which requires a strong password along with a biometric reading, a text code, or a key upon login.
Our cloud hosting also provides additional security with network segmentation. This approach makes one network look like several to a potential intruder, making it even more difficult for them to infiltrate and gain access to your data. Network segmentation can also isolate potential threats, reducing the risk of malware spreading.
QuickBooks and Sage Products for Accountants
QuickBooks Pro
QuickBooks Pro helps accountants to manage day-to-day accounting needs. It helps to simplify tedious tasks and keep data organized. It allows you to estimate invoices, create purchase orders, generate profit and loss statements, and more. It’s a good option for an accountant that works with or for a small business.
QuickBooks Premier
With QuickBooks Premier, you enjoy the benefits of Pro along with having unlimited cloud users, custom reports for various industries, data file optimization, and more. It’s a good option for accountants who work with a small business in the retail, manufacturing, wholesale, or distributing industries.
QuickBooks Enterprise
Summit can host any version of QuickBooks Enterprise, including Enterprise+Payroll and Enterprise+Advanced Inventory. It offers the same features as Premier, along with advanced reporting and an accountant inventory. It’s great for accountants who work with small- to medium-sized retail, wholesale, distributor, and manufacturing businesses that have advanced inventory needs.
QuickBooks Accountant
QuickBooks Accountant provides accountants and accounting firms with everything they need to handle bookkeeping, payroll, and other accounting needs to multiple businesses. You can review client data, manage fixed assets, open two companies at the same time, and more.
Sage 50
Sage 50 is a good choice for an accountant who works within a small business that manages day-to-day financial tasks. You have the option to choose from Pro, Premium, and Quantum. Pro can track income and manage expenses, track inventory, and pay bills. Premium offers the same features, plus job costing and advanced budgeting. With Quantum, you get the features of Premium, along with role-based security and industry-specific functionality.
QuickBooks and Sage Apps for Accountants
Summit Hosting can also integrate a variety of QuickBooks and Sage accounting software applications that you need to run your business effectively.
With cloud hosting, accountants and accounting firms can help their clients safely and effectively manage their financial data, including balancing books, preparing taxes, and staying compliant. If you’d like more information about cloud hosting and how it could benefit you and your clients, read more about why accountants should move to the cloud, or contact Summit Hosting today. We’re here to answer all of your questions and help you to find the right solutions for your accounting business and your clients.
The software is intuitive and easy to use. Here are some of the most common apps include:
Shopify
For clients that use Shopify, you can integrate the application with QuickBooks to help them stay up-to-date and accurate. The integration allows for automatic importing of sales, orders, and inventory. You can also see a summary of account balances, automatically record fees, and help clients easily stay on top of what they owe for taxes.
Bill.com
Bill.com works with both QuickBooks and Sage accounting software. It enables small- and medium-sized businesses to automate and simplify their accounts payable process. The app facilitates fast, secure ACH payments and automates approvals to simplify accounts payable work.
NumberCruncher
NumberCruncher, which integrates with QuickBooks, provides comprehensive inventory management. It allows businesses to view inventory status, including what’s available and what’s in transit, streamline their purchase orders to sales orders, and cost finished goods.
Zed Axis
Zed Axis is a transaction tracking application that allows you to import and export data to and from QuickBooks. You can modify a large group of transactions, find and replace items, and more.
ProSystem fx Tax Software
ProSystem fx Tax is an ideal software for accountants and accounting firms of all sizes. It integrates seamlessly with Sage and can help to streamline workflows and ensure tax compliance for your clients.
Crystal Reports Software
Crystal Reports works with Sage to create custom reports from a variety of sources. Businesses can use the reports to analyze information and make essential financial decisions.
FishBowl
FishBowl is an inventory management software that integrates with QuickBooks. It allows you to view levels and locations of inventory with ease.