Best Online Accounting Software Books for Business Owners

Since online accounting solutions are extremely user-friendly, many SMB owners think the best way to learn how to use their accounting software is through trial and error. Admittedly the use of cloud-based accounting systems can indeed be learned without prior knowledge, but it is best to turn to the know-hows before jumping right into the middle of the action.

Written by accounting consultant Heather Smith, Xero for Dummies is an ideal choice for those SMB owners who are moving their books to the cloud or have decided to convert from another accounting solution to Xero.

However, the 18 chapter-long book has some surprises for long-time Xero users as well, since it also tells readers how to make the most of their cloud-based accounting system.

The third edition of Xero for Dummies covers the newest or updated features of the software’s latest version (with screenshots for better visualization) and, via practice tasks, gives advice on how to manage daily business activities, reporting routines and your inventory with ease.

Another entry in the acclaimed For Dummies series, QuickBooks Online for Dummies was created in a similar fashion to the previous book on the use of Xero – though this is still in its first edition. Through four parts comprising of 17 chapters in total you can master virtually every feature of QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Online Accountant. By the end of the book, the author and business CEO, Elaine Marmel, guarantees that you will know how to organize your finances, create invoices, record expenses, pay bills, track inventory, create detailed business reports and file your taxes using the power of QuickBooks.

The prices of new and used books range between $7 and $24on Amazon, while the Kindle version can be purchased from around $18.

If you still don’t know the difference between QuickBooks versions, this book is definitely for you. A light, 88 page-long read, this guide details all the different QuickBooks software in existence, namely Online, Pro, Premier, Enterprise and the Mac version, and even compares their respective features to make your choice easier. The book also delves into what the latest version of QuickBooks is capable of and how its vast variety of features can serve your business needs or adapt to it. And as a nice addition to the above, the book enlists 15 common mistakes made by QuickBooks users, giving you advice on how not to fall into those traps.

The ‘great QuickBooks guide’ is available in printed format from roughly $20 or as an eBook for as low as (and this is not a joke) $1.