Sage Instant Accounts Help Guide

[mrsxllifts]

Hi. We have recently aquired a copy of Sage instant accounts but I don't have the first idea of how it works! Does anyone have any recommendations on a good place to start? Have seen a couple of books, a self help course thing and various other tools but not sure if they're any good. I need one for dunces!

Thanks

[Shrimper]

My other half works with Sage, I'll ask her tommorrow. If I wake her up now to ask her something like that I'll end up on the sofa, and its waaaaaay to cold in my living room this time of year for that

[sjg]

product description said:

Sage Instant Accounts comes with 45 days free telephone support, so if you need any help, you can call on us.

I'm pretty sure it ships with instructions too. If you need basic accountancy training, most local FE/Adult Education colleges offer them, usually Sage-focussed.

[Eric Mc]

Sage is a pretty good package (although rather cumbersome). For the user to be able to make it work effectively, they really need to acquire some of the basic principles of old fashioned double-entry book keeping. As has ben said, many local colleges run courses, often geared towards Sage users (because it is such a coommon package).

There are lots of books out there on double entry book-keeping - including one in the "For Dummies" series.

[mrsxllifts]

Eric Mc said:

....- including one in the "For Dummies" series.

That sounds like the book for me! I'm ok with double-entry (that sounds so bad on PH!) I was more worried about the actual navigation around Sage, which bits to click on etc. but a dummies book sounds good.

Think the 45 day support may have passed as it came from a company whos book keeper couldn't get on with it and have now gone to try another package.

Thanks for everyones help.

[Eric Mc]

The basics of Sage aren't that difficult. There is, however, a fair amount of settiong up that needs to be done for a bnusiness when it is installing it for the first time.

The first query I would have is, is the business commencing its useage at the beginning of its financial year or part way through?

[mrsxllifts]

It would be mid way trough year as we run dec- nov. Does this cause havoc?

[Eric Mc]

It does cause difficulties - depending on what type of book-keeping system you are moving from.

Do you have the following:

a list of balances owed by your customers (Trade Debtors)?
a list of balances owed to your suppliers (Trade Creditors)?

a reconciled trial balance at the changeover date?

Are you consulting with your existing accountants?

[mrsxllifts]

We currently run with a totally diy system of a written invoice book then x l invoices sent out. Very basic but it did us in the beginning. Receipts are on a spreadsheet so can be easily crossed over, current balance is easy enough to find with online banking. Currently still waiting for our accountants to sort out sage hence why we went and got our own! They're very good at everything else but 3 years waiting has begun to grind a little. Think the putting over the details will be time consuming but do-able. Someone has just told me that if i make a mistake on sage, i can't go back and correct it! Is this true? I know you can't just go back and change an invoice but whatabout other stuff? Now really worried about if i stuff up the first few things and that screws up the accounts and vat etc! Ah! Why did i think this would be a good idea!

[Eric Mc]

By and large, correcting on Sage is no problem. You can simply go into the "Maintenance" module and delete a transaction. In addition to that, you can always cancel a transaction using a Journal entry.
If the item that needs to be changed is in the Sales or Purchase Ledger areas, then sometimes you might have to create a Dummy Credit Note to correct the entry rather than use a straight Journal.

But mistakes can certainly be corrected.

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 9th February 15:32

[mrsxllifts]

Thanks! Thats one less thing to panic about! Have found a Made Simple book, but that has mixed reviews as to whether its any good but have also found a self learn cr-rom thingy from Sage themselves which looks quite good as it has a simulated version on it to play with as you learn the basics.

All this to make VAT returns easier!

[Eric Mc]

Don't look on Sage (or any book-keeping software) as simply a means to produce your VAT returns. It is, in fact, a very capable accounts software package which, if properly understood and used, will give you good control over the business and the ability to manage and monitor how the business is performing financially.

To make it do all it can do, you do need to get to grips with all the major elements of the software and the inbuilt controls and reconciliation processes.

[mrsxllifts]

Hopefully it should make all our accounting a bit more organised and simpler (once I've got to grips with it) but it was a horrendous VAT return that has really spurred me on to get on with it and get it started. Should mean the end to searching for lost receipts trying to make things tally! Should also make it easier to find out whos not paid and send the boys round! I admit, I am probably the worlds worst for putting accounting things at the bottom of my 'to do' pile!

[Eric Mc]

You will need to keep the system up to date and current to make the most of it. I would try to enter all sales and purchase invoices on a daily basis and try and enter the bank and cash receipts and payments at least every other day.

Are you on any sort of fancy VAT scheme (Cash Accounting or Flat Rate)?

[mrsxllifts]

I am going to make a point of doing the ins and outs at least every other day, its not always possible as we work away sometimes but I am determined to try to make it work.

It gets complicated with VAT. We don't use cash accounting or anything just the bog standard what we've invoiced for type but because about 50% of our customers are zero rated due to disability, it can get a nightmare doing VAT as we have to work out which ones do pay, which ones don't and have signed forms and the ones who haven't signed forms so have to be charged VAT.

[Eric Mc]

Wiil you be using Sage to actually generate your sales invoices or will you be just enterinmg already printed up sales invoices?

[mrsxllifts]

I'm planning on using it to prepare the invoices so its easier to keep up with over due accounts etc.

[Eric Mc]

From the sales and debtors point of view, that is the best way to operate it if you can. At least you won't "forget" to enter any sales invoices as you will need to go to your Sage to produce the invoice in the first place.

[mrsxllifts]

Thats what we are hoping for! It has been a nightmare in the past if customers have paid by cheque before they get an invoice, we bank it, forget to raise invoice, everything becomes a mess trying to tally everything up. This way we will have to raise in invoice in order to credit the account.