At a crossroads for CRM/Accounting software

[scovilletech]

Hi guys,

I am at a point in my business where I need to get something better for Accounting software and I'm sick of double entry.

Currently I use PC Repair Tracker for my inventory, ticketing, and invoicing system and I love it! The features that Luke keeps implementing are great and it is really a good system and at the right price, BUT it does not integrate with accounting software.

I use Quicken Home and Business to keep up with the bank account and the sales tax information/accounting stuff as well. I use Quicken H&B because I have used Quicken in my home for many years and it just seemed the natural fit.

Here's the issue, though:

I am tired of having to invoice in PCRT and then having to enter an invoice into Quicken again. I have tried Quickbooks 2014, but it is expensive, has a learning curve, and worst of all, my bank does not use the QBO format, so I can't webconnect into QB.

I have also played around with QB online, but I just can't see the $25-$30 per month cost. I have also tried WorkingPoint after hearing about it on a podcast. It's cheaper and seems to do everything I need, but the interface can be a bit cumbersome sometimes and I don't know how well accountants will work with it (don't have an accountant yet).

Right now, I'm trying out Freshbooks and I like its features and the ability for clients to pay and keep track of their invoices online. That's pretty cool, BUT it doesn't keep track of the whole bank register, just income and expenses, which I guess is really all you need. I am guessing if I use it, then I may stop invoicing through PCRT and just use it for ticketing and inventory, but there again, double entry. Freshbooks costs the same as working point, so that's good.

I keep waffling back and forth trying out different things, not wanting to pull the trigger and spend the money; wondering if I should just suck it up and stay with what I have. Back a few months ago when I was trying out Quickbooks, I looked at MHelpdesk and RepaiShopr for CRM, because both of them integrate with QB, but they are pricey, especially MHelp at $75/month, but the lack of web connect to my bank killed that for me.

Just don't know what to do and looking for good advice. My business is still part time/moonlighting so I don't want to fork over $30 a month if I don't have to, and I want to get the right system. Any guidance would be great!

Thanks!

 

[neotechnet]

You should check out CommitCRM. I purchased about 6 months ago and it was well worth it but not cheap.

It integrates with QB, I spent about $2k on CRM and QB and have it all hosted on a VPS but I might be bringing it in house.

Before this setup I had docs all over the place, tickets in one system, assets in another, none of them worked together. Time tracking in Freshbooks was impossible, I like freshbooks but if it's a very general accounting software.

It's a heft up front cost but CRM is also a full PSA so you can track tickets, assets, articles, time and a bunch of other things. With a few clicks you can export it right into QB. Considering the hundreds of dollars a month for autotask or Connectwise I considered it a good long term investment

 

[scovilletech]

I downloaded the trial now. How do you have it setup on a vps? Looks like you have to have another addon to RDP into it.

 

[neotechnet]

Yes I use RDP to access it.

 

[tom11011]

There is no product on the market right now that integrates accounting into a single software package other than a full blown ERP system.

Here is something you could consider doing though.

We have several programs that handle various parts of the business. One program is used for the webhosting part of the business and handles the invoicing and support for that. Another program does the same thing, except its a different portal for voip customers.

Now, if I had to enter all that info for each customer in the portal and quickbooks, it would be maddening. Here is what we do.

Each portal becomes a "customer" in quickbooks.

For example, my webhosting portal that invoices and collects money from customers is called "webhosting" in quickbooks, thats the name of my customer.

In essence, quickbooks sees all the customer income generated from the webhosting portal as a single customer and entries are made this way daily into quickbooks.

 

[scovilletech]

Yes I use RDP to access it.

Help me understand why Commit requires an expensive thrid party addon just to RDP into your machine?! I love the software, but it's gonna cost me nearly $900 to get all the features I want.

I can understand needing the SQL database thing if you are running the system from a network share and connecting to it from multiple machines, but just on one machine for you to RDP into? I don't get the need for that, why doesn't RDP just work like it does for everything else on the server?

Anyway, I like the features and things Commit offers, just a large chunk to swollow at one time, but at least there's no annual payments if you don't want to upgrade.

 

[neotechnet]

I don't really know it's not my product. From what I understand when I first purchased it you can use VPN as well if it's not on the local network but I decided to use RDP instead. You also get the benefits of the full featured database as well. They have a web interface but that's a bit trimmed down, I only use RDP.

No it's not cheap at all but you get what you pay for and when you factor in what other providers want to charge per month you can recoup that cost pretty quickly actually.

 

[mhelpdesk]

Mhelpdesk is $25 per user for Technibble members only. You need to call in to get this price though since it isn't available to the general public. Just let us know what your TN member name is and we'll take care of you.

Call 888-558-6275 ext 1. Make sure you tell them you are a TN member.

 

[SAG]

Help me understand why Commit requires an expensive thrid party addon just to RDP into your machine?! I love the software, but it's gonna cost me nearly $900 to get all the features I want.

I can understand needing the SQL database thing if you are running the system from a network share and connecting to it from multiple machines, but just on one machine for you to RDP into? I don't get the need for that, why doesn't RDP just work like it does for everything else on the server?

Anyway, I like the features and things Commit offers, just a large chunk to swollow at one time, but at least there's no annual payments if you don't want to upgrade.

It's just the way they market it. Nothing about the actual coding prevents its usefulness via RDP, they just want to charge more for the ability to do so.
At the cost of the software (it is pretty inexpensive), I don't really blame them. Lots of software companies do this. Moving to CommitCRM from Connectwise where I spent a small fortune monthly was well worth the effort.

Pro Tip: If you have the application already running when you RPD into the machine it works just fine. The issue is starting the application, where it does a pre-check to see if you are in an RDP enviroment.

 

[pcman2010]

I'm a freshbooks user and I finally moved up the paid member level after a few years. They have a feature that you can link up your business checking account but I tried that out yet. I do love the invoice and so do my clients. They just came out a feature that asks my clients their opinion on my work and asks for referrals. I may move to QB after next year, if I'm don't have a fulltime offer on the table.

 

[scovilletech]

Glad to hear that about mhelpdesk!! I will be giving a call. I like CommitCRM, but I just don't understand why they have to be so locked down. I do agree on the cost of the software and agree that they need to charge for what it does, but they could lesson up a bit on some things, for example, I was playing with the trial. I installed the software on my server, but on a mapped drive so the files sit on my RAID NAS instead of the single drive in the server. None of the services for email connector or web service will start, because it can't find the file. Really?

Tech support says that it can't run from a mapped drive. OK, I get that maybe the service could not start on bootup, because the drive may not be up yet, but this server never reboots and I could delay the service startup, until the drive is mapped.

Not here to complain about Commit, that's not what this thread is for, just my observations. I do like the product and what all they offer, yes I think they could bundle the email part at least into the program and charge a bit more for it, but it's not too bad. Just a large chunk for me to swallow right now, because not to mention, I am going to still have to buy QB, too. Maybe I'll give them another try when I'm a bit bigger.

 

[AndyM]

How about connecting to your NAS through an iSCSI connection?

I made the switch from Connectwise (previously on Autotask), to CommitCRM. Haven't looked back since installing it. It just works.

I set up a PC with RAID that specifically runs CommitCRM, ScreenConnect, ESET Remote Administrator, and Storagecraft Shadow Protect & Image Manager. It has a copy of Office 2010 on it, and the PC is hardly touched. Just sits there nicely, doing its job

Andy

 

[scovilletech]

How about connecting to your NAS through an iSCSI connection?

I made the switch from Connectwise (previously on Autotask), to CommitCRM. Haven't looked back since installing it. It just works.

I set up a PC with RAID that specifically runs CommitCRM, ScreenConnect, ESET Remote Administrator, and Storagecraft Shadow Protect & Image Manager. It has a copy of Office 2010 on it, and the PC is hardly touched. Just sits there nicely, doing its job

Andy

The iSCSI connection worked. Now the services start. I have pretty much what you do, except my server is headless and I don't have office on it, yet.

Now if I can just get into it remotely via RDP, then I should be good. I have the client installed on my laptop, which is fine when I'm in the house, but I would like to be able to get to the full program when I'm at my day job or anywhere else. VPN would be OK, but the firewall at my day job has it blocked. I can get to the server via RDP and that works just fine. I use that all the time when I want to update screen connect (or do anything else around the firewall). I guess I can hook up a monitor and keyboard, then start the program and just leave it running and unhook.