Online Small Business Accounting Software Frequently Asked Questions
Online Accounting Software
BIG4books.com Online Accounting Software
Setup an Account
- How do I setup my BIG4books.com account?
- How do I get a Tour of the system?
- What is my administrator account?
- Why do I need an administrator account?
- What is the difference between my administrator and user account(s)?
- What if I am the only person handling the bookeeping?
- How do I modify my chart of accounts and other one-time setup items?
Security
- How is my data secured?
- How is my password secured?
- How are my communications secured?
- Would my small business accounting data be more secure on my own server?
- What about my credit card information?
- What about identify theft?
- What about access from a public place?
- What about access from a public internet terminal?
- What steps should I take to prevent unauthorized access to my data?
Online Accounting Software
What is Online Accounting Software?
Online Accounting Software is similar to existing small business accounting packages. But instead of installing it on your small
business accounting server or personal computer, it is installed in a secure data center managed by a professional support staff.
Instead of accessing the small business accounting software using a native windows or macintosh user interface running on your
local computer, you access the accounting software using any standard Web Browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, or
your Macintosh browser.
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What are some of the benefits of Online Small Business Accounting Software?
There are many benefits to using online accounting software. Here are a few:
- Available Anywhere, Anytime. Since online accounting software is accessed over the internet, you can use it from anywhere in the world, at any time of day or night. Simply go to the url of the site and log in. No need to be physically at your computer or at your office.
- The Software is always at the latest revision. No need to worry about upgrades, or paying for maintenance contracts, or version incompatibilities. The online software vendor updates the software on the secure web server hosting the software, and when you access the site, you always have the latest software
- Virus and malware free. No need to worry about a virus getting on your computer and corrupting your accounting software or small business accounting data base. The online accounting software server is operating in a secure, firewall protected, virus protected environment
- Disaster Proof. The online small business accounting software data base is backed up, at least nightly, typically in multiple physical locations. You don't need to worry that your accounting data will be wiped out by a hard drive crash or user error on your local computer.
- Security. Your online accounting software database is located on a secure server in a secure environment. Typically, the data base is protected via encryption techniques and passwords. No need to worry that an unscrupulous employee, contractor, vendor, or competitor will gain access to your data and competitive information, such as your financial accounting data or customer lists.
- Low cost. Online small business accounting software can be offered at low cost because the cost of deploying it is low. Typically, many small businesses are sharing the physical hardware, which means the cost of environmental monitoring and control, software licensing, hardware, network connections, tech support, etc. are spread across many users.
- Easy to Use. Typical online accounting software is user friendly and easy to use, with a simple, web based graphical interface that most of us are now familiar with through our use of the world wide web. You can use your favorite browser to access it. No need to learn to use a specific operating system. If you are using Windows, Macintosh, or Linux, you continue to use it.
- Consistent Vendor Support. Because the online accounting software is usually Web-based, the vendor does not have to support versions for each supported computer and operating system. This reduces the vendor workload, insures consistency between all users, and allows the vendor to spend more time on feature upgrades and improvements.
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- Available Anywhere, Anytime. Since online accounting software is accessed over the internet, you can use it from anywhere in the world, at any time of day or night. Simply go to the url of the site and log in. No need to be physically at your computer or at your office.
- The Software is always at the latest revision. No need to worry about upgrades, or paying for maintenance contracts, or version incompatibilities. The online software vendor updates the software on the secure web server hosting the software, and when you access the site, you always have the latest software
- Virus and malware free. No need to worry about a virus getting on your computer and corrupting your accounting software or small business accounting data base. The online accounting software server is operating in a secure, firewall protected, virus protected environment
- Disaster Proof. The online small business accounting software data base is backed up, at least nightly, typically in multiple physical locations. You don't need to worry that your accounting data will be wiped out by a hard drive crash or user error on your local computer.
- Security. Your online accounting software database is located on a secure server in a secure environment. Typically, the data base is protected via encryption techniques and passwords. No need to worry that an unscrupulous employee, contractor, vendor, or competitor will gain access to your data and competitive information, such as your financial accounting data or customer lists.
- Low cost. Online small business accounting software can be offered at low cost because the cost of deploying it is low. Typically, many small businesses are sharing the physical hardware, which means the cost of environmental monitoring and control, software licensing, hardware, network connections, tech support, etc. are spread across many users.
- Easy to Use. Typical online accounting software is user friendly and easy to use, with a simple, web based graphical interface that most of us are now familiar with through our use of the world wide web. You can use your favorite browser to access it. No need to learn to use a specific operating system. If you are using Windows, Macintosh, or Linux, you continue to use it.
- Consistent Vendor Support. Because the online accounting software is usually Web-based, the vendor does not have to support versions for each supported computer and operating system. This reduces the vendor workload, insures consistency between all users, and allows the vendor to spend more time on feature upgrades and improvements.
What are the drawbacks of Online Accounting Software?
There aren't many drawbacks to using online small business accounting software. Some possibilities are:
- Availability of internet connection. Since the software is accessed online, you must have a working internet connection to use it. 10 years ago this may have been an issue. But these days, the internet is extremely reliable. Access from your home or workplace is very low cost. Access in public places, such as libraries or coffee shops, is widely available.
- Vendor Longevity. What happens if the Online accounting software vendor goes out of business? In the case of software running on your local pc, at least you still have the software even if the vendor is gone and you have no support. This is no different, really, than any vendor you depend on. But, typical online small business accounting software provides you with a way to export and backup your data, which could be imported into another system. Another possibility is that the online accounting software vendor will make the software available to you so you could, in theory, deploy it yourself on your own server if need be.
- The Data is not on 'my' computer. Most online accounting software systems will allow you to export and backup your data to your local hard drive.
- Someone could access your proprietary accounting information. Look for an online accounting vendor that has secure, password protected storage of your data in a data base separate from other users' data, and uses encryption techniques to prevent unauthorized access to your data.
- Speed of access. Since the software is accessed over the internet, there could be delays due to the distance to the data center. This is a possibility if the server is located, for example, in New York and you are in Washington State, or Western Canada. Or likewise if the server is in Western Canada or Washington State and you are in Florida. A server located in a central location, such as the Midwest or Texas may be better suited to address this issue. However, the speed issue may be more than offset by the difference between the high speed processors and servers used to run the online accounting software, compared to the slower computer system you are likely to have.
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- Availability of internet connection. Since the software is accessed online, you must have a working internet connection to use it. 10 years ago this may have been an issue. But these days, the internet is extremely reliable. Access from your home or workplace is very low cost. Access in public places, such as libraries or coffee shops, is widely available.
- Vendor Longevity. What happens if the Online accounting software vendor goes out of business? In the case of software running on your local pc, at least you still have the software even if the vendor is gone and you have no support. This is no different, really, than any vendor you depend on. But, typical online small business accounting software provides you with a way to export and backup your data, which could be imported into another system. Another possibility is that the online accounting software vendor will make the software available to you so you could, in theory, deploy it yourself on your own server if need be.
- The Data is not on 'my' computer. Most online accounting software systems will allow you to export and backup your data to your local hard drive.
- Someone could access your proprietary accounting information. Look for an online accounting vendor that has secure, password protected storage of your data in a data base separate from other users' data, and uses encryption techniques to prevent unauthorized access to your data.
- Speed of access. Since the software is accessed over the internet, there could be delays due to the distance to the data center. This is a possibility if the server is located, for example, in New York and you are in Washington State, or Western Canada. Or likewise if the server is in Western Canada or Washington State and you are in Florida. A server located in a central location, such as the Midwest or Texas may be better suited to address this issue. However, the speed issue may be more than offset by the difference between the high speed processors and servers used to run the online accounting software, compared to the slower computer system you are likely to have.
BIG4books.com Online Accounting Software
What is BIG4books.com Online Accounting Software all about?
BIG4books.com delivers general purpose small business accounting software, as a service over
the internet. This is generally known as SAAS ( software as a service ) in the industry. In the case of accounting and
bookeeping software, this service is also known as Online Small Business Accounting Software, Web Based Accounting
Software, Simple Small Business Accounting Software, and other descriptive names.
With our method of software delivery, users do not have to assume the costs involved in owning and deploying a small business accounting software package on their own server. The costs avoided include initial purchase, owning and operating a server to run the accounting software, managing and purchasing accounting software updates, performing system backup and restore, the energy cost to run the server, and others.
Beyond the direct financial costs, you avoid the risk of data loss due to viruses and other malware infecting your local computer.
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With our method of software delivery, users do not have to assume the costs involved in owning and deploying a small business accounting software package on their own server. The costs avoided include initial purchase, owning and operating a server to run the accounting software, managing and purchasing accounting software updates, performing system backup and restore, the energy cost to run the server, and others.
Beyond the direct financial costs, you avoid the risk of data loss due to viruses and other malware infecting your local computer.
How can it be free?
The BIG4books.com basic online accounting service is free to use because we have sponsored advertising. When you use
BIG4books.com in the free mode, small text based ads from our sponsors will appear in the menu area
of the displayed pages. Our advertisers believe they have products and services that you may be interested in.
If you visit one of our sponsor's sites by clicking on their link, BIG4books.com will
receive a small renumeration. This helps defray our costs of operating the online accounting software service.
If you like our small business accounting software,
we ask that you consider upgrading to a paid membership and the advertising will be disabled if you wish.
In addition, you will receive benefits including automatic, organization specific nightly backup, email and/or telephone support,
increased user limits, and more.
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How safe is my data?
Very safe. As discussed in the Security section of the faq, best practices for internet security
have been used to insure the safety of your information when using our small business accounting software. This includes
use of SSL/TLS, encryption of the data and passwords, and use of one of the most secure data centers in the world.
Your information is safer using the BIG4books.com online accounting software than it would be on your own servers
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Why would I use BIG4books.com?
BIG4books.com provides you with a professional, secure online accounting software package for free. What more
can we say? Well, how about the fact that you don't have to spend time purchasing, downloading, installing,
maintaining, or upgrading your own small business accounting software? Or the fact that you don't have to
purchase or maintain a
server computer to run your accounting software? BIG4books.com is definitely worth a try if you are a small
business in need of accounting software
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Setup an Account
How do I setup my BIG4books.com account?
Click Create an Online Accounting Software account or
the 'create account' selection in the main menu bar to setup your BIG4books.com account.
Please click Online Accounting Software Help or the 'help' selection in the main menu bar and review the 'Quick Start Guide' for a complete description of setting up and working with the system.
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Please click Online Accounting Software Help or the 'help' selection in the main menu bar and review the 'Quick Start Guide' for a complete description of setting up and working with the system.
How do I get a Tour of the system?
Please review Online Accounting Software Quick Start Guide
or select the 'Quick Start Guide' in the 'help' system to get a feel for the screens and
some of the basic features of the system. Since BIG4books.com is free to use, the quickest way
for you to decide if it is right for your business is to create an account and start using it.
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What is my administrator account?
When you create your BIG4books.com account, an 'administrator' login is created for you. You
will login using the administrator login when you need to perform administrative functions, such
as adding additional 'user' accounts and select various options for your BIG4books.com account.
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Why do I need an administrator account?
The BIG4books.com system supports multiple users for your organization. Your administrator account
allows you to create users and control access to your organizations accounting information. Your
administrator account also allows you to change global options for your organization, create
backups, perform restores, and other operations.
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What is the difference between my administrator and user account(s)?
First and foremost, the administrator account is used to create user accounts and control access to
the accounting data and features. The user accounts are used to actually perform the accounting
functions. BIG4books.com supports multiple users for your organization, with different access controls
for each user. For example, the person handling only accounts payables does not need to have access to
your businesses balance sheet or income statement.
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What if I am the only person handling the bookeeping?
You still need to have a 'user' account for yourself in addition to the administrator account.
The administrator account and your first user account were automatically setup when you created your
BIG4books.com account. You can login to the user account to work with the accounting software. Use
the admin account only for administrative functions. You don't need to create another user account
unless someone else will need access to the system.
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How do I modify my chart of accounts and other one-time setup items?
Your first 'user' account has access to the menu items under 'System', for example,
'System - Chart of Accounts - Add Account', 'System - Chart of Accounts - List Accounts', etc.
When you login as this user, you can perform the system setup that other users depend on. Normally
you do not want all the users to have access to the System menu items.
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Security
How is my data secured?
Your small business accounting data, including your password, is encrypted on our servers. When you
create your online acounting setup at BIG4books.com, a separate data base for your accounting data is created on our
secure servers. Your data is never intermingled with other users' data. We use a well established, industrial quality,
trusted data base system that has been in use in industry for decades.
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How is my password secured?
To start with, our online accounting software forces you to use a password that has secure characteristics. Then, your password
is encrypted on our servers using one-way encryption. The password that you use does not actually exist on our servers.
This means that even BIG4books.com personnel are unable to view your password or data.
These security measures mean that we cannot determine your password for you if you forget it. However, it can be reset to a random value that only you will know. You may then change the password to something easier to remember.
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These security measures mean that we cannot determine your password for you if you forget it. However, it can be reset to a random value that only you will know. You may then change the password to something easier to remember.
How are my communications secured?
The BIG4books.com online accounting software web site utilizes best practices in internet security.
This includes the use of SSL/TLS. Information transmitted to and from your computer is encrypted enroute using the
best available encryption technology. This prevents eavesdropping on your small business accounting data
by third parties. We use the same techniques that major financial institutions are using millions of times per
day to protect financial transactions on the internet.
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Would my small business accounting data be more secure on my own server?
No. When you use the BIG4books.com online accounting software, you are realizing the benefits of a professionally operated data
center, which until now have only been available to the largest corporations and organizations. Our servers are located in one of the
most modern and secure data centers in the world, and are backed up and duplicated in multiple physical sites. Your data is
significantly more secure on the BIG4books.com servers than it would be if you were to operate your own servers and deploy and
maintain the software yourself
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What about my credit card information?
When you use your credit card to sign up for the Silver or Gold versions of our online accounting software, you are re-directed
to our secure payment gateway operated by Authorize.net, which is the leading vendor of secure
payment solutions on the internet. You will never enter your credit information into the BIG4books.com small business
accounting software or website, and we never store it or have access to it. We have taken this approach to help insure the
security of your credit information. To put it simply, If we don't have your credit information, we can't disclose it or use it.
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What about identify theft?
As discussed above, you will never enter your credit card information into the BIG4books.com small business accounting software.
You will also never need to enter government identification information, such as your social security
number or employer identification number. You will normally enter your business name, address, and telephone numbers. However, this is
normally publicly available information which cannot in and of itself be used to 'steal' your identity. You are also welcome to enter a
false business name, address, telephone number, etc. into the online accounting software, but realize that when you generate a
statement or report, the 'false' information will appear in the report heading.
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What about access from a public place?
One of the benefits of our online accounting software is that you can access it from anywhere, anytime. You can access your business
accounting information from a coffee shop with wi-fi, from your hotel room, or while traveling on a wi-fi equipped train. As discussed
above, your communications are secured using SSL/TLS. Therefore, no one can eavesdrop electronically while you are using the system.
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What about access from a public internet terminal?
Since our system is online and web-based, your accounting data is not stored on your local computer. So, even when accessing the
system from a public computer, such as in a public library, none of your information will be downloaded to the computer. However,
if you choose to download a backup of your data, it would be stored on the computer. So, if you need to make a backup in this case,
you should download it only onto a removable media that you take away with you, such as a floppy disc.
Another issue to be aware of is to be sure to logout from the accounting software when you are done using it. For your protection, the BIG4books.com online accounting software does have a 15 minute inactivity timeout. This means that if you were to walk away from a public computer, the system would automatically log you out after 15 minutes of inactivity.
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Another issue to be aware of is to be sure to logout from the accounting software when you are done using it. For your protection, the BIG4books.com online accounting software does have a 15 minute inactivity timeout. This means that if you were to walk away from a public computer, the system would automatically log you out after 15 minutes of inactivity.
What steps should I take to prevent unauthorized access to my data?
The most important step you need to take is to keep your username and password secret.
Also, take care to logout from the online accounting software when walking away from your desk.
This is particularly important
if you decide to access BIG4books.com from a public internet terminal. If you decide to maintain
backup copies of your database, the backup files should be encrypted, and multiple copies should
be maintained in separate physical locations
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