Don't buy Quickbooks, get it free...really.

Quickbooks is a very popular small business accounting program. It's cheapest version retails at $99.00 and there are versions well over a $1,000. But, hidden in the recesses of the Quickbooks website, is a free version. It's actually not that hidden, but they don't advertise it on the front page.

The free version is not a trial and it only differs from the $99 version in one way: it does not come with physical checks to put in your printer or the training CD. Other than that, the free version is the simple start version.

A few tips on the free version:
They are going to try and get you to upgrade quite often and they are going to send e-mails to you frequently. However, the e-mails are automatically generated and thus they have an easy to use "opt out" feature. You can find the opt out feature at the bottom of the e-mails. After opting out to a couple e-mails, I made the e-mails stop completely.


Using the Software
Webu offers over the phone or on location quickbooks instruction. An hour or two of training can get a new business owner off the ground and running! Now that you can access the free version, you can use that savings to hire professional training.


Link to the Free Version:
Here is the link to the free version: http://quickbooks.intuit.com/product/accounting-software/free-accounting-software.jsp

I found the link by using the search box on the quickbooks.com website. I searched for "simple start free edition". Several results were provided, and I clicked on the one that mentioned the free edition. The free edition page shows the comparison between the free edition, the $99 edition, and the next one up. As you will see, the free and $99 are almost exactly the same.

On the free version page, you can find the download link on the top right, where you would normally find the "buy now" link.

Good Start
The free version, called "Quickbooks Simple Start Free Edition", is an amazing product for a small business owner who needs to be tracking finances and preparing for taxes. If you end up needing additional services, you can always upgrade. However, most businesses, especially service businesses do not need any other version.


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