Lawn Care Business Software Versus QuickBooks
Trying to decide whether you need to buy lawn business software versus QuickBooks? Running a lawn care business requires specific tools to manage your fleet, jobs, employees, billing, and payments. Whether you’re running a small lawn care business or landscaping company or handling corporate contracts, chances are you require software to run your business efficiently.
There is a ton of great lawn business software out there to choose from – whether you want quotes, 3D imaging, inventory management, scheduling, or accounting, there is technology out there to get the job done. But, how do you know what’s right for you?
Many small and medium-sized businesses use QuickBooks to manage their accounting. You may have heard it recommended to you, and are wondering if it’s right for your lawn care business. While some lawn care companies do use QuickBooks, it’s definitely not the be-all and end-all of software and it might not be right for you.
What is QuickBooks and why do companies use it?
QuickBooks is an accounting software aimed toward small and medium-sized small business who need a solution for accounting. It manages payments, bills, payroll and other accounting functions.
For the average small business, QuickBooks is a way of keeping track of all accounting.
Is lawn business software versus QuickBooks more helpful?
It really depends. There is a ton of great full-service technology and software available now that will handle your accounting and give you specialized lawn care specific functionalities. Instead of using QuickBooks for accounting, and then another tool for managing your jobs, employees, GPS tracking, and inventory, you can find a catch-all tool that does it all.
At the end of the day, QuickBooks is focused on mostly accounting while lawn care software is focused on the lawn care industry needs, meaning the expertise and development that goes into the software is specifically built for lawn care companies and professionals.
If you’re simply looking for only an accounting tool, then yes QuickBooks might be the right solution. But, as your company grows, you might find that you need a tool that does more for you at a lower price.
How do I find the right software for my company?
The best thing you can do is research and talk to other lawn care maintenance business owners and professionals. Onboarding and training for a new software implementation can be costly, so it’s important you invest in the right solution.
Read reviews and testimonials, watch tutorials, and ask for a demo from the salespeople at a few companies. You may even be able to try a free trial and ask your staff how they felt working with it.
It’s also good practice to do an audit of your current technology and software and see what’s working, what isn’t, and what you are missing. Look at your current pricing and contracts, and try negotiating to either get the cost down or add new features onto existing tools you use.
Lastly, make sure to really outline your business needs and find something that works for you. You don’t need something fancy if what you want to solve for is really simple, so don’t waste your money on a fancy tool or app if you only need something for one function of your business.
Lawn care business software that integrates with QuickBooks
Still trying to decide if using lawn business software versus QuickBooks is better? Why not both? Most lawn business software programs integrate with QuickBooks, so not only do you have all the features you need to run your lawn care business (bids & estimates, scheduling, routing, marketing) but you've also got all the accounting features you need (payroll, general ledger). Look for lawn business software that integrates and syncs the information with QuickBooks.