Awards: Small business accounts software

Winner: Instant Accounting 97

Selecting the winner of our annual small business accounts award is never an easy task. There's no such thing as the ideal package - there are as many views on what makes a good one as there are small businesses.

This year we managed to narrow the field down to three main choices; Instant Accounting 97 from Sage, M.Y.O.B. v6 and Pastel Accounting. In the end the first was the victor.

Instant Accounting 97 is a simple bookkeeping package for very small businesses. It's inexpensive, easy to use, keeps track of all sales and purchase records, and knows about cash VAT accounting (a boon to small businesses struggling against late payers). And you don't need to be an accountant to use it.

It's equally happy trading in cash or on credit and, despite having a full audit trail, allows limited error-correction. Invoices can be product or service-based and can include free-text. Invoice layouts can use either standard templates or your own design and can then be printed on plain paper or pre-printed stationery. There's no stock control, although products (or services) and prices can be pre-defined for consistency.

Though running under Windows 3.1 as happily as under Windows 95, Instant Accounting 97 now boasts a Microsoft Office 97-like button-bar. One button launches your browser putting you on the Internet at Sage's Web page (www.sagesoft.co.uk/) which contains a mix of Sage news and advertising plus, later this year, on-line support. Also built in is a link to Sage's forthcoming new version of Instant Payroll, so you'll be able to post payroll figures automatically.

Importantly, Instant Accounting 97 is proof against the 'millennium bug' a feature you do need now - and should presumably see you through to 9999. There's a facility for batched entry of bank payments and receipts as well as invoices, credit notes and statements. Other new features include on-line help Wizards to assist in certain lesser- used procedures, like transferring money from one bank, cash or credit card account to another; and more flexible reports.

If you haven't already computerised your (small) business, Sage's Instant Accounting 97 offers an ideal start.

Combining all the basic features that are needed by the smaller business, without confusing accountant-speak, Instant Accounting 97 is also one of the easiest accounting programs available. The price is right as well.

- #98.99 (inc VAT)

- Sagesoft: 0191 255 0608

Instant Accounting 97

Features: 4/5

Ease of use: 4/5

Value for money: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Runner-Up: M.Y.0.B v6

M.Y.O.B. takes a more traditional approach to accounting. This is fully-visible integrated double-entry accounting. Three main ledgers nominal, sales, purchase - plus stock control, a card file of addresses, and chequebook records, form a system wherein some accounting familiarity is definitely required. As is more money.

For the price you get eight types of account, four levels of account nesting, and 10 single-letter identifiers, enabling you to analyse everything from purchase control to sales prospecting. You can establish any number of jobs for each customer, each job's income and expenditure is separately tracked. 'Pending' or pro forma invoices can be used as quotations and give a passable imitation of a sales order processing function.

Stock control is automatic but can be manually adjusted.

- #229.12 (inc VAT)

- BestWare UK: 0800 026 0261

Runner-Up: MAP Pastel Accounting

Another accountants' package, Pastel Accounting offers a comprehensive set of small business features. Version 4.1a incorporates customisable layouts; drill-down enquiries; better reporting; double-checking, batch updating, period closing - and it's multi-currency as standard, handling up to 16 foreign currencies.

In addition to its general ledger, cash book, sales and purchasing ledgers, invoicing, job costing, budgets and a report writer, you get up to 10 cash books, 30 separate tax types, and 32 types of entry. You also get a 'manufacturing' module with bills of materials and parts build-up, with Pastel calculating the finished cost, mark-up and selling price of the manufactured item. As well as inventory item codes, Pastel handles bar codes and bin numbers for inventory items.

- #468.82 (inc VAT)

- MAP Pastel: 0161 624 5662.