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Next up in our series of reviews is the review of Saasu Accounting Software for Sunshine Coast Business Owners, another cloud-based program (see here for an explanation of a cloud-based program) that is relatively new to the market. In case you missed our last post, we have a review of Xero up on the blog and will be working on a comparison of the two programs in the coming days.
Saasu, like Xero, is cloud-based. So just to recap for those who haven’t yet read our article on Xero, some of the major benefits of using cloud-based software are:
We at Darcy Bookkeeping & Business Services really do like cloud-based programs such as Saasu as we feel that they empower the client to get a better picture of the health of their business. The online nature of Saasu means that we’re able to manage the accounts remotely and with fewer man-hours per month/quarter. This means that our clients have a smaller bill from us each quarter, while still having the confidence that their accounts are being managed well. Our clients are also more likely to log into their file and take an interest in the account themselves, helping them to have a greater understanding of the positioning of their business at any given point in time.
Saasu, like Xero, also has automated bank feeds. We love this feature as it helps reduce the man-hours required for data entry and bank reconciliations and also helps reduce human error. All of this translates into direct cost savings for our clients as our billable hours are reduced for clients using programs that have these features.
We also find that the simplicity of bank reconciliations with bank feeds means that some clients are choosing to do their own data entry & bank reconciliations, further reducing their quarterly spending.
Saasu offers both online and phone support, depending on the subscription level that you have. The Extra Small package has no support available, the Small package has email support only and the Medium and Large packages have both email and phone support available. There are, however, training videos available online to help with setting up and using your file. One of the benefits of using a bookkeeper who is a Saasu partner is that often your bookkeeper is able to offer the support that you would normally seek out from Saasu anyway.
Saasu manages all of your payroll needs, including:
Invoicing in Saasu is different to many of the other programs available. The actual creation process is not as straight forward and the layout is quite different, however, if you are a business that sends out a lot of written quotes and then converts these quotes to sales then Saasu makes the process of moving a quote to an invoice simple. The creation of invoices in Saasu is geared more towards bookkeepers and accountants than towards the business owner with regards to tax coding etc, but this is something that t a user should be able to get their head around if they’re using the program regularly.
Saasu pricing is based on a number of factors, mainly the number of transactions required each month, the number of bank accounts being used by the company, payroll features, the level of support required by the client, reports required and multi-currency capabilities. The more basic your company structure and requirements, the lower the subscription rate will be, as the company grows and requirements for additional features increase so too does the subscription fees as more features are unlocked to the client file.
Pricing for a Saasu subscription ranges from $9 to $60 per month including GST. Saasu also offers a free trial period to help customers accurately gauge the level of service they will require. Saasu’s free trial is limited by time, so their trial period is 30 days where you can access the full functions of Saasu and get a real feel for the program regardless of your business size. This allows any business the ability to play with the program for a number of pay periods and really get a feel for how Saasu will work for the business. Business owners can change levels of access during this period and find exactly what will suit their needs. Once the trial period is complete you just pay the subscription and off you go.
The reports offered by Saasu are very limited in their range and the depth of information available, although exporting data to excel is an option in order to manipulate the data to get suitable reports. This does require an above-average understanding of reporting requirements and is a fair bit more complicated than most business owners are willing or able to do on a regular basis.
Overall, we at Darcy Bookkeeping & Business Services find Saasu to be a good choice of software for many businesses. We find that our clients who use Saasu have a better grasp on the health of their business than those using programs that don’t have online capabilities. We also find that these clients have a lower quarterly spend on bookkeeping services, while still keeping their files current. It is important to seek advice as to what level of subscription is required for your business as the features available differ based on the subscription level, as does the level of support offered, but once set up properly Saasu has the potential to be one of the best tools for your business.
