InfoPage: Zipaccs - Putting some zip into keeping the books

Given the choice of keeping a bar or keeping the books, there are very few publicans who would choose the latter.

Unfortunately, the accounts do have to be kept up to date, and it's fair to say that the less time that the chore takes up, the happier most of us will be.

So why do we seem to spend hours grappling with accountancy software that seems to have been designed for use by a computer genius to manage the finances of an international conglomerate?

Even so, it's never been more important to keep proper financial records. The Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise work to demanding targets to reclaim the tax due to them.

Understandably, they concentrate their efforts where they'll produce the greatest effect, and that makes cash businesses like pubs, bars and restaurants an attractive - and easy - target.

The 21st Century has brought a world of choice to the small businessman. The growth in the range and power of the Internet, for example, is making new approaches possible in an incredible range of disciplines. If we're unhappy with a business situation, suddenly we have the power to use the Web to change it.

For the first time, the question "why?" can be applied to question a great many of the dilemmas that face us. We want to run a pub, but we have to spend hours keeping the books up to date… why? When the invoices and bank statements go off to the accountant at year end we don't expect to see any of our records again for months… why? And so on.

Zipaccs Cash Accounting is a product of this new age. It promises an exceptionally simple book keeping package, designed specifically for the licensed trade. It does away with accountancy terms like nominal codes and ledgers and replaces them with the sort of terms we all understand - like "Cash out of the building". It's all designed to free up time, reducing your book keeping to a few minutes a day.

Making it less of a chore means that there's a good chance that the books will actually be maintained - and that you'll have a full record on hand in the event of an inspection. More importantly, you'll have an accurate, easy to understand record of just where your business stands.

The product arrives in a large box containing three ring binders, as well as the package itself on CD-ROM. The folders are designed to hold your all-important receipts, bank statements and so on. When your year end arrives, Zipaccs automatically send a courier to collect the boxful - and to deliver a new set. The folders are then used to prepare your certified year end accounts, which arrive back with you just a few days later - complete with all of your paperwork. This makes Zipaccs Cash Accounting a very competitively priced package at just £90.00 per month.

Most accountants charge £1200-£1500 for preparing certified accounts. The fee has to be paid in a single lump sum, and you still have to buy an accountancy system. On that basis the Zipaccs is around 30% cheaper than the traditional accountant.

Keeping a secure back-up of your accounts is particularly important. Zipaccs Cash Accounting takes care of this by automatically backing up your figures to a secure data vault via the Internet. If something should go wrong, like a computer crash or break-in, then Zipaccs can restore your all-important records in a few minutes. The secure data storage is included in the monthly fee.

Zipaccs also offers a powerful group management system for pub groups or accountancy practices. It gives a real-time overview of the activity of all of the outlets for which a particular manager or accountant is responsible. The system can be extensively tailored to a group's individual needs to provide an unprecedented level of financial control and analysis.

But at the core, the most important aspect of Zipaccs Cash Accounting is its simplicity. It uses plain English and easy, clear screen layouts so that it can be used and understood by people who, let's be honest, would far rather be doing something else.

Zipaccs can be contacted on 01858 439444 or you can find them on the Internet on www.zipaccs.com