SOHO Accounting for Windows

available from MAP Pastel

There are so many computerised accounting packages available that anyone starting or running a business must wonder which one to use. Packages like Quicken, QuickBooks, MS Money, Money Manager, Sage and Pegasus were either designed for the small business or are small business versions of fully featured accounting packages used in large organisations. SOHO is less well known, and comes from a South African software house. Trina Keen, a freelance book-keeper, has road tested it, and this is her report.

With clients ranging from a dairy-farmer to an advertising consultant, I use many different software packages. Therefore, I was understandably curious when asked to review a new accounting package, but my initial excitement was to be short lived.

First impressions were good; Soho Accounting installs easily and is the first software package I have come across which allows the creation of multiple companies "under the same roof". After a couple of frustrating false starts, I set up a company and proceeded to process information. Unfortunately, this was not as straightforward as I had hoped.

Where, why and how do you set up a Control Account? Each of my attempts to set up a customer account was thwarted by a request to prepare a Control Account first. I hoped that everything would be explained in the manual, but this was my next disappointment. The manual is presented in a maddeningly illogical manner, and I was unable to locate any helpful reference.

To be fair, I was not able to access the normally-available Help-line, but then you shouldn't need to. It seems that, as with most other software packages, you must have a degree in accounting even to understand the instructions. If Soho is to be aimed at the small or home office, the instructions should be simplified in order for the customer to get the best results possible without going to the expense of "on site" or course training.

Although it is very difficult to get to grips with when bought off the shelf, Soho could be an excellent system. Its major advantage over other accounting programmes such as Sage Instant or Money Manager - also designed for the small business user - must be the facility for multi-company set up. However, this is possibly only beneficial to Book-keepers and Accountants, many of whom might not find the manual so tedious.

SOHO Accounting is available from MAP Pastel, 107 Windsor Road, Werneth, Oldham, Lancashire OL8 1RP Tel: 0161 624 5662
Email: ntgsup@globlnet.co.uk
Internet: http://www.pastel.co.za

Review from 'Progress' published by NEBS Management, June 1998