If you are determined to get organized in your finances, you need a consistent system. Decide if a spreadsheet is best for you or if it’s time for software with the following criteria:
Use a spreadsheet if you are:
Just starting out
Running a side hustle
Not planning to scale past $50k
Short on money but not time
Low volume
We recommend the Easy Expense Tracker for Photographers for your go-to spreadsheet. It was designed with photographers in mind. You will simply enter your income and expenses for each month to stay up-to-date.
Use a software if you are:
Growing rapidly
At $50K+ revenue and growing
Wanting to get more organized and proactive with your finances
Looking for ways to automate and simplify your workflow
We recommend Quickbooks Online - especially if you hire a pro to do the custom set up for you. There can be a learning curve, but once it is set up you will be positioned to scale and grow with Quickbooks as your back end system for everything financial.
A note about Client Relationships Management software (CRMs), such as Dubsado, Studio Ninja, Honeybook, 17Hats, Tave, etc.
Many CRMs integrate with Quickbooks and push invoices one way from the CRM to Quickbooks. In some cases, we recommend bypassing this integration - it can cause a HUGE mess in Quickbooks if this integration is not properly managed.
Consider using the invoicing and workflow features of the CRM, but use Quickbooks as your overall accounting system. We do not recommend relying on your CRM as your only accounting system. It’s too easy to miss key details and duplicate or under-report financial information on your taxes.
Need to hire a pro to help you get organized?
Tidy Books is a bookkeeping firm for photographers. We specialize in done-for-you bookkeeping set up and financial organization. We love to help photographers get ready for taxes and know their numbers so they can grow and do what they love.