This is the last article in our software series - it's meant to be an overview of the options available for tracking your finances and managing your business as a photographer.
There are so many options out there. Here are two big questions to consider.
1) Where do you see your business in 2-3 years?
If your goal is to ramp up your business to $100K and more, my personal favorite option is Quickbooks combined with your choice of business management software. All of these programs offer free trials, so take one of them for a test drive and see what you think. Don't give up on Quickbooks if it looks intimidating. Reach out to a professional for help getting set up and trained on what you need to know.
If you're doing this part-time or just starting out, I would check out Quickbooks Self-employed (the simpler version of Quickbooks) and/or one of the studio management programs discussed in the last article. These are less-expensive options that will still keep your business really organized.
2) Do you plan to eventually delegate your bookkeeping?
If the answer is yes, I recommend getting set up with Quickbooks, as well as a program like Dubsado. Quickbooks is a standard program for accountants and bookkeepers and you'll be in good hands once you're ready to outsource.
If you think you've got it covered, go with a user-friendly, easy to learn program like Quickbooks Self-Employed or Freshbooks. Or check out our DIY Quickbooks for photographers course.
