No matter how beginner or experienced you are as a business owner, the standard remains that you need to use an accounting program matched for your business. Matching, however, may be difficult since there could be several factors at play, such as operational size, niche or industry, working knowledge, security, and cost. Your priority among these factors will determine your buying decision. If you are losing time finding the accounting software compatible with your business, you may need to determine first what kind of buyer you are. Here are some that may apply to you:

1. Cost-sensitive buyer

If you are a small business with infrequent bulk sales, it makes sense to hold back on getting a full-featured accounting software. However, providers have learned to adapt to the needs of businesses, so they now provide base packages upgraded with purchase of additional features. Base packages have all the basics included (invoices, timesheets, budgeting, etc.), allowing you to save by paying only for the features you currently need. This flexibility allows business owners to adjust accounting system costs with operational expansion.

2. Support-conscious buyer

You are this type of buyer if you prioritise basic and technical support more than any other feature. Also included in the line of support are the free trainings for the program as well as back-up feature—two qualities to keep you secure in using the accounting software. However, the downside of focusing on support is that you will never know how responsive the provider is unless you purchase the program. Moreover, technical issues may only seldom come up in stable programs, so you cannot make the most of the support offer.

3. Feature-reliant buyer

This type of buyer has a list of necessary features and compares this entry with what the provider offers. You belong in this category if you want the offered features test-driven first before purchasing any package. Once you ensure that the program includes most of the features you need to run your business, you are unlikely to be discouraged by cost or any secondary limiting factor. Consider ease of use if you are this type of buyer.

4. Trust-checking buyer

An accounting software provider that has earned the trust of many will get your attention if you are this type of buyer. Checking comments and reviews about the provider is essential in your search, as much as reading the fine print for any hidden postulates. Since you consider reputation as an anchor for your decision, you will not mind spending more for the accounting software as long as it comes from a trusted, well-established provider.

5. Modern-thinking buyer

Straightforward qualities like process support, integration, and cloud are important to you if you have a modern business mindset. Now that everything is done online, you consider cloud accounting as great way to eliminate time and distance barriers in doing business. If you are a mid-size business, you want accounting software that offers time-saving outsource services. Further, you give plus points to software that integrates well with most accounting systems and allows you to perform some do-it-yourself.