If you are running a service business, can you use MS Access to bill your clients?

Question

An acquaintance of mine has a service business and uses Quickbooks to create and track all AP and AR. There really is no database outside of many large excel spreadsheets. He is considering using IRM database because it will interface well with Quickbooks. Can Access interface with quickbooks? Can Access perform AR and AP functions and create necessary invoices and statements to send to clients? Can Access track payables and receivables via queries?

Answer 1

MS Access can do all of these things but it is a relational database application, not an accounting application. Therefore, you'd need to design your own tables to store AR and AP information, design your own forms to display and enter data, and write your own reports to print information including checks and invoices.

Quickbooks is a much better application for your purpose because the basic accounting and billing functions are already set up and the user only needs to answer a few set up questions to create all of the functionality you've indicated.

If the basic Quickbooks is not providing enough information, you might consider Quickbooks Pro which offers expanded features for running a business.