I love spreadsheets. Seriously, I do - it’s true. I guess it’s just the way my brain is wired. So, when I started my small business in earnest a few years ago, I was like “Financial accounting & bookkeeping? Oh, I got this one – I’ll make spreadsheets!”

…So why then, after nearly two years of manually keeping the books on various spreadsheets, was I finding it so difficult?

That is because entering transactions manually is really a drag – and as much as I love spreadsheets, accounting isn’t my forte. Especially when I know there is a better, and faster, way and who isn’t always super crunched for time? I recently started looking into software like Quickbooks and scouring blogs and websites dedicated to helping small businesses manage financial bookkeeping and taxes (don’t even get me started on taxes!). I was stressing myself out because I couldn’t seem to find a good, easy and affordable solution. I knew there must be a way to rope all of the devices, accounts and ways we collect money from our customers into one single application…

Through the grapevine, after the very successful launch of the recent Hello Etsy symposium, I heard about Outright.com. At first I was skeptical – was this just another one of those dashboard type programs (or like many apps that I come across these days that are pointless) - something claiming to be more useful than it truly is? …nonetheless I was intrigued, so I dug in some more.

Outright.com is a platform that loops in all of the different sources of income that a small business may use (like Paypal, bank accounts, Etsy, Ebay, etc.) and it keeps track of taxes all in one easy to use account. The creators of Outright.com came from Intuit (that’s Quickbooks, by the way), so we know they know their stuff. Launched in 2008, Outright has over 100,000 business users. I am now one of them.

For the past 2 months I have been a happy Outright.com user. I’ve linked my Paypal, Etsy, business checking and savings accounts and am ‘teaching’ the program to recognize my reoccurring entries. It’s simple, easy to use and I can keep a close eye on my spending with real clarity. Since I’m a visual person, the charts are one of my favorite features. You don’t have to be a savvy accountant to feel confident and knowledgeable about your finances.

If you are an Etsy seller, Outright is offering free accounts! Just hop on over to their Etsy seller Outright signup page for your free account and to learn more!

In conjunction to offering free accounts, Outright has signed up to be a lead sponsor for The {NewNew} Holiday Handmade Cavalcade in December!

Thanks!

Corey // Sans Map

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