The Network for Incubator and Commissary Kitchens (NICK) is the largest network of shared kitchen professionals sharing their knowledge and insights daily. Below is a summary of a recent conversation about the various accounting solutions for shared kitchens.
Question
What small business accounting software is everyone using for shared/commissary kitchens? We have started off with Quickbooks but find that our business model doesn’t fit most of the standard categories, and along with some other technical difficulties and customer service lacking at times, we are looking for another platform. Can anyone recommend Freshbooks or something else out there?
Answers
- You can customize the categories. Have you thought about having a CPA come in for an hour or two to help you make it right for your business? It will only take $200 or so. I did that and it was a game changer.
- All CPA’s or bookkeepers are not created equal, as they vary widely in industry experience. Shop around. It is also helpful to flavor your categories to your type of business entity, as tax reporting is MUCH easier if the categories match or come close to the tax form categories.
- I’m a CPA and own a shared kitchen. I use Quickbooks online and am really happy with it.
- I use Quickbooks and the customer service can be a nightmare but it gets the job done. I pay a bookkeeping service to manage the back end and reconcile everything. I just started using Gusto for payroll. So far so great.
- I use Xero accounting software, the invoicing and payroll functions are a breeze.
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I use Quickbooks – and definitely have a pro set that up for ya. It’s a complicated and intricate program that is very powerful!
We also get accounting questions often. Wondering how Quickbooks differs from The Food Corridor? Want to know how to utilize Quickbooks and The Food Corridor together? Check out our knowledge base for best practices for running your business.
