Big Business accounting and inventory software is a Windows and Mac accounting package designed for the small to medium size business.
Big Business Rises Above The Rabble
By Kathy Yakal
Some lucky folks get to rise above their dubious origins. So it is with Big Business, an accounting package that started out on the Macintosh platform. Not only has it just become a Windows citizen, it's also the first 32-bit accounting package for Windows 95 and Windows NT that's geared toward small businesses.
Big Business does show its Mac heritage--in fact, the Mac version still exists--but it also offers unique features not found in many of its Windows competitors. This includes contact management and scalability. We tested the beta version; the final product should be shipping by the time you read this.
A double-entry accounting system that complies fully with GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), Big Business has core modules that reflect essential accounting functions: You get Customer, Vendor, Item, and Bookkeeping modules, which serve as the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Inventory, and General Journal and Chart of Accounts sections, respectively. Then there's the Banking module, for managing financial transactions; and the Employee module, for managing basic personnel files. Other sections let you maintain a contact database and track tasks.
The package also gives designers of forms and reports unusual flexibility. Hidden treasures, such as the Profitability calculator in the invoicing section, provide welcome bookkeeping assistance.
On our tests, we ran Big Business through the basic paces required of a small-business accounting program. In any given section, we were able to enter data and process transactions, as we would in other Windows accounting programs. When we opened the Customer module, for example, and clicked on the Quote icon, we got a standard sales-quote form. Using pull-down lists, where available, we simply filled in the necessary fields.
Also, we clicked on the Profitability tab to experiment with various values in the transaction, changing, for example, the profitability percentage, price, and extended price. Big Business was pretty convenient. For example, when we shot an e-mail note to a colleague on our LAN about the sales quote, the package automatically turned that note into an invoice. Also, we found that as we switched from one module to another, the modifiable toolbar changed to reflect the new set of tasks.
Big Business is a scalable product: You can buy only the standalone version and then move up to the client/server version, Big Business Server, without having to learn a new program. Also, a Web Server version lets you transfer inventory items automatically to a sales site on the Internet or an intranet.
But Big Business has several deficits. The program still has its original Mac look and feel. And there's no built-in payroll function, though you can import payroll data from CheckMark Payroll.
There are already many Windows accounting packages for small businesses. Peachtree Software's Peachtree Accounting and Intuit's QuickBooks, both market leaders, may have the edge in usability but lack the features of Big Business. They and their competitors are still 16-bit packages, whereas Big Business has the special advantages of a 32-bit product. It's worth some thought if you think you'll eventually want client/server or Web support or task and contact management. If you're not looking for such expandability, and you're wary of taking on a new interface, then stick with what you have.
About...
Big Business, Inc. - Big Business 2.07
PROS: Solid accounting tools; easy operation; client/server scalability.
CONS: Retains its Macintosh look and feel; import payroll feature.Big Business is a very capable small to medium size business accounting program.
COMPANY: Big Software, Inc., Cupertino, CA
PRICE: Single user, $395; Big Business Server and three users, $999 to $1,999; each additional user, $199 to $299
AVAILABILITY: Now
UPGRADE: 2.07
OS SUPPORT: Win 95, Win NT 4.0, MAC OS/8
PHONE: 650-424-0636; 360-740-9881
URL: www.bigbusiness.com