Although QuickBooks is the top choice of accounting software for small businesses, users often discover that the software can't meet all of their financial or business-management needs. To compensate, they purchase additional software applications or scrap QuickBooks altogether in favor of five-figure software programs that promise greater usability and integration.

Both choices are costly mistakes, according to a new report published by the Association of QuickBooks Technologists (AQBT).

"Unfortunately, most CEOs, CFOs and IT directors don't know that there are more than 400 ways to expand QuickBooks with add-ons," says report author Dawn Scranton, a Certified QuickBooks Professional Advisor (CQA), Certified QuickBooks Point of Sale Advisor, and author of the popular book, "QuickBooks Add-ons & Integration Consulting." "So they upgrade to more expensive software programs that promise the integration and usability they want, or they piecemeal their own workaround solutions, which usually results in duplicated effort, wasted time and incorrect data.

"In fact," Scranton adds, "you can expand QuickBooks to do everything the $50,000 software programs do - but for as little as $5,000."

In the report, "7 Ways to Save $30,000+ a Year with QuickBooks Add-Ons," Scranton identifies the most common business challenges that can be solved by expanding QuickBooks.

You can download the report.

About AQBT
AQBT members are advisors and business consultants whose primary mission is to locate, implement and support boxed and custom QuickBooks add-ons. AQBT is a division of Accounting Directors Inc., a QuickBooks consulting firm based in West Palm Beach, Fla.