Simply Accounting courses online offer valuable career training for bookkeepers, office managers, and small-business owners.
The Program
Simply Accounting, published by Sage Software, is a leading name in small business accounting software. It is used for tracking funds, managing accounts, and processing payroll at companies and home offices throughout the United States and Canada.
Simply Accounting Courses Online from Sage Software
Sage calls its online offerings "Anytime Interactive." Online training is currently available on the following topics:
- What's New in Simply Accounting 2008 and What's New in Simply Accounting 2007: Make sure you are getting the most from your software with an overview of its newest features.
- Setting Up a New Business: For new users, properly setting up a new business within the program is essential to future success.
- Payroll: Learn the ins and outs of the Simply Accounting payroll module.
- Reporting: Once you've learned how to input all of your business' bookkeeping information, the next step is learning how to access and manage reports created from the data.
Courses are available for 60 days after registration and may be accessed as often as needed. Students can pay and register easily online. Most courses cost $99 CDN. Although the most recent "What's New" course is free, it is the most likely to promote the latest features and encourage upgrades.
Classes from Other Sources
In addition to the online training provided by Sage Software, several post-secondary schools offer their own classes focused on the program.
College of the Rockies
College of the Rockies includes the course Computerized Bookkeeping: Simply Accounting in its offerings. The class takes students through general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, inventory, project costing, company setup, and account linking. However, prerequisites may make it difficult for students not currently enrolled in the office administration and technology program at the school to participate.
Centennial College
Centennial College provides 30 hours of instruction in the accounting program. Students will leave the class having built a complete set of books and with the knowledge necessary to input information and access reports on a daily basis.
Before You Enroll
Most schools allow non-degree candidates to enroll as continuing education students to take one or two classes for professional development. Check with the registrar's office at each school for information on enrollment requirements and tuition costs.
You will need access to the software in order to complete these Simply Accounting courses online. This is a disadvantage of online learning, because if you were attending class at a physical university you would be able to take advantage of computer labs. Whether you will need to spend extra hours at the office, or install the program on your home computer, be sure to make arrangements before signing up for a class.
Other Online Resources
Perhaps you don't need an involved course to help you learn every aspect of Simply Accounting. Whether you are just looking for the answer to a specific problem or interested in the latest updates, Sage Software offers other online resources to assist users:
- Blogs highlight support specialists answering common questions, developers divulging the upcoming features, and certified consultants offering a more general perspective on the software.
- The Knowledgebase catalogs answers to hundreds of questions about the program, including installation, working with firewalls, and troubleshooting common error messages. If your search does not help you solve your current issue, click on the "Live Chat Assistance" link for personalized support.
- Forums let you communicate with other users to share your problems and successes.
