Article
From frustration to freedom: The case for smarter financial management
May 20, 2025
Although small business accounting software is generally able to accommodate a growing business’s needs in the beginning, it tends to struggle to scale and adapt as their business grows. Because of its inability to scale easily with growth, businesses often face additional challenges that create a ripple effect, causing them to seek “quick” fixes like manual workarounds. Unfortunately, these temporary solutions end up exacerbating the problem in the long run.
Read on to learn why many companies are switching to Sage Intacct, the first and only cloud accounting software provider endorsed by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants).
1. Tedious manual data entry
As a company grows, the amount of manual data entry increases and quickly leads to reduced productivity and errors. Processes like the month-end close and revenue recognition can quickly become burdensome due to the lack of automation and error-prone processes.
2. Lack of scalability
Small business accounting software lacks more advanced features that are important for growing businesses to utilize, making it hard for the software to scale with changing business requirements. This scalability issue can lead to delays and system crashes as the platform struggles to handle increased data volumes or cache issues. These complications are risky, and in the worst-case scenario, critical data could be lost.
3. Overuse of spreadsheets
Small business accounting software often lacks advanced reporting features, so businesses must take on more labor-intensive tasks. These tasks can include manually exporting data from their system and performing complicated spreadsheet calculations. This heavy reliance on spreadsheets for supporting financial processes and reporting can trigger inaccuracies from error-prone data and procedures. As a result, businesses miss out on clear and trustworthy insights into their financial operations and reporting.
4. Lack of visibility
As a business continues to add more products, customers and revenue, gaining insights from data becomes more challenging. Data may be scattered across various disconnected systems or spreadsheets and lack real-time updates. These limitations can hold a business back from making timely and accurate decisions since they lack a comprehensive view of their data.
5. Customization constraints
Small business accounting software offers limited customization options, which can make it difficult for businesses to tailor it to align with their business needs and requirements. For example, a popular small solution doesn’t allow users to make any modifications or restrictions for those who can approve purchase requests. Additionally, the approval workflow is fixed and can’t be adjusted to fit the needs of different workflows. These constraints can hinder operational efficiency and disrupt the organization's ability to adapt to evolving business needs.
6. Limited customer support
Challenges with customer support can cause lost work time and personal frustration. Support issues often occur due to confined support hours, language gaps and automated responses that are too generic and don’t address a customer’s specific problems. Because of these constraints, a finance leader’s ability to quickly address challenges is impacted and productivity suffers.
Is your current solution no longer cutting it? Let's talk about what's next
If these challenges sound familiar, you're not alone—and you're not stuck. Many financial leaders reach a point where their small business accounting software no longer supports the complexity and pace of their growing business. The good news? There’s a better way forward with Sage Intacct.
At Baker Tilly, we’ve helped countless businesses navigate this transition with confidence. Our goal isn’t just to implement software — it’s to understand your unique needs, reduce your frustration and help you build a financial foundation that scales with you.
Let’s start with a conversation. Schedule a free business assessment, and let’s explore what’s possible—together.