With today’s technological push, finding great ways to utilize some of the new technology out there can be time consuming and very painful. One thing you will learn about me is that I am a great proponent of pushing time to the end of its limits. Time is the very essence of our business. One of my biggest challenges was figuring out how to maximize my time.

One of the services I offer is physically going on-site to a client’s location, but sometimes going on-site isn’t always feasible or cost-effective. After looking at some of the remote access software currently available, here are my top 3 choices.

One of my favorites is a site called LogMeIn. This site has software which allows me to remote into my client’s desktop. LogMeIn acts in a real-time fashion, has printing capabilities, and is very easy to set-up. You can use LogMeIn for any training capabilities you may have with your clients. You can even switch the control of the mouse back and forth between you and your client. One especially nice feature is that it can be installed on a wide variety of operating system platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. The initial download is free, there is a 30 day trial available, and they also have a “free” plan though the limitations may be too restrictive.

Another similar software is WebEx. This software works in a similar fashion as LogMeIn, but setting up the printing can be a bit cumbersome at times. Unlike LogMeIn, I have also found that WebEx can be sluggish at times. However, WebEx is constantly making improvements to their product and sending out new releases so I would definitely consider them as an option.

One last piece of software that I’ll mention is GoToMyPC. I have found that GoToMyPC is extremely efficient and user friendly, offers similar features as LogMeIn and WebEx, but the monthly cost seems to run a little higher than others.

I would highly recommend testing each one of the services out for their offered free trial period. Set up a remote connection to another computer in the office and test it from both aspects. Answer questions like, “Is it fast enough, or will it simply take too long to maneuver and enter transactions?”, “Will my client be able to install the software on their computer without the help of a tech?”, “How often do I plan on using the service and what service levels will best suit my needs?”. Once you have these questions answered, your choice should be clear.

No matter what your preference is, each package can help you achieve great results in order to get the work done for the client remotely.

Laurie O’neil, an Advanced Certified QuickBooks Advisor, is the founder of Innovative Financial Services, LLC a national bookkeeping firm located in Hartford, CT who offers advice to other freelance bookkeepers and business owners. For more information go to http://www.infinancialservices.com

[tags]bookkeep, bookkeeping, accounting, QuickBooks, remote, access, software, review[/tags]