A monthly subscription for QuickBooks Online Essentials (the most popular choice, according to Intuit) lists for $26.95 per month. In the long term, cloud applications are significantly more expensive for small businesses. And they’re making it at the expense of their customers.

The real reason is also the worst-kept secret about the cloud: software companies like Intuit make lots more money from cloud applications. And, we’re told, monthly software payments help us with our cash flow.īut that’s not the real reason why so many small businesses are moving to cloud based applications. Integration with other cloud based applications is easier. Support for the software can be offered more economically because everything’s being maintained by the manufacturer. Cloud applications are easier to setup and get operational. Cloud applications allow us to access our data now from anywhere, using just about any mobile device. It relieves us of the burden of maintaining a network or an IT guy, we’re told. There are certainly sound reasons why so many small businesses can benefit from the cloud.

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