No two businesses are the same, and as one might expect, the accounting solutions that are ideal for one company may be overkill or insufficient for another. Not long ago, the difference between small business and enterprise level software was found only in the number of licenses purchased. Thankfully, things have changed for the better.

Many developers such as Sage now offer a wide range of accounting software suites designed to give businesses the features that are applicable to their unique needs without the superfluous and bloated application sets of enterprise level solutions. That's not to say that enterprise level solutions aren't entirely necessary for many mid to large sized companies, just that small businesses who require far less are more prevalent. In most cases, the smaller the business, the tighter the budget, which has left many unable to realistically afford even the smallest industry standard suites.

Not only have developers recognized and dealt with this problem through the introduction of multiple titles with varying degrees of capability, but with module add-ons as well. Several accounting software solutions now come with a standardized set of applications universally necessary for almost any type of company and the ability to purchase additional modules that offer business specific applications.

Scalability is another way in which developers have sought to decrease the need for complete software replacement and extend the useable life of their products. Whiel some businesses may utilize the same software applications over a period of several years, many small to mid-sized business quickly outgrow their software's capabilities. An accounting software solution that is capable of growing with an organization allows operational requirements to met along the way through upgrading. Whether that entails moving from a license based setup to a client/server architecture because of physical expansion or simply upgrading the workflow capabilities of an existing application set, the end result is money saved.

With the cost of accounting software suites being what they are today, it pays to look into not only the available options for your present business, but the expansion options that can be purchased to handle where your company may be tomorrow. The choice between changing to an entirely new system or performing some easily implemented upgrades is an easy one to make base don costs alone.