Product Type: Market Research Report
Published by: AMI-Partners, Inc.
Published: February 2006
Product Code: R149-442Description Cashing in on the U.S. Small Business Accounting Market, takes an in-depth look at how Microsoft Small Business Accounting will affect the U.S. small
business accounting market—long dominated by Intuit’s QuickBooks product line. The report details current
adoption, trends and brand preferences in the U.S. small business accounting market, and provides a
comprehensive analysis of Intuit and Microsoft’s small business accounting strategy, offerings, marketing and
channel initiatives.
Although the U.S. small business accounting market is a relatively mature one, it offers vendors room for growth. A
surprising number of existing small businesses have yet to deploy accounting software, and small businesses
typically update or change their accounting software every one to three years. Consequently, AMI-Partners forecasts
that U.S. small businesses’ spending on accounting software will grow by more than 5% CAGR through 2009. Intuit
has long been the undisputed leader in the small business accounting space with its QuickBooks product line,
relegating rivals to second-tier status. However, this past fall, Microsoft re-entered the game with Small Business
Accounting. With its significant resources, and SBA-Office integration, Microsoft intends to lure small business
accounting buyers to SBA. Some of the key battlegrounds in which the two vendors will compete head-to-head
include:
- First time accounting software users, most heavily concentrated in the 1 to 4-employee segment, in
which more than one-quarter of firms still use basic checkbook accounting and manual processes
- The one third of small businesses that upgrade or change their accounting solution annually
- The 550,000 new small businesses created in the U.S. each year
“Accounting software is the first strategic business application that many small firms purchase, making it an important
on-ramp for other business applications, which need to integrate with the accounting solution, and a first step towards
higher end financial solutions,” said Laurie McCabe, author of the report, and AMI-Partners’ Vice President for SMB
Insights & Solutions. “Intuit has long been the undisputed leader in the small business accounting space with its
QuickBooks product line. But Microsoft, which has a solid base in the mid-market financials arena, wants to build
volume in the small business accounting market.”
About the Study
The study analyzes whether Microsoft will be able to lure small business accounting buyers away from QuickBooks
and towards SBA, or if Intuit will ward off this latest threat from Redmond, as it has done successfully in the past. The
report examines:
- Current adoption, plans, trends and brand preferences for accounting solutions in the U.S. small business
market, based on AMI 2005-2006 U.S. Small Business survey data;
- Comprehensive synopses of Intuit’s and Microsoft’s small business accounting and related products and
services, marketing strategies and channel programs ;
- Analysis of each vendor’s strengths and weaknesses in the small business accounting space; and
- Short and long-term perspectives about the impact of Microsoft’s entrance into the market.
Table of Contents
- Report Highlights and Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Section 1: Sizing Up Small Businesses’ Use of Accounting Solutions
- Section 2: The Brands Small Businesses Use—and Where They Buy Them
- Section 3: Intuit
- Section 4: Microsoft
- Section 5: Summing Up the Small Business Accounting Balance
- About AMI-Partners
- List of Figures
- Figure 1: Small Businesses’ Primary Accounting Method
- Figure 2: Percentage of U.S. Small Businesses Using Standalone Accounting and Accounting as Part of a Larger Solution Suite
- Figure 3: Accounting Software Spending and Lifecycle by Employee Size
- Figure 4: U.S. Small Business Accounting Forecast by Employee Size
- Figure 5: U.S. SMBs Top Ten Selections for Accounting and Related Software
- Figure 6: U.S. Small Business Channel Preferences for Accounting Software
- Figure 7: Intuit’s QuickBooks Product Line
- Figure 8: Intuit’s Payroll Processing Offerings
- Figure 9: Microsoft’s Financial and Accounting Solution Positioning
- Figure 10: Microsoft SBA Standard and Promotional Support Plans
- Figure 11: Comparison of Intuit and Microsoft Strengths and Weaknesses in the Small Business Accounting Market
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