Small-business owners now have an easy way to accurately track expenses using a phone. With Virtual Management's Verbal Expense Tracking program, owners or employees can call a data center and leave a recording of the expense. Virtual Management's transcription center takes the call, processes the information, and makes it available to the owner at Virtual Management's Web site, within an hour. It can then be downloaded in a Microsoft Excel format and imported into an accounting program such as QuickBooks, or sent to an accountant.
The expense program was originally a module in Virtual Management's Electronic Virtual Assistant (E.V.A.) program, but is now a standalone product. It costs $49.95 per month, and Virtual Management's vice president of sales Price Sowers says it pays for itself with accurate tracking — even if solely used for mileage. Users get a wallet-size card that guides them through recording typical expenses such as mileage and utilities. The program requires a separate account for each person within a company.
Sowers says it can be difficult for owners to entrust information to an outside vendor, but Virtual Management safeguards the information. The data center has moisture-free protection, redundant communications connections, and backup generators, and is built to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters. In addition, only authorized personnel have access to the center. Visit www.evaforhire.com for more information.