Bench Erfahrungen

Life and Business Changing

Kommentare: In the wake of COVID I left the agency I was at to do my own agency. While I had my business as a side-agency for a number of years and applications like Freshbooks and then Quickbooks Self-Employed helped me manage things I dreaded tax season and all the work I needed to do every year. During COVID I had to get my business up and going, get clients, execute projects, and get things done. I had zero time for managing my books. When the end of the year came up I dreaded the work that was ahead of me with several big projects in progress. Then, through the service I use to pay my contractors, I found out about Bench and it has changed my business AND my life. Bench took 15 months' worth of books that needed to be done and assigned them to a "catch-up" accountant. He went through everything, classified all my expenses, and had a simple way to ask me to review anything they need clarification on. They pulled difficult things to deal with like my processing fees from Stripe and instantly accounted for them. On top of that, having an honest to goodness accountant and accounting team to know how to PROPERLY set up a Chart of Accounts and classify expenses was game-changing. This service easily pays for itself in the time it saves me and the peace of mind it gives me.

Vorteile:

- An accounting team to get me on track. - Tax resources with their Bench Tax service. - A beautiful interface that is easy to understand and use. - Superb customer service with timely replies to any questions you have. - An easy way to review anything your team needs clarification on, I rarely spend more than 5 minutes a month classifying expenses for them. - EXPERTISE, Bench isn't just software to do your books, THEY are doing your books, understand small businesses and bring accounting expertise at a very affordable price. - Completed my taxes easily and reduced my tax burden, it was the most painless tax process I've had in years.

Nachteile:

- Communication early in Bench Tax could be improved but I mostly put this on me for being behind. - Having a separate signon for Bench Tax is a bit of a pain but not a big deal.

Very Happy

Vorteile:

My Team and I are very happy with the Bench software and customer service. It's easy to use, a breeze to read, and simple to update.

Nachteile:

The lag time to get a response from a human being is something I'm getting used to as our world is moving to the online/AI experience.

Bench dropped the ball & gave me a partial refund.

Kommentare: I tested Bench out at the end of 2019 and then hired them for my entire 2020 books. In the beginning, they were on top of things. Then, mid-summer they dropped the ball. My account got passed to another team, and they didn't even touch my books for months. It was a mess. I reached out to customer service and they did give me 2 months of a refund, because the customer service rep (who was very kind & courteous) saw what I saw. In December, I requested for my bookkeeper to fix some miscategorized transactions and later asked, "Hey were those fixed?" She said she fixed them, which was a blatant lie! On top of all of that, it took them about TWO MONTHS to do my final end of year books that I could pass onto my CPA. I was told they were uploaded, but then they weren't there when I looked for them. I had to request, "Please upload them again." They apologized and did so right away, but by the time I saw them, thank goodness for the COVID extension, because I literally didn't have my deliverables from Bench until April 2020. My filings would have been late.

Vorteile:

Bench is easy to use and navigate. In the beginning, they were fantastic at answering questions I had to help understand how my bookkeeping was being handled. That's about the only good thing I have to say.

Nachteile:

I spent more time dealing with Bench all year long than when I was doing my own bookkeeping on a simple spreadsheet. I expected a learning curve in the beginning. They promised it would get easier "as we learn about your business and transactions," but I found month after month that the same transactions got flagged needing my input. Then, when I did thorough checks on my books, I found several transactions not in the right category. The other thing I didn't like was that my bank constantly needed to be reconnected. I truly felt like I spent more time handling Bench than I would've spend just doing my own bookkeeping.

Clean

Kommentare: Our overall experience has been that Bench is personable, intuitative, and user-friendly.

Vorteile:

What we like most about Bench is their level of customer service. From setup to now, the team has been here with us and is extremely easy to reach out to. Beyond this, the interface is very clean, quick to load.

Nachteile:

There are some accounts that can't be automated, but we understand this. That aside, we would like to see Bench expand and offer more all-in-one service beyond book-keeping and tax returns or make any partners more accessible (virtual CFO, CPAs would be great).

Excellent Book Keeping Software For Running Your Business

Kommentare: Understanding the financial health of our business has been critical in making decisions both long and short term. Bench helped free up the minimal time that we as business owners have and spend more of that time focusing on our business, which has been very helpful.

Vorteile:

It was great to see a breakdown of all three financial statements for our business, both from a macro and micro perspective. Being able to pull up accounts and see specific transactions from desktop and on the go through mobile was indispensable in running a healthy business and planning for the future. The messaging system was prompt and efficient for keeping in touch with our book keepers and account manager with any pressing questions. They were always very professional and did high quality work. Any questions or concerns with categorization and interpreting information were answered well.

Nachteile:

I think it would be helpful to expand the software to allow for the dropping of all receipts into our account in order to have a one stop location for accessing and printing receipts for accounting and tax purposes. We were informed that only high ticket items needed receipts, and so we ended up using other third party software to track mileage and keep track of receipts.

Bench Service has drastically deteriorated

Kommentare: Their service level has gone down substantially. We have used them for years, but this year its been absolutely horrible.

Vorteile:

cost, ease of use, connection to other platforms

Nachteile:

only cash basis accounting. They do not do accrual. Their service for anything like updating balance sheets with loans, etc is awful. Getting in touch with them via email or phone is next to impossible. It didnt used to be that way.

Huge help for an entrepreneur

Vorteile:

Bench was critical in helping me with catch up books for tax time. Being able to upload reports easily from my bank and various credit card processors made things so much easier, and the bookkeepers learned quickly how to categorize the transactions. I'm not sure when I would have caught up on my historical books without Bench. Going forward from there has been very easy as well. I've been able to link the reports to my card processing software and bank, and get updates as they have questions. So simple! I find the monthly reports easy to understand and its given me a much clearer picture of my numbers.

Nachteile:

The only challenging initial integration was with Paypal- myself and the Bench team member had a hard time linking everything. We resolved it and I didn't have that issue with other accounts. I do wish that this software integrated with my invoicing system, so I could easily see where the profits were coming from. However, I use that system's reports to get a good idea of what's bringing in income.

Extremely happy with my choice!

Kommentare: Overall, really great! They're super helpful. Most of the time they're quick to respond, but at times have needed to have an extra poke to get a response. That is a rarity. Usually, I'll hear back from someone by the next day at the latest.

Vorteile:

Having all the data to see my business stats has been really helpful. They call it the "Pulse" which shows you the health of your business with a way to visualize how you're doing over time. I like that a lot. Bookkeeping is really easy for me now and I'm thankful I outsourced it. I just connect my accounts and drag and drop invoices and receipts that I scan or receive into the documents section and they take care of things. They also provide a nice, clean, easy to understand summary at the end of each year so my accountant can do my taxes easily. I have no regrets going with Bench. It definitely saves me a lot of time and stress.

Nachteile:

I wish there are some nice comparable summaries like percentage growth or changes month to month, by quarter, and YoY. Prices still feel a little high to me and I wish there was an option for invoicing and receiving payments into my checking accounts.

Its easy and worth it.

Kommentare: The sales and onboarding team was amazing. [SENSITIVE CONTENT] is a champion.

Vorteile:

Reconciliation and ongoing communication through the chat is priceless. The teams are fast and handling things in real time is valuable to the process.

Nachteile:

I'd hoped my monthly statements would be pulled automatically once I linked my accounts.

Affordable yet Robust Bookkeeping

Kommentare: I have been satisfied with Bench, and it takes a lot off my mind.

Vorteile:

The staff at Bench are responsive and helpful. The software is user-friendly. The price is less than most of its competitors.

Nachteile:

The bank integration does not always function right with the credit union I use.

Only Do What Only You Can Do

Kommentare: Pleasant interactions with all personnel I’ve spoken with over the phone or via email. Onboarding was easy and comprehensive. The financials dashboard -+ the app is well designed and easy to access.

Vorteile:

Offloading expense tracking was a massive weight off of my shoulders. I now have more time to lead my small team and know that my accounting is in good hands - if there is ever a question or discrepancy they reach out immediately.

Nachteile:

Honestly the price. I wish it were significantly cheaper. Much of the expense tracking is already done through freshbooks, other financial input apps have APIs for the Bench team to use as well - so I don’t think the limited personal interactions (which is not a detriment-the less I can talk to accountants the better) warrants the steep price tag.

Makes My Life as a Small Business Owner So Much Easier

Kommentare: I started my graphic design studio in 2005 managing our books through a part-time bookkeeper who'd come in 1-2x a month and we'd then communicate a few times every week.. This system got us through the first 8 years of our business. Though functional, it was a time-consuming process. We used Quickbooks at the time, and I could never get comfortable using it to manage or understand our business's numbers even though our bookkeeper was serving it on a silver platter essentially. I've always felt Quickbooks was made for accountants, not business owners or individuals. Once can argue, it's supposed to be "accounting made easy", but it's really designed with accounting in mind — not business owners. As a business owner I wanted to quickly understand cashflow and profitability. Whereas Quickbooks seemed to that and much more, it seemed like I was doing my taxes every time I went in there. So I started looking for options and that's when I found Bench. And Bench, even back then, had already provided a service ideal for a small business owner like me. I've been using Bench since 2013 now, and I can't imagine running my business without them. It's allowed me to focus on my clients and design work which are revenue generating tasks, instead of accounting which was an anxiety-generating task.

Vorteile:

1) Uncomplicated Interface — For a non-numbers/non-accounting comfortable individual it's great. It provides me access and understanding to our accounting in a very digestible yet informative manner. 2) Accessible Customer Service/Communications — All the interactions I've had have been professional, courteous, and problem solving driven. It's never "No". Instead if a challenge arises, they've always been proactive in finding a way to address the challenge or question providing options. It's also especially great that you can speak with them or chat with them with no barriers. At first I was very concerned about this since our books are the heartbeat of our financials, and i was quickly at ease after the first few calls and chats. 3) Easy — Once our accounts were synced and Bench had a clear picture of how our business worked, it's set-it-and-forget-it. What used to required a few hours every week for me now has become an hour or two a month. 4) Transaction Verification Made Easy — I especially love how they've simplified this process to almost a game.

Nachteile:

1) Cash based bookkeeping. This was a struggle in the beginning since we were accrual based initially. However upon working with them and our CPA, we've managed to stay accrual based and set up a system where we do adjusted entries after filing taxes. 2) Not Quickbooks. This is not really a con, but should make it clear that if you prefer to stay on Quickbooks, this is not the service for you. They will provide your books as spreadsheets for your CPA to work with. At first I was nervous about this, but it hasn't been an issue. 3) Turnover with bookkeepers — Over the years, we've had I believe 5 different bookkeepers over the course of 6 years due to turnover or what seems to be internal promotions. It has not negatively impacted our service, but I do wish it was less frequent since at times I'd have to remind the new person some of the subtleties of our account.

Exceptional Services for Small Businesses

Kommentare: Bench executives should develop the bookkeeping platform further to include items that allow the end user to have a total experience. I understand that the goal is to lead bookkeeping into full tech. However, I feel that users want some form of one-on-one service where they are able to meet and greet their bookkeeping expert. What I have experienced with Bench thus far are a series of glitches when adding accounts, not being able to delete accounts, and occasionally having to repeat myself when discussing issues with numerous customer support staff members that are not apart of my bookkeeping team. I feel that by establishing a video conferencing feature to the dashboard, it would be a brilliant opportunity for us, end users, to get to know their experts and to limit any inconsistencies while providing a more personal experience.

Vorteile:

Bench has done a great job of placing most items one would require into a dashboard that makes the bookkeeping experience simple. Customer service at Bench is by far the best in the market! Staff at the company truly believe in the product and provide the end user with an exceptional experience each and every call.

Nachteile:

Platform errors and the lack of additional features.

Best Bookkeeper there is!

Kommentare: Bench always delivers above and beyond and i love their service.

Vorteile:

Bench is an amazing product that is in the cloud. I love that i can access my books from anywhere on the go and get a snapshot of how the company is doing week to week.

Nachteile:

There are no cons at this point. I wish they started an accounting arm that tied to bench since their product is so awesome!

Accounting for Startups

Vorteile:

We transitioned from a traditional outsourced bookkeeper to Bench and love the ability to go in and view our reports quick and easy. The team is also much quicker to finish month end reports and responds quickly.

Nachteile:

The onboarding process was a bit difficult. We had to adjust our expense categories to match. We would like to use the accrual accounting adjustment but haven't been able to get help with this yet.

Good start, low customization

Kommentare: Overall, I still recommend Bench if you are starting out and a small business under $1 Million in sales. However, as you grow, I would recommend switching to Quickbooks.

Vorteile:

Prior to Bench, we used Quickbooks, and it was lifesaver! We had no idea how to use Quickbooks for bookkeeping and Bench made it easy for us. There was low setup involved and their dashboard was amazing.

Nachteile:

As our company grew, we needed more information in our financial statements. At the time, there was low customization with Bench, and we couldn't add or change things in regards to our Profit and Loss statement. Also, at the time, they only did cash based accounting.

Great bookkeeping company

Kommentare: Overall Bench has saved me time with preparing all bank reconciliations and year end tax preparation. It's also a stress relief that it's done thoroughly and properly. It's not just one person being accountable for my bookkeeping needs but the company stands behind it.

Vorteile:

I like the ease of having my bookkeeping done on a timely basis and not having to think about it until I get a message to review the month. I can then easily go in and make notes of any changes to be made or answer their questions to me. The customer service is excellent as well. They integrate with my payroll company too which saves time.

Nachteile:

They don't integrate with my Customer Management System and they don't use QuickBooks which I also use. I process invoices through my CMS which also provides my scheduling, customer profiles, employee payroll reports, etc. I would love it if Bench would integrate their system to it so I can better track invoices. Instead I have to do that through QuickBooks but am only using a small portion of what QB offers since Bench does my bank reconciliation and they don't use QB. So I'm still paying for QB for this part of what I need. I have a daily service company and I process client credit cards daily in addition to tracking some clients that still write checks and a few who pay via ACH. I do that within QB. At this point I'm not aware of a better way if I want to continue using Bench for bookkeeping.

Completely alleviated stress while reducing my bookkeeping costs

Kommentare: When I first heard about Bench, I was nervous about switching from a standard, old school accounting firm I'd worked with for many years. Within a week, my fears were dissipating. Three years later, my fears are completely gone. Bench completely meets my needs as a small business owner - while saving me time and money.

Vorteile:

Bench is SIMPLE. The software provides me an accurate and easy to understand overview of my monthly and annual financials with easy-to- process visuals and graphs. The software integrates automatically with my bank and credit card, alleviating the back and forth calls and emails I used to labor through with my former "brick and mortar" accountants. When I have a question, the Bench team is always available and quick to respond.

Nachteile:

Nada! No complaints here! I have not experienced a single problem with the Bench software

Takes the hassle work out of financial reporting

Kommentare: Overall Bench has helped me to track and monitor my business financials. Tax seasons has been a breeze the last two years with Bench - something a lot of freelancers struggle with.

Vorteile:

- no need to use quickbooks - friendly and responsive staff when issues arise - individual bookkeeper assigned to your account - user interface is friendly and accessible - reporting features are solid - costs less than hiring your own bookkeeper - affordable rates which are advantageous for small businesses

Nachteile:

- auto syncing does not connect w Capital One bak accounts which results oftentimes a 2-3 week lag in getting monthly reports back - only retrospective reporting; no prospective budgeting features (need to use separate software) - does not provide tax accounting services; only bookkeeping - cannot easily customize revenue subledgers without discussing w accountant - no categories of fixed/variable expenses - cannot upload documents via mobile devices

Awesome tool, great customer service, and affordable!

Vorteile:

What I love the most is the customer service. Despite this being a "bookkeeping software/tool", you get a dedicated accountant. Executives are so responsive. Every time I have a question, I get a response that same day. The platform is also easy to use, and the interface makes it really easy to upload documents, download reports, etc. Really recommend!

Nachteile:

One small issue is the capabilities. If you have highly complex bookkeeping needs (a unique situation or business model), this may not work for you. This doesn't matter for 99% of businesses.

Life Saver

Kommentare: nothing short of great.

Vorteile:

The Bench team was there every step to explain what the software did, how to use it and what they need from me. I am super busy so I needed hand holding and that's exactly what the bench team did.

Nachteile:

I had to do some of the integrations manually, such as sending over bank statements, but I would to have had to do this with a regular bookeeper anyway.

Good software

Kommentare: Pleasant experience. Fix times need to be shorter.

Vorteile:

The reporting tools are very clear. Very easy to upload new documents

Nachteile:

Time to prepare full report of prior month takes a few weeks. Certain expenses are repetitively miscategorized.

Bench is making my life easier!

Vorteile:

This is the easiest bookkeeping software I've ever come across. I've been a freelance art director for many years, and have used Quickbooks, Less Accounting, and Freshbooks. With each of those, I was reminded that I'm not a bookkeeper and usually ended up messing up my books somehow. In contrast, the Bench interface is really straight forward and simple to understand, it is easy to use, and the team is really responsive. The absolute best part is having a team of bookkeepers who know what they're doing, who take care of it all for me! They reach out if there are questions, and I can check in anytime I like. I now have confidence that my books are correct, and I have more time to focus on my business.

Nachteile:

So far, I've found no cons to using Bench. I only wish I would have done it sooner!

Must Have for Small Business Owner

Kommentare: What I love is that I don't have to enter a thing! Doing the books was not only frustrating, but also time consuming. Having Bench on my side means I can focus on building and growing my business, knowing that the data that drives my decisions is solid!

Vorteile:

Bench isn't a software. It's a team of people USING a dedicated software platform to help you manage your books. This has made all the difference for me in my business. Other accounting programs didn't teach me how to manage my books or read my monthly reports. My dedicated Bench bookkeeper answers my questions, provides me resources and is a partner in helping me understand my business finances to make better decisions. If you are a small business owner who is great with customers, but bad with books...this is your solution. Stop trying to figure it all out yourself. Call Bench and get a dedicated human to help you out! You won't be disappointed!

Nachteile:

After being on such robust software platform, I miss some of the bells and whistles those packages came with. But, Bench doesn't need all that. It's intuitive and focuses on the financial reports you need to make the best decisions for your business. You may have to look outside the platform to track some of your KPI's.

Clear accounting

Kommentare: Excellent service, grateful

Vorteile:

The accounting team took our records for the past three years and was able to give us clear understanding of the numbers to move forward with confidence.

Nachteile:

Overall experience has been excellent, even when I am overwhelmed with the numbers, the professionalism of the staff is calming and clear.