Bookkeeping Template

Testimonials > Bookkeeping Template

ZAP Accounting Software provides over a dozen different spreadsheet template "software solutions" for Managerial/Cost Accounting needs as well as Tax/Financial Accounting needs.

Our Flagship Product is our Bookkeeping Template. It's the World's First, automated, double entry bookkeeping system built on a spreadsheet platform. We refer to it as "BK-PN", short for Bookkeeping with "positive and negative values". Debits and credits are used by the system but the system assigns those for you, and you can turn them on and off on the backend to see what they do and don't add in a Digital Age.

Our Bookkeeping Template differs dramatically from all other database solutions. For those more technically oriented, a little more insight into the application architecture is one easy way towards greater understanding quickly.

Click here for Three short paragraphs about the Architecture...

The ZAP Bookkeeping Module consists of a Google Sheet File Template and a Google Script Project. All core functionality can be done witout connecting the external Google Script Project, It adds some User Interface Features and some advanced data modeling tools that are optional.  The user gets copies of both files individually from this website, adds them to their personal google drive, and then if they want to use the scripting component, they connect that to their google sheet template. With these files, the user gains "private bookkeeping software" that is ready for configuration and use or education

These two files have no programmatic calls that leave your own google drive so they are fully private once on your drive. The Google Sheet Template can be converted to an Excel template and all the basic functionality should either be intact or require minor modification. The advanced functionality found in the scripts will no longer work but you could rebuild that with Excel's programming back-end if so inclined.

The "benefits" of this solution center around the transparent cloud spreadsheet infrastructure itself and its privacy vs a stand alone or cloud based database infrastructure which brings both a lack of privacy and complex data obfuscation . Accounting fits "databases in spreadsheets" perfectly. Accounting does NOT fit traditional relational database platforms wel at all, contrary to decades of misunderstanding.

See the https://bk-data-flow.zap-accounting-software.com/ for a one page website that features the flow of data through this template.

Everyone profiled below knew the lead developer of this solution personally. Each of these individuals played a key role as a "Beta Tester" in the conversion of a "cool concept" into a "global technological reality".

These aren't arms-length reviews by any means, but each reviewer accurately describes their own experience prior to this solution and after, while having participated actively in the development process required to bring this new and very novel Digital Bookkeeping solution to life.

Daniel Stuart, Owner, Iron Antler Forge and Axhileration
Damascus MD
http://www.ironantlerforge.com/ https://axhilaration.jimdo.com/

I have tried a couple different options over the years to keep my books in order. I started with Quickbooks and would generally procrastinate because the process was so cumbersome and made little sense to me. I didn't know why things were labeled the way they were and when I got confused, which was often, it took forever to get back on track.

I decided to go with a book keeper to save myself the frustration but quickly found that I had no idea what they were doing with my numbers. It worked but I didn't like being in the dark and wanted a better understanding of what my business was doing. Thank god I found ZAP. The initial setup took a little bit, as one would expect with every business operating a little differently, but once things were in place it made my life so much easier. I can sit down and knock out both of my businesses in less than 30 min. I really love the sorting features that allows me to categorize information quickly. I find it intuitive and great for super fast cross referencing which is a huge help when I have a transaction that I'm not sure what to do with. The multiple cross checking systems that ZAP has in place are amazing. I can pinpoint a discrepancy, oftentimes something I typed in wrong, and get back on track quickly. I would highly recommend ZAP to anyone who wants an easy-to-manage and straightforward system to organize their finances.

- Daniel Stuart
Owner of Iron Antler Forge and Axhilaration

background ...

Daniel and Bryan met at the American Craft Counsel show in Baltimore in the mid-2000s. Daniel was showing off his work and Bryan was mesmerized by it. They've collaborated a little together on decorative concrete and in a few other areas. When Bryan moved west he sold Daniel his small cnc plasma setup. Daniel currently owns and operates a building at the Maryland Renaissance Fair and his most amazing and unique metal work can be found in portfolios around the globe.

In November 2018 Bryan paid a visit to Daniel to catch up on life. Bryan shared what he was doing with ZAP Accounting and Daniel expressed an interest in checking it out. Bryan spent an hour or so setting Daniel up, and Daniel currently has two installs going for his businesses. Bryan spent approximately 10 hours tutoring Daniel on software use as well as bookkeeping and accounting strategy as it relates to preparing for Tax time. Much of that information conveyed during that time is now included on this website in one way or another.

Daniel is now fully on his own with an ability to troubleshoot basic and advanced reconciliation issues.

Bryan M. Rogoff, OD, MBA, CPHM, FAAO -- Manging Member, EyeExec Consulting LLC, Baltimore MD / San Jose CA https://www.eye-exec.com

Switching from a W-2 employee to a small business owner was overwhelming itself, and finding software to simplify bookkeeping and accounting tasks was next to impossible. Even having an accounting degree, I would keep paper receipts and organize them in an accordion folder. When it came time to filing my taxes, it would literally take 2 weeks of organizing, categorizing and creating spreadsheets, not to mention the loss of productivity!

When Bryan introduced me to ZAP Accounting's Bookkeeping Module and setup the accounts, a HUGE weight was lifted. There are some things in accounting that should not be automated with your business, such as reconciliation and assignment of accounts. My bookkeeping and tax filing takes ONLY 1 hour every 4 months!!! In addition, my CPA expenses are less because in ZAP Accounting I've chosen to categorize my revenue and expenses according to tax code.

This software eliminates the headaches of small business owners, and after getting my bookkeeping upgrade, I found the time and desire to upgrade my marketing and promotional material too ! Apparently, that's one of the unexpected benefits he expected to see as a result.

Bryan M. Rogoff
Managing Member, Eye Exec Consulting LLC
Professional Dueling Pianist and Musician

background ...

Bryan R and Bryan first met around 2003. Bryan R became both a Real Estate Client and friend, and he later purchased 2105 St. Paul Street, a very cool pad indeed. Bryan R and Bryan sat down together with a newer version of ZAP Accounting's Bookkeeping Module in November 2018 and Bryan R finally got to see what this was really all about. Bryan R has multiple installs of ZAP Accounting for his business, his rental home and his personal finances.

Joelle Eberhart -- Managing Member, Jo Strong LLC, Greater NYC
http://www.jostrong.com

Born in 1997, I'm a full time student and I started my own personal training business in 2018. I’ve taken two accounting classes, and even though I got an A I was thoroughly confused about what to do for my small business bookkeeping needs. I was just about to get Quickbooks before tax season.

My Dad (Scott Eberhart) tipped me off that Bryan had a great bookkeeping solution so when I was in his part of the country I ventured over to say hello.

Thank goodness I dropped in because wow, bookkeeping is actually easy and accounting is not confusing at all! The problem is with how it's taught!! Within 2 months in my spare time I’ve read all of his material, set up my business flawlessly (even though it was my first year and of course it was a mess), cancelled my fancy merchant service because I realized I didn’t need them to be organized, set up my personal finances, and I've been preaching to the world about how easy bookkeeping should be for all. Without ZAP Accounting Software's Bookkeeping Module, I could have been blowing money unnecessarily for bookkeeping software and support for many years. Thank you so much Bryan!

Joelle Eberhart
Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, and Student

background ...

Joelle is Bryan's cousin's daughter! (Her dad is a fellow ZAP user with a review below). Bryan and Joelle first had a chat about small business in the 2014 time frame. She has since graduated from High School and started on an educational path. She also started an LLC for Personal Training with her own spin on staying fit and healthy.

Joelle was the first person to use videos only to setup her file. She did great with them. She got the setup 90% correct. The 10% short fall was due to video shortcomings. She proved this could be setup and learned with minimal to no individual support. After getting a correct setup, she spent several hours viewing another 10-20 videos which took her much further into the file and how it worked. She now has a bookkeeping solution for life with no ongoing fees that is fully private which she can make unlimited copies of for any other business she may start as well as for personal financial management. She also understands bookkeeping now, which provides an empowering feeling for life.

Ric Valentine, Owner, Ric Valentine Acupuncture
Monterrey and Prunedale CA www.ricvalentineacupuncture.com

I have owned my own business since 1991 and used the following for years: Quickbooks, bookkeepers, accountants and consultants to manage my books and taxes.

Over the past three years, I have shifted to a simple Google Sheets alternative that is called “Zap Accounting” that is both easy and intuitive. Through the use of spreadsheets where I use copy and paste functions to align values, categories and amounts, I can balance my books quickly, easily and accurately with built in crosschecks. This eliminates the need for both the bookkeepers and Intuit's Quickbooks software, thus saving me thousands of dollars in professional help as well as the need to repurchase the next version of Quickbooks every couple of years in order to run my business.

The Zap Accounting solution is both quick and easy to understand. I can balance my monthly statements in a matter of ten minutes or so. With a basic understanding of a few spreadsheet commands, I’m able to grab my raw data from bank provided CSV files and align it with previous months so that my books are always balanced. If there is a discrepancy Zap Accounting reports flag them.

The best part is that now I have a true understanding of the difference between Tax/Financial Accounting and Managerial/Cost Accounting. I set up my Income and Expense accounts in accordance with schedule C for simplicity, and I can play with cost accounting any way I want without affecting the data I would use for my tax records.

I would strongly encourage any small business owner to spend some quality time perusing this amazing alternative that has given me both more free time and clarity into what I make, where it goes and how to track it properly with far great ease.

Ric Valentine LAc
Licensed Acupuncturist and Clinical Nutrition Expert
Professional Bartender, Exceptional Cook and Story Teller

background ...

Ric was the real reason for the season so to say. Bryan and Ric have been commercially involved in each others lives and business since 2014. It was that involvement which spurred the push towards Google Sheets based small business office solutions. Together, Bryan and Ric are a living version of the Odd Couple, but it's hard to deny the mutual benefits.

Ric loves shiny objects, but has come a long way with his spreadsheet skills and control of his own small business. Ric is living proof that old dogs can learn new tricks.

Scott Eberhart, Lieutenant, San Francisco Fire Department
Santa Rosa CA www.vacantstuff.com

Bryan showed me the ZAP Accounting's Bookkeeping Program a few weeks ago. It is exactly what I need for multiple accounts. I'm managing a family member's finances from a distance. Easy to use. I'm tracking a rental property. Easy to adapt. I'm running the household finances. Easy to set up. The platform is intuitive and self-populates on several sheets to analyze spending. Also, it doesn't have any of the stuff I've been paying for and not using on my current accounting program. Thanks, Bryan!

Scott Eberhart
Firefighter/Paramedic San Francisco Fire Department
Saxophonist, Writer and Closet Artist

(update: since this testimonial Scott has indicated he is managing 15 asset/liability accounts in several different software copies, but even more importantly, he has DROPPED his 20 year Quicken habit. He was not using Quicken for tracking investments and such, just banking related, and the manual downloading related to ZAP did not deter him from this change over!! Now THAT is impressive! )

background ...

Scott is Bryan's first cousin. Scott's Dad and Step Mom were aging and Scott, his brother, and Bryan's mom were slowly taking over the day-to-day financial operations for the household. Bryan was in Santa Rosa and he shared this accounting solution with Scott. In about two hours they had two files setup and Scott was on his way. Scott, a multi decade Quicken user, picked it up and ran with it. Scott intially had two installs going, one for a Trust he managed with 4+ checking and/or money market accounts and one for his own vacation rental. After the initial 2 hours of support, Scott required an additional 4-6 hours of support to be fully self sufficient. Much of that was related to defining a fairly complex process for the bill processing and information sharing related to the Trust, with the Bookkeeping Template being just a part of that larger process.

Scott is also a lifetime musician, writer and closet artist. For many years, even after his kids were grown and out of town, he volunteered time to the music department at a local high school.

Ryan Fenley -- Owner, Paywize, Inc, A Merchant Services Company
Costa Mesa, CA

I have known Bryan since the early 2000s. He really understands the challenges small business owners experience when it comes to managing the accounting of the business. I am one of Bryan's first users who had zero accounting background. I am a sales guy who has no business doing accounting, but I figured it would be best to try to manage my own books so I can maintain a level of control and have an immediate picture of my company financial situation. Bryan's solution to eliminating the need to get tied up with Quick Books was very appealing.

I have been managing my own books now since 2017 with Bryan's solution and I am so happy I did due to the simplicity and elimination of what Bryan calls software "BLOAT", the never ending fees and the imprisonment that looms with Quick Books. Every small business owner should be using this solution to manage their bookkeeping and I am sure if all the small business owners using Quick Books were aware of this solution, they would make the change immediately.

Ryan Fenley
Owner, Paywize, Inc.
Surfer Extraordinaire

Background ...

Ryan and Bryan have known each other since the early 2000's. Ryan was the Sales Manager for Go Software when Bryan and some partners were using older products for processing Credit Card Transactions online for themselves and others as a payment processing gateway. In 2017 Ryan joined the ranks of the self-employed and he called Bryan to ask him about incorporation and bookkeeping options. Ryan is the only person other than Ric to have been subjected to the oldest versions of ZAP Accounting Software's Bookkeeping Template which was not remotely automated enough for distribution. Thus he is fondly referred to as Test Bunny #1. Ryan currently uses two different installs of ZAP for two different companies.

Kristian Crump, Managing Member, Dusk Industries Lighting and Design
Monterrey CA https://dusk-industries.weebly.com/

In 2014 I decided to venture out as a small business owner. I had been an employee for all of my adult life with no familial exposure to Small Business ownership. I wanted more out of life than a 9-5 under the control of varying bosses, and by 2014 I had spent 12 years learning the electrical trade after having left the nonprofit world. With good people skills and a hard earned trade, I started a small electrical contracting company thinking i'd "just pickup" the business stuff as needed.

After I made the leap, I went searching for an education on how to run a small business. I looked for help with the SBA, California Business Administration, Freshbooks, QuickBooks, BookKeepers, CPA's, classes at the local Community College in Business, and a host of business books, podcasts, and YouTube videos. I learned a lot, but I was never able to find simple and proper instructions for financially tracking my business.

I've been deeply involved in Toastmasters International for several decades. In 2019, Bryan and I met via a common connection to that program. After inquiring about my line of work and business acumen, or lack thereof, he suggested I consider the ZAP Bookkeeping Template.

I was hesitant. A lot of trial and error had left me convinced it was just a complex thing. I was sure I had landed on the best solution that could be cobbled together based on all my efforts to 'figure it out". I had fully shifted from putting energy into my business setup to pouring it into my business and my employees. Several conversations later, I finally decided to run the ZAP Bookkeeping Template in parallel with my Quickbooks for 3 months to see if there were differences that could benefit me.

The differences are DRAMATIC, and that's an understatement.

Quickbooks is a complex software solution and in fact, I now see it as far more flawed than I did prior.

With my Quickbooks setup, I felt I needed to pay for 15-20 hours a month of bookkeeping support to enter, categorize and reconcile my bank statements. The bookkeepers I found who use it will not use the automatic data download functionality, so I paid for manual data entry as do many others. I paid my CPA for routine and year end bookkeeping reviews as well as a quarterly fee to figure out and file my state sales tax return.

It was costing me handsomely to keep track of my finances, and I never fully understood the "Suspense Account" that was used to accommodate "Quickbooks anomalies". And of course, with my Quickbooks Software, I was required to make a regular software purchase too, abeit small in comparison to the service cost to others to handle it.

ZAP's Education and Software changed everything for me.

With the clear delineation between Tax Accounting and Managerial Accounting, I can get my revenues and expenses for a quarter into my bookkeeping template in under 20 minutes with manual downloads from my bank. It takes another 10-20 minutes to catogorize my transactions and check my work. It then only takes me another 10 minutes quarterly to file and pay my sales tax, with the help of a Sales Tax reporting tool we added on the Managerial Side of my Software.

In total, I spend 30 to 60 minutes to complete all of my tax reporting needs for 3 months with no paid support. That is a DRAMATIC change from prior with significant cost savings. However, the biggest benefit is related to my grounded awareness of my business's financial health. With very little time invested, I'm now personally involved with tracking of all errant fees, accidental charges, and confusing solicitations for money while making sure there are zero math related errors in my books.

And this is all “Free for Life”?

In a world of monthly fees, complex service provider relationships, and software upgrades, it's revolutionary to have a tool for my business that is Free-For-Life AND empowers me well beyond any product or service I had been purchasing prior.

That is well beyond any scope of "value" anyone could expect stepping into this.

Thanks to all who contributed to this solution.

Kristian Crump
Managing Member, Dusk Industries and Lighting Design LLC
Distinguished Toastmaster

Background ...

Kristian and Bryan met in the fall of 2019. Bryan introduced the ZAP Accounting Software concept to Kristian. He seemed curious but was moving very fast. Over the period of a year he came to realize it may be a good fit for him. First the Bookkeeping Template was setup and run in parallel with his Quickbooks to get him comfortable with the idea of running a separate bookkeeeping system and doing it himself. Once the shift in understanding was made, a complex Sales System was built to replace the Invoicing Functionality he was using in Quickbooks and he's been Quickbooks free since January 2021.