When I was at Seminar, I was hurrying through the vendors and one asked me if I had a minute to listen to them explain their new software program. I explained that I already used Boulevard and didn't need another software program. She said that their 
program was for a totally different purpose than Boulevard, and if I would give them one minute, they would show me. I said she could have one minute. In one minute she showed me Ascend Financials.
I could see in that short amount of time that this was a program that I needed and, in my opinion, every consultant needs. I bought it on the spot! And have been using it faithfully since Seminar.
What Ascend does is manage your money so that you don't embezzle your business by spending your Inventory money. You have the Taxes you need, the Freight, and it doesn't let you overspend on Section 2 or PCP. It shows you how much money is your Profit and lets you write yourself a paycheck! Another bonus is that when you spend money, you can categorize it into the proper Schedule C tax category. It even handles Pro-Pay!
And thank you, LeAnne, for an awesome workshop. It was incredible! You have such a gift for teaching such a difficult subject! I would highly recommend your workshop to anyone!
Other Programs
If you’re like most of us, you too may have tried a software program like Quicken™ or Money™ to manage your business money, and found out that these programs are not designed for average Jane’s like us. Women in this business needed a program that is philosophically different—a program that thinks like we do. Men are always asking, “How much did you spend?” Women ask themselves, “How much do I have LEFT to spend?” Ascend Financials is tailored to how women often think about money.
Ascend is simple, practical, and effective; best of all it is crafted for how your mind thinks about money, and doesn’t have a bunch of features that you’ll never use! Ascend Financials™ is helping Consultants and Directors to succeed financially and keep our work and personal life in balance.
A Stroll Down Main Street—Comparing Ascend and Boulevard
- Ascend and Boulevard are not competing programs; the companies who produced these programs are “friends”.
- Boulevard manages clients and inventory; does not manage your business budget or do your accounting.
- Ascend manages the cash in your bank account; does not manage your clients/inventory.
- The two programs act as supplements to each other. You need both!
| Feature Comparison |  |
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| Manages clients and inventory |  |
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| Manages the cash in your bank account | |
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| Automatically tracks business expenditures for tax purposes as you spend your money* | |
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| Looks at Profit and Loss from Inventory/Accounts Receivable perspective | |
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| Looks at Profit and Loss from Cash Flow perspective (preferred by most accountants) | |
* Customers of Boulevard will not need to utilize the feature (in Bvd.) to type in Business Expenses. Ascend will track this; no double entry is necessary for your taxes.
If I can only buy one right now, which one should I start with?
Only you can make that decision—but make an informed business decision!
Ask yourself one question: Are you stronger in math/accounting or organizing "stuff" (like product)?
- If you are really good at number crunching, balancing ledgers, and doing math—then buy Boulevard first.
- If you hate math and are weak at number crunching, balancing books, and doing numbers—then you should buy Ascend first. Ascend will help you see when you can afford to add the convenience of Boulevard to your business.
SOAPBOX
;)
You cannot "fake it" with finances and budgeting when you are building a successful business. You can "eye ball" your shelves to see if you have a certain product; you cannot balance a business budget without crunching numbers with a calculator and pencil. Ascend does the crunching and calculating that you hate.
Boulevard is a registered trade mark of Main Street Software, Inc. Microsoft Money™ is a registered trademark of Microsoft Inc. Qucikbooks™ and Quicken™ are registered trademarks of Intuit, Inc.