What’s Wave?
Easy to use, cloud accounting solutions for your small business. If I’ve lost you already, hang in their for the ride. I started using Wave in Feb 2011. I was living in Sweden with a completely different system of tax. My friend and financial guru, Annika, checked out various online accounting software to suit freelancers; we decided on Wave and set it up in an afternoon.
Why Wave?
It’s free:
Totally, sign up online.
Cloud-based:
You store and access your data online. That means you can login and send your invoice using any computer, anywhere in the world.
It’s global:
As a traveling Bikram Yoga teacher, I need accounting software that is functional anywhere in the world. So when I travel and teach in a new country, I can login to my Wave dashboard, add a new business, set the local currency and tax system and I’m ready to roll!
Wave is approaching half a million customers with users on almost every country on the planet
Easy to set up:
Annika and I created my account, added a years worth of bookkeeping, invoices and expenses in one day. We then created reports and completed my tax return the next. Note: I was fairly well organised beforehand so it was a relatively simple process.
Collaborate:
Add your bookkeeper or accountant as a collaborator so you can both login and work on your financials from anywhere – you don’t need to exchange files. This is super handy because when you move from one country to the next, you can still work with your accountant to finalise your tax return online, well after you’ve gone.
It’s made for us:
Wave is designed for freelancers, contractors, entrepreneurs, and owners of companies with 9 employees or less. That means it’s suitable for Yoga teachers and most Yoga studio owners.
Find a Wave Pro near you
I’ve been using Wave in a simple way since Feb 2011, first in Sweden and currently in Australia. Now I’m ready to fine tune my Wave skills so I can take advantage of more advanced functionality like adding bank accounts and personal budgeting alongside my business. Wave has a pro network so you can find an accountant or bookkeeper, familiar with Wave in your area. I just called a “Pro” on the Sunshine Coast to arrange a meeting for next week. Stay tuned for a follow up post, specifically for Bikram Yoga Freelance Teachers!
If any Bikram Teachers are currently using Wave, I’d love to hear your comments!
Nice one Matt. Keeping track of time and money is so easily overlooked but really it’s one of the most important parts of a being a freelancer.
Thanks Heidi. I’m very close to writing the follow up post to this one to help others set up Wave properly. There’s some exciting new features too!