{"id":719,"date":"2023-09-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fiskl.com\/blog\/the-journey-to-building-the-best-accounting-experience-for-small-businesses\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T08:29:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:29:41","slug":"building-the-best-accounting-for-small-businesses","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/fiskl.com\/blog\/news\/building-the-best-accounting-for-small-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"The Journey to Building the Best Accounting Experience for Small Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Challenging Assumptions and Rethinking Accounting for the Modern User<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At Fiskl, our mission has always been to transform small business accounting into an intuitive and user-friendly experience. We set out to design a solution that simplifies financial management for non-accountants through thoughtful user experience and automation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long before launching our pioneering accounting platform, Fiskl had already earned thousands of passionate users across over 160 countries. Our suite of features like multi-currency invoicing, global tax management, client collaboration portals, and mobile apps solved real pain points for small businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, we knew there was an opportunity to disrupt the accounting industry. Legacy solutions were expensive, complex, and primarily built for accountants. Small business owners needed something different.<\/span><\/p>\n

Drawing on insights from our diverse global user base, we defined a vision – to create accounting software combining breakthrough innovation with human-centric design. We wanted to build more than technology, but rather joyful experiences that inspire and delight users.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guided by criteria like customer-driven development, intuitive workflows, representative design, and frictionless functionality, we set out on a journey to establish a new paradigm. One where any small business, anywhere in the world, could master its finances with ease.<\/span><\/p>\n

The path we paved wasn’t easy, but the destination proved worth it. Today, Fiskl is consistently rated the #1 accounting solution for usability, interface design, and user experience. Even more rewarding, we fulfilled our dream – to bring delight where there was once only drudgery.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the story of how we went from idea to reality. How we challenged assumptions, listened to users, and unlocked innovation. If you lead product development driven by human insight and ambitious vision, we hope our learnings resonate. Now let’s dive in…<\/span><\/p>\n

The Roadblock Facing Small Businesses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the global economy. They account for over 90% of businesses worldwide and employ millions.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, SMEs face immense challenges in managing their finances day-to-day. Accounting is filled with complex processes like invoicing, expense tracking, reconciliation, and reporting. Making sense of it all takes substantial time, effort, and expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, most small business owners are not accountants by trade. Terms like accounts receivable, accrual basis, general ledger, and double-entry accounting are foreign concepts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Legacy accounting software catered to professional accountants and CPAs, not regular entrepreneurs. The user interfaces were cluttered with accounting jargon and workflows that made little logical sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a non-accountant, even basic tasks became frustrating. Creating an invoice involved navigating through dozens of screens and menu options. Reconciling bank feeds required manually matching hundreds of transactions. Producing financial reports meant exporting data to Excel and building formulas from scratch.<\/span><\/p>\n

The result was a painful choice for SMEs. Either invest significant money hiring an accountant or bookkeeper. Or waste hours each week struggling through accounting busywork.<\/span><\/p>\n

It became clear that small business owners desperately needed accounting software designed for their actual needs – not the needs of accountants. The demand was there for a solution that simplified finances through intuitive design and thoughtful automation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listening to day to day users in the SME community, we discovered the biggest pain points:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Intimidating accounting terminology and concepts<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Fragmented financial data across various systems<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Time-consuming manual workflows for invoicing, reconciliation etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Difficulty accessing financial insights on the go<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Lack of customization for different business needs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This honest user feedback shaped our product vision and innovation roadmap for Fiskl. We were determined to tackle these real problems – and forever change how small businesses managed their money.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Understanding the SME Perspective<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    With the challenges facing small and medium enterprises clear, our next step was digging into their precise needs and pain points.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We invested significant time engaging with SME owners through interviews, surveys, and feedback groups. Our goal was to truly walk in our users’ shoes.<\/span><\/p>\n

    First, we identified our primary personas:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The Self-Employed Solo Preneur: An entrepreneur running their own small business as a one-person show. They need to handle all financial tasks themselves.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. The Non-Accounting SMB Owner: Operates a small company with a few employees. Doesn’t have an in-house accountant, so relies on consumer-grade tools.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. The Office Manager: Handles day-to-day finances and reporting for an SME without deep accounting expertise.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Next, we spoke directly with global SME owners matching these personas. A few key insights consistently emerged:<\/span><\/p>\n