Why Choose Built Over Manual Accounting?

Many small businesses still rely on spreadsheets or handwritten records to manage their finances. While this might work in the early stages, manual accounting quickly becomes inefficient, error-prone, and time-consuming as your business grows.

Built is designed to solve those exact problems, making accounting, invoicing, payroll, and compliance simpler and smarter for small and medium-sized businesses.

In this guide, we compare Built vs. Manual Accounting, feature by feature, to show why switching is worth it.

1. Ease of Use: Built Is Designed for Business Owners

Feature	Manual Accounting	Built
User-friendly setup	❌ Requires notebooks and paperwork	✅ Guided onboarding and intuitive UI
Learning curve	❌ High	✅ Low — built for business owners, not accountants
Mobile access	❌ Not available	✅ Full mobile app support

Non-accountants can also use the Built software.

2. Invoicing & Payments: Get Paid Faster with Built

Feature	Manual Accounting	Built
Create & send invoices	❌ Handwritten or printed	✅ Customizable, trackable invoices
Payment tracking	❌ Paper-based tracking	✅ Automatically updated when payments are received
Reminders & follow-ups	❌ None	✅ Sends automatic reminders to clients

Built automates your invoicing process from creation to collection, helping you get paid on time, every time.

3. Accounting & Reconciliation: Stay on Top of Your Finances

Feature	Manual Accounting	Built
Expense tracking	❌ Paper receipts and logs	✅ Auto-import from bank and digital receipts
Reconciliation	❌ Time-consuming and manual	✅ One-click match and reconciliation
Reporting	❌ Difficult and static	✅ Real-time, auto-generated reports

With Built, you save hours by eliminating manual entry and gaining real-time visibility into your finances.

4. Tax & Compliance: Automate Tax Prep and Avoid Penalties

Feature	Manual Accounting	Built
VAT/GST tracking	❌ Manual logs and calculations	✅ Automatically tracked and calculated
Tax reports	❌ Must be compiled manually	✅ Ready-to-file reports generated instantly
Filing reminders	❌ No alerts	✅ Built-in reminders to avoid late penalties

Stay compliant with local tax laws using Built’s automated tax tracking and alerts.

5. Payroll & Staff Management: Simplified, Professional Payroll

Feature	Manual Accounting	Built
Payslip generation	❌ Manual or handwritten	✅ Automatically generated and sent to employees
Salary calculations	❌ Manual and error-prone	✅ Auto-calculated with tax deductions
Employee records	❌ Paper-based	✅ Centralized and digital

Built removes payroll stress, ensures accuracy, and gives your team the consistency they deserve.

6. Business Insights: Make Smarter Decisions, Faster

Feature	Manual Accounting	Built
Financial dashboards	❌ Not available	✅ Real-time visual dashboards
Cash flow forecasting	❌ N/A	✅ Automated predictions based on your data
Business health score	❌ Not available	✅ Built-in and updated in real time

Built gives you data-driven insights you can act on .

7. Security & Collaboration: Share Access, Not Paper

Feature	Manual Accounting	Built
Data security	❌ Vulnerable to loss or damage	✅ Encrypted and securely stored in the cloud
Collaboration	❌ Pass around files or ledgers	✅ Role-based access for your team and accountant
Backups	❌ None	✅ Automatic cloud backups

Your financial data is secure, backed up, and accessible only to those you trust.

✅ Why Choose Built Over Manual Accounting?

While notebooks and paper logs may seem simple, they don’t scale as your business grows. Built is purpose-built for SMEs, giving you the automation, visibility, and control you need to run a more professional and profitable business.

With Built, you can:

✅ Make confident business decisions

✅ Save time on routine tasks

✅ Get paid faster

✅ Stay compliant with tax laws