Pastel accounting software is a robust program that is very commonly used in an online environment. The benefits of using the online Pastel option are numerous and include remote access via the Internet, automatic backups of your data, seamless upgrades of the accounting software, free, unlimited email support and much more.

Things You Will Need

  • High-speed Internet access

  • Pastel accounting trial

Sign up for the free 30-day trial of Pastel’s online accounting software. To do this, visit Pastel’s My Business Online site. The 30-day sign-up area can be found at the top of the Web page.

Spend time familiarizing yourself with the Pastel system by entering the delivered demo database. Open the email sent to you after you signed up for the free trial and click on the link taking you to the sign-in Web page. In the login box, click on the “Take a Tour of our Demo Company” link. The demo system has pre-delivered values of a basic company and allows you to navigate through the information established by Pastel. When you enter the system, you will be at the homepage. There will be several charts, lists and graphs displayed on your homepage and these are referred to as widgets. This view may be customized under the “Add Widget” tab. Notice across the top there are succinctly organized menu tabs that allow you to navigate to the area you wish, such as "Customers," "Suppliers" and "Bank Accounts." You manage accounting activities (such as payments to suppliers) under the respective tabs. Journal entries are entered and processed under the "Accountant’s Area" tab.

Establish your accounting infrastructure in the Pastel software once you have finished reviewing the demo system data delivered by Pastel. Once you are ready, enter your blank database by logging out of the demo database and logging in using your email and established password. The database is ready to be established with your organization’s information. Navigate to the "Company" tab and select "Manage Companies" to establish your company. After this is complete, begin adding the other data elements that you will use, such as accounts, items, suppliers and various other infrastructure items based on the menu tabs at the top of the screen. This information may also be imported from a flat file, such as Excel, instead of entering the data manually. To accomplish this, use the Company menu tab and select "Import Data."

Establish security for your organizational users. Navigate to the "Administration" menu tab and select "Manage Users." Under this tab, security for all users is maintained. An email will automatically be sent with the link to activate their account including a system-assigned password. Under the same menu tab the "Control User Access" allows you to establish which users can access what functions within the Pastel system.

Begin entering detailed data transactions and running reports as needed once your company infrastructure is fully established. Pastel provides a comprehensive overview of how to enter every type of transaction within the accounting system.