The Sphere Blog
Bookkeeping guides, software comparisons, and payment tips for small businesses.
Best Accounting Software for US Freelancers With Built-In Payments
For US freelancers, choosing accounting software comes down to two questions: can you send an invoice in under a minute, and can your client pay it online without you chasing a check? Here's how the top freelance accounting tools compare on simple invoicing, online payments, pricing clarity, and day-to-day bookkeeping.
Best Bookkeeping Software for Real-Time Profit Tracking in 2026
If you're a solopreneur, the question isn't just "what did I make last quarter" — it's "can I afford this right now. " That needs affordable bookkeeping software built around real-time profit tracking, not one that happens to sync your bank feed and calls it a day.
When to Stop Doing Your Own Bookkeeping (And What to Do Instead)
You started your business to build something—not to spend your evenings handling the bookkeeping. But when you're a team of one to five, bookkeeping usually falls on you by default, right alongside product, sales, and everything else.
Sphere vs Wave Comparison: How Sphere Is a More Affordable Alternative
Wave built its reputation as the free accounting option. Search "free accounting software" and it's usually the first result.
How to Do Bookkeeping for Small Business in 3 Steps
Bookkeeping sounds more complicated than it needs to be. Strip away the jargon and it really comes down to three things: connect your accounts, import your transactions, and categorize them.
The Lowest Online Payment Processing Rates for Small Businesses: Sphere vs QuickBooks vs Wave
Every payment you process as a small business owner comes with a cost. When you're accepting credit cards or ACH bank transfers for invoices, those transaction fees add up fast.
Why Basic Bookkeeping Matters for Solopreneurs and Freelancers
As a solopreneur or freelancer, you focus should be on delivering great work and growing your client base—not tracking every expense. However, basic bookkeeping isn't optional.
The Importance of End of Year Bookkeeping
The end of the year sneaks up fast. One day you're closing Q3, the next you're staring down December 31st wondering where the year went.
Why Does Bookkeeping Matter for Small Businesses?
You started your business to pursue your passion, serve customers, or solve a problem—not to spend evenings categorizing expenses. But here's the reality: proper bookkeeping isn't just about tax compliance.
Future Financial Backbone for SMBs
At Sphere we have a belief that the future financial backbone for startups and big corporations alike will be built today. Technology has become too good over the past few years yet still the defacto accounting/financial/bookkeeping solution is Quickbooks or Netsuite.