Today’s post is by our Sales Manager, Jessie Sierra.
If you’ve read this blog for a while, you already know how complete and integrated COATS is. I call it a “one-stop shop” because you can enter employees and clients, match on a job order, pay employees, bill clients, collect payments, balance bank accounts, pay garnishments, submit payroll reports and tax requirements and review profit in a General Ledger, all from the same screen.
But what you might not know is how flexible COATS can be. You can mix and match different options to create the perfect solution for your the clients the right options to meet their needs. For instance, you can lease COATS or purchase it outright, or you can even do a little bit of both. What does that mean, and how could it work for you?
Purchasing
When you consider purchasing, you are looking at a long-term option, one where you know that your business is stable, established, and committed to a long haul. The great thing about a purchase is that you are paying a one-time fee for the license and then it’s yours for life.
The purchase of a COATS license does require a yearly participation in one of two support/upgrade packages. This is to ensure you get all the tax updates that come out every year, plus any enhancements that are made to the system. Later this year, it means you’ll get the newest version of COATS, which we’re calling COATS Visual, with no additional purchase or charge for the upgrade.
The support plans differ by how many tech support hours are included. Support Plan A includes 35 hours/year of technical support, while Support Plan B has a more a la carte approach, with tech support billed by the hour. I recommend that new clients go with Plan A for the first year to help with the learning curve, then change to Plan B and call tech support only as needed, for year-end items or those unexpected questions that arise.
Leasing
Leasing can be a better fit for a newer business or an established business that’s experiencing rapid growth or uneven cashflow. This option gives you a small monthly payment that’s easier to work with and doesn’t tie up cash while your needs are changing.
Your monthly lease payment also includes Support Plan A (with 35 hours/year of technical support) and all the regular upgrades and tax updates for every user. Of course, the COATS software is exactly the same whether you’re leasing or purchasing it; we don’t release a “light” version for anyone!
Both?
You can get the best of both worlds: whether you’re currently leasing our have purchased COATS, you can use our leasing option for a temporary on-site license. For instance, if you have a special project that will not last long but you need an extra license, you can just lease that license for the time frame that you need. This is a great option for companies with major seasonal shifts in demand.
If you’re still not sure which option might be the best choice for you, just call us and we’ll talk about it. We want to be sure you get the right fit for your business!
To learn more about purchasing and/or leasing, call Jessie at 1-800-888-5894 or email her.