FAQ

Your Smarta Business Builder subscription

Do I have to sign a minimum term contract?

No. You simply pay as you go, month by month. Smarta Business Builder is a subscription service but there are no sign-up fees or lengthy contracts. You can upgrade or cancel at any time without incurring cancellation fees.*

How does the 14-day cooling off period work?

As soon as you register with Smarta Business Builder you will have become a paid subscriber. However, Smarta Business Builder operates a 14-day cooling off period, which means that if for whatever reason you are not entirely happy with what Smarta Business Builder has to offer, you may cancel your subscription within that 14-day period and receive a full refund.**

What happens if I want to cancel my account?

You can cancel your subscription at any time without incurring cancellation fees.*. Cancelling is simple and painless. If you cancel with less than 7 days to go before your next billing date you will still be billed for the next month (but that will be the last payment we take). After your subscription ends, you will no longer be able to login to Smarta Business Builder or access any of the tools. If you wish to export your data, you can do so before cancelling. (See Can I export my data?) Please note that once your account is cancelled your website will no longer be viewable.

How do I decide between the Basic or Premium package?

The Basic package is designed for businesses that are not VAT registered and will not be charging VAT. If your business is registered or intending to register for VAT then you will need the Premium Package. The premium package is also for you if you plan to sell products through your website. For a more detailed view of the features of our Basic and Premium packages, click here.

Can other people access my account?

You will be given a unique user identity and password which is secure and personal to you. If you want to grant others access to certain parts of your Smarta Business Builder account, for example, give your accountant access to your QuickBooks Online files, you can create additional users and assign access privileges from within your account.

What type of payments do you accept?

We currently accept payment by debit card, credit card and direct debit.

My data

Is my data safe?

Smarta Business Builder and our partners rely on advanced, industry-recognised security safeguards to keep your data private and protected. We follow a strict set of guidelines and practices to protect all of your private information. All of your information is backed up automatically, so you don't have to go through the hassle and expense of making physical backup copies on your own. At any time, you can access your information from anywhere with a web browser.

Can I export my data?

Yes, it's simple to export your data at any time:

• Business plans can be exported into PDF and Word
• Accounts - all reports available in your QuickBooks Online accounts can be exported into Excel
• Website - any template designs you use are specific to our website partner Moonfruit, so cannot be exported into a different web hosting service for example. However, you can manually copy and save any content and images you've created on your website onto your local computer should you need to
• Legal documents - any documents you create can be printed or exported to PDF and Word
• Email - you can integrate your Smarta Business Builder hosted business email with Outlook (or your favourite email client), download all your messages, and export contacts manually.

Access to Smarta Business Builder

Do I need the internet to access Smarta Business Builder?

Yes. Smarta Business Builder is an online service and all your tools are accessible at any time and anywhere you have access to an internet connection. You don't need any CDs and you won't have to download anything to your computer. All your data is hosted securely online. This means that you can update your website, process an invoice or edit a legal document anytime, anywhere.

Is Smarta Business Builder suitable for use on a Mac or an iPad?

Smarta Business Builder is accessed on the internet through a web browser so it works with any internet-connected Mac or PC. You can also access key features using many mobile phones.  However when using Smarta Business Builder on an iPad, editing a website is not possible (your published website will be viewable on an iPad or smart phone however). Also, when you log into QuickBooks Online from an iPhone or iPad (or an Android Phone) your will see a special version of QuickBooks Online designed to help you perform key tasks.

Support

What if I need help?

We are here to help you every step of the way. We provide a comprehensive Online Help Centre with guides and advice on using all your Smarta Business Builder tools.

We also have a friendly team ready to support you by telephone or email (available from 9am to 5pm during UK business hours).

Smarta Business Builder Email tool

Can I move an existing email account over to my business email on Smarta Business Builder?

Yes, if you currently have hosted business email with another provider, you'll be able to migrate your existing emails into your Smarta Business Builder hosted business email account. Also, if you are using a free email account (e.g. Gmail, Hotmail etc), you can point these to your Smarta Business Builder email account. We provide detailed instructions on how to do this in our Online Help Centre.

People can still send emails to your other accounts but they will be consolidated into a single mailbox on Smarta Business Builder, from which you can reply to all.

Can I use a domain I have registered elsewhere?

Yes you can, and if you don't already have a domain you can also set one up with Smarta Business Builder (this is included in your subscription).

Smarta Business Builder Website tool

Can I use a domain I have registered elsewhere?

Yes you can, and if you don't already have a domain you can also set one up with Smarta Business Builder (this is included in your subscription).

Can I transfer an existing website across to Smarta Business Builder?

An existing domain can be used with Smarta Businesss Builder (see "Can I use a domain I have registered elsewhere") but existing websites cannot be ported across. However Google Analytics can be set up to view website statistics from within Smarta Business Builder even if the site is hosted elsewhere.  You can of course copy and paste any images or text from an old site into a newly created one with Smarta Business Builder.

Will a website built on Smarta Business Builder appear in Search Engines?

The website builder is designed to make your site read by search engines. However creating a website doesn't mean it will be automatically listed by Google (or any other search engine).  There are simple steps that you can take to improve your ranking.  These include telling search engines about your website, having regularly updated key-word rich content, optimizing your site with descriptions of your content (referred to as meta data) and getting other sites to link to you.  There is more information on how to do all this in our Help Centre.

Smarta Business Builder Accounting tool (QuickBooks Online)

Do I need to know accounting to use the Accounting tool?

QuickBooks Online (the Accounting tool offered as part of your Smarta Business Builder subscription) has been designed to be as easy to use as possible. If you know how to write checks, create invoices, and file your bills, you'll know how to use the tool. We also offer instructions and advice on every aspect of using the tool, so even if you're not sure how to do something, we're on hand to help.

I already have an accountant; do I need the Smarta Business Builder Accounting tool?

Each Smarta Business Builder subscription comes with free access for your accountant. So even if your accountant uses another accounting package, they'll be able to securely log in and access your accounts online, hassle free (i.e. without needing to download anything onto their computer). This means you can save on bookkeeping fees as the accounting tool allows you to do that by yourself and give access to your accountant to look at your accounts when they need to.

However, if your accountant is already providing a cloud-based solution where you and your accountant can collaborate on books real-time, then you probably don't need the tool as your needs are probably already covered.

I already have QuickBooks - can I transfer my data across?

It is possible to transfer some data from another QuickBooks package into QuickBooks Online via Excel. You can transfer customers, suppliers, products and services and the Chart of Accounts. You won't be able to import details of previous transactions into QuickBooks Online however. This means you'll be starting with a blank company file (although obviously you can set your opening balance).

If I use another accounting package can I import my data?

It is possible to transfer some data from another accounting package into QuickBooks Online via Excel. You can transfer customers, suppliers, products and services and the Chart of Accounts. You won't be able to import details of transactions into QuickBooks Online however. This means you'll be starting with a blank company file (although obviously you can set your opening balance).

Smarta Business Builder Legal documents tool

Are the legal documents suitable for use in Scotland?

Most of the documents within Smarta Business Builder are multi-jurisdictional and will ask you which law applies - i.e. England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.  Some have been created specifically for different territories - for example the Service Occupancy Agreement has been created specifically for use in Scotland.

* Please note that if you register a personalised domain and cancel your account during the first six months, you will be charged £10 + VAT for the purchase and transfer of your domain.

**To qualify for a full refund, your account cancellation must be made from within your Smarta Business Builder profile. See 'What happens if I want to cancel my account?' section for more information.