Quantum transfer matrix technique and numerically exact diagonalization method are applied to the Heisenberg spin systems to model ring-shaped molecules. Two cases are investigated: (i) a dozen of S = 1 spins with additional biquadratic exchange and (ii) a dimetallic molecule Cr7Cd, where it is assumed that exchange anisotropy is determined in a local coordination system. In the latter case the calculated susceptibility is compared with experimental results.PACS numbers: 75.40.Cx, 75.40.Mg 1. Introduction Molecular-based nanomagnets are important in fundamental physics and are good candidates for applications in the domain of magnetic storage, molecular spintronics and quantum computing [1, 2]. Relatively not so large dimensions of eigenproblems make possible to apply exact (at least numerically) methods to quite complicated models [3,4]. In this communication we present two model Hamiltonians with results obtained by two different methods.At first we study influence of biquadratic exchange on the ground state energy and ordering of excited levels in the case of a dodecanuclear ring of spins S = 1 in the presence of single-ion anisotropy. Hence, the model Hamiltonian is as follows: