So many people I talk to tell me they have a love/hate relationship with QuickBooks. The bookkeeping software by Intuit helps business owners and individuals manage their accounting. Nearly 5 million people use the software, including Brigade Bookkeeping and our clients. But are you using QuickBooks the best way for your business? Here are my five favorite QuickBook tips:
1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT VERSION – There are many different versions of QuickBooks. The key is choosing the right one. If you use it at work on a PC, but then at home on a MAC, then make sure you choose the version for both operating systems. There are many different choices if you’re working solely on a PC. If you’re a startup small business owner, go with QuickBooks Simple Start. If you have more than one person working on your accounting, go with QuickBooks Premier. QuickBooks Pro lets you create invoices and manage you accounting. Large companies with a variety of departments may want to choose QuickBooks Enterprise. Finally, there’s also a QuickBooks Online version, which is stored on a server via the Internet.
2. MEMORIZE THE KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS – Just like CTRL+C is the shortcut to copying in a Word document, QuickBooks has its own shortcut language. Knowing that CTRL + I means create an invoice and CTRL + W means write a new check in QuickBooks, can save you lots of time. So its good to know the keyboard shortcuts.
3. AUTOMATE BILLS & TRANSACTIONS – If you have a recurring transaction every month, QuickBooks has a feature that memorizes frequent regular transactions. For instance, if you pay the cable company every month the same amount, QuickBooks will memorize the transaction and automatically enter it for you. If you pay a vendor for a service every month, the program will memorize the transaction. This feature can save you time in the long run.
4. CUSTOMER NOTES -QuickBooks offers a great section for business owners to keep track of all customer interaction. It’s located in the Customer Center. Here you can keep track of late invoices and customer emails and phone calls. That way if a client has a question about a bill or service, it can all be found in one location.
5. REMOTE ACCESS – QuickBooks Remote Access is one of my favorite features. This service is web-based and lets your Bookkeeper or CPA securely log into a client QuickBooks account remotely in real time. I prefer Remote Access over the Accountant’s Copy because it also avoids having to send files back and forth. Some of my clients like the fact that I can take control of a screen while allowing them to see my computer’s mouse. If your accountant or bookkeeper doesn’t use this feature, you should ask them why they don’t.
These are my five favorite QuickBooks tips. There are so many more, but with time, you’ll find shortcuts that work for you. In the meantime, if you’re having trouble with your books or have a particular question about QuickBooks, e-mail or give me or someone on my team a call. We are whizzes with QuickBooks and proud of it!
Until next week, Happy Bookkeeping!