Quick Books...where do I start?

[CES020]

Common complaint I hear is that quickbooks makes you think like an accountant.

Is that really a bad thing for someone running a business?

It can be. I've seen some of the stupidest business advice I've ever heard given to people come from accountants.

 

[David Wright]

I take 15-30 minutes every morning while the coffee is brewing to be completely caught up on invoicing, bill paying, banking, etc... once a quarter or once a year visit from the accountant and your life is good.

Just have to make it a habit.

Your coffee pot takes a long time to brew.

I am not sure what tax tables Techman is talking about. I always heard that if you use the payroll functions then the yearly fees are part of it.

Mine is great for managing my checkbook, invoices, estimates and charge cards.

With a few clicks you can find info on any customer, their history,payments etc. Find info on a check or charge made years ago. Graphs and reports on sales by category, on how well or bad you are doing compared to previous years.

I feel it is indispensable. My accounting is still done by an accountant by I do generate all the reports she needs from quickbooks.

 

[James Burke]

I have appointments to "interview" two accountants next week, and will make the decision which one will suit our business the best. They both utilize Quick Books and can get us set up to where we can do the daily entries on our own, and then turn the files over to them for the final preparations. I'm already feeling better about this.

So far, I've learned:

#1) I am not an accountant

#2) I don't play an account on TV

#3) I don't want to learn to be an accountant

#4) I didn't go into business to be an accountant

#5) I just want to get back to running my business and get paid for doing what I do best.

#6) I will pay an accountant to do what they do best.


JB

 

[CES020]

One piece of advice I'd give on it. There are steps you take going from Step 1- Step 10 (or however many steps), and if you do the steps out of order (on purpose or by accident), then you'll be sorry one day. Probably not the day you do it, but rather some other day when the issue surfaces.

Accountants can fix all that stuff. I can't.

They do things like create another account, move this into that, then close that, move this over there, and then that over here, and then it's done.

I'm looking for more of the "undo" features, which it will never have because that's not accounting.

Maybe we can get Adobe to write a program for that............or not

 

[ChiknNutz]

I've been using QB Pro for a few years now and after getting it set up, find it to be quite easy to use. For EOY accounting purposes, all I do is print out...yes I said PRINT OUT...the Balance Sheet and P&L Statement to give to my CPA.

When we had our sign-shop in full swing, I used to have a book-keeper come in every two weeks to tidy everything, do payroll and the like. They are heavy towards QuickBooks as it really is the accounting standard for so many businesses. Since closing the sign-shop, I no longer have a book-keeper come in, but continue to use QB for GraphixCALC and other business transactions. Personally, I like it and have no issues with it.

I know it's just numbers and should be fairly straightforward to create something to collect all that, but I (like many here) am NOT an accountant and don't care to be. As such, I would rather put my trust into a KNOWN solution rather something home-grown where I may not take something into account and have my books be outta whack. I can say from experience that I DID have my books outta whack for a year early on and boy was it a serious PITFA to get it all straightened around...and co$tly to have both a book-keeper AND CPA charging to fix it.

 

[Bly]

Make a mistake and you'll have to figure out the official way to correct the mistake. It's not like you can just delete it and do it correct. You have to figure out the accounting method for reversing the mistake, which, to non-accountant people, is like trying to do Chinese Arithmetic.

Open the transaction you want to undo then hit ctrl-D and it's deleted.

 

[2B]

Open the transaction you want to undo then hit ctrl-D and it's deleted.

QB has been an easy transition having all the fuctioons integrated from quote to recieving/processing payments has been good.

As the others have said it is best to get a QB tech to set up your information. saves A LOT of hassle

 

[ChiknNutz]

Yikes...$200 (per license) and $600...just for the plug-ins?! Sheesh, kinda steep me thinks. I've got that feature built in to GraphixCALC Pro, for FREE. Not to mention that FMP is $300 per license as well (unless you only need the one). If part of the reason to move to FMP is about saving money, I'm not seeing it.

...and if i had a need for a quickbook file, i'd get this...
Exchanges data between QuickBooks® and FileMaker® Pro.

oops... wrong link
but helpful if you're switching from QB to FM.

i'll see if i can find the appropriate info.

looks like this could be it
http://developer.filemaker.com/solutions/detail/?item=solution.10000000546

 

[GypsyGraphics]

I have appointments to "interview" two accountants next week, and will make the decision which one will suit our business the best. They both utilize Quick Books and can get us set up to where we can do the daily entries on our own, and then turn the files over to them for the final preparations. I'm already feeling better about this.

So far, I've learned:

#1) I am not an accountant

#2) I don't play an account on TV

#3) I don't want to learn to be an accountant

#4) I didn't go into business to be an accountant

#5) I just want to get back to running my business and get paid for doing what I do best.

#6) I will pay an accountant to do what they do best.


JB

i predict any accounted would like you to make their job as easy as possible.

Yikes...$200 (per license) and $600...just for the plug-ins?! Sheesh, kinda steep me thinks. I've got that feature built in to GraphixCALC Pro, for FREE. Not to mention that FMP is $300 per license as well (unless you only need the one). If part of the reason to move to FMP is about saving money, I'm not seeing it.

i've been using FMP since January and never spent a dime more than my original investment $250, and don't expect i ever will. but knowing what i do now... i'd have paid $1000.
for ME.... it was NEVER about saving money! it was about making MY life easier... and it's far exceeded my expectations, in managing jobs, contact management and billing.... not accounting! like James, if i'd wanted to be an accountant, well... who am i kidding, i couldn't be one if i wanted to. sooooo, not my thing!

 

[James Burke]

GG...way to cool preditction & illustration.


JB

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

We use Quickbooks manufacturing, love it!... I just wished we started with the premier manufacturing rather than pro.