Which QuickBooks is Right for Me? Simple Start

Though it lacks some of the advanced features of other versions of QuickBooks, QuickBooks Simple Start is a great program for those very small businesses who are looking to get their "feet wet" in the world of accounting programs. It is far better than a simple checkbooks program like Quicken or Microsoft Money, in that it allows you to do invoicing, create a fairly robust chart of accounts (though no sub-catagories), manage and pay bills, write and print checks, and generate financial reports such as a Profit and Loss or a Balance Sheet.
The very best thing about Simple Start - You can get it for FREE! Go download a free copy of QuickBooks Simple Start now if you have any interest in QuickBooks at all.
You can transfer your data in from Quicken or Excel - start learning the major functions of QuickBooks - and if you need to upgrade later, you can transfer your Simple Start data right into Pro, Premier, or Enterprise.

Which QuickBooks is Right for Me? Introduction

So you've decided to track your company's finances in a software program, and EVERYBODY is talking about QuickBooks.  You can't turn on a radio, a television, go into an office, or read a "Help wanted" section of the newspaper without seeing the name QuickBooks - so there must be something to it.
Maybe you've been using a simple paper reguster, or a series of Excel spreadsheets and Word Documents.  Maybe this is your first business and you want to do it right, form the start.  Or - maybe you've been using another program like Peachtree or Cougar Mountain or Timberline - and you just want something easier, more intuitive to work with.
Whatever the reason, it's time to think about which QuickBooks is right for you and your organization.  QuickBooks Simple Start?  QuickBooks Online?  QuickBooks Pro?  QuickBooks Premier?  QuickBooks Enterprise?  QuickBooks Point of Sale?  Or no QuickBooks at all?
In the next few blog entries, we'll describe each of these to help you select which might be right for you.  There is nothing worse than spending $500 on the wrong QuickBooks when the right one would have been $150 - or buying the $150 version and discovering that you really need the features in the $500 version!

The Three Year Upgrade Cycle: Who?

Finally, when getting ready to upgrade, think about who should be performing this task. Given the proper knowledge and safeguards anyone can do it. However we have seen many disasters that have arisen from companies that should know better letting their "tech guy" or the secretary's teenager who is "good with computers" attempt the upgrade.
Upgrading QuickBooks is not just like installing the new verion of Office or applying an add-on pack for your favorite video game. Without a cautious approach, it is possible to lose hundreds or thousands of hours of data entry and financial records that may never be replaced. If you are going it alone or your "tech guy" is sure they can handle it: PLEASE be sure to BACK UP before you get started.
Of course, a better option is to call professionals who do this all the time and know exactly how to do your upgrade smoothly and seemlessly. We provide these services both in the Sacramento Area and the Reno/Tahoe area. You can also find certified QuickBooks Pro Advisors through Intuit's website.

The Three Year Upgrade Cycle: How?

Now you're ready to upgrade.  You've purchased the software, set aside some time to do it, and you want to get going with your new QuickBooks 2008.  So how do you proceed?
The first, most important step :  BACK UP YOUR CURRENT FILE!  This point can't be stressed enough.   As long as you have a good back-up, there is nothing you can't recover from down the road.  Attempting an upgrade without a back-up is a recipe for disaster.
If you are only running QuickBooks on a single computer (no network) you will now run the setup program from the CD and follow the on-screen instruction.  One point to watch: when it asks you if you want to upgrade your previous version or do a new installation in another directory, choose the new directory.  You've paid for both full versions (2005 and 2008 in this case) so you should retain both.  This will also allow you to freeze your old file in time for reference should you need to go back to it.
If you are upgrading a multi-user, networked environment.  Follow the procedure above, however, be sure you install the program on your server first, then each client station.
Finally, open QuickBooks 2008 and rather than upgrading your file that is on your computer (thus making it incompatible with your old 2005 program) instead restore the backup you have made.  QuickBooks 2008 will upgrade that file for you and save it in the proper directory.  This way you now have your "going forward" file accessible in QuickBooks 2008 and your archive, frozen in time file accessible in QuickBooks 2005.

The Three Year Upgrade Cycle: When?

So you know you have to upgrade, but when, exactly is the right time to engage this process?  Well, obviously before the sunset date of May 31st, and after the day the new product (2008 in this case) was released - which was in fall of 2007.  But within that window, there are some specific concerns.
We don't generally recommend starting the upgrade until after end of year payroll and tax forms are processed.  Finish your w-2s, your w-3s, 1099, 1096, and so on first.  You do not want to accidentally lose a full year's worth of good data right before you cross the "finish line!"
So, we've narrowed the window down to sometime between February and May - but beyond that, "When?"  We recommend that you do it on a day with the least scheduled activity in your business.  If you have a complex operation with multiple workstations and a a server and you generally need 5 people logged in at once - you want to minimize their downtime.  Many such clients opt to upgrade on a Saturday when nobody will be on the clock waiting around to get back into their compter.  Additionally, it is a good idea to do it after the "big" days in your payroll, A/P, and A/R cycle rather than right before.
Need software for your upgrade?  You can get 15-20% off via our website.

The Three Year Upgrade Cycle: Why?

It's about that time again.  Time when those who are using a version of QuickBooks 3 years old or older (QuickBooks 2005 users, this means you!) need to think about upgrading.

Intuit's sunset policy means that if you use payroll, process credit cards in QuickBooks, or care about getting techincal support directly from Intuit, you must upgrade by May 31, 2008.

If you don't use these features and don't care - you can continue to use QuickBooks 2005 as long as you like.  (Unless of course you hope to upgrade to Windows Vista).  In the next few blog entries we'll talk about the upgrade process.

Customizing QuickBooks: Part Seven Forms

Create your own distinctive and professional-looking forms, by choosing from over 100 pre-designed templates. Add your logo, your company colors, and essential information to your estimates, purchase orders, invoices, and packing slip.

1. Go to the Lists menu >> Templates

2. There are many different forms to choose from. Select the one you would like to customize by
double clicking on it. This will launch the Basic Customization window.

3. Now, you can easily add your logo, change your fonts and add important company information to your form.

For further assistance seting up, customizing, configuring or installing QuickBooks, don't hesitate to contact us in Sacramento or Reno/Tahoe.

Customizing QuickBooks: Part Six Reports

Set up your own custom reports, and see only the information important to your business.

You can create customized income statements which show the profitability of some aspect of your business, by choosing the columns and rows to display.


Go to the Reports menu >> Custom Summary Report


For even more QuickBooks tips, visit the QuickBooks Gal podcast. If you are using Microsoft Office Accounting, be sure to check out the handy tips at Micropods.custmbiz.com

Customizing QuickBooks: Part Five Report Formats

Change the formatting on reports to better reflect your unique business needs. You can easily change your fonts and add a header or footer to your reports. For instance, if your report has multiple pages, you may want to add page numbers. Or, if you are sharing a confidential report, you may want to mark it as such in the footer.
1 Open your report >> click Modify Report (upper left hand corner)
2 The Modify Report window will open, where you can select which columns to display, set filters on the kind of information you wish to see, add important company information, and change your fonts.

It’s also easy to resize the width of your Report columns, so you can limit or expand the amount of text you see. Click on the diamond between column headers and drag to the appropriate column width.  You can easily change the width of any column by clicking on the diamond and dragging your mouse to the left or right.

Customizing QuickBooks: Part Four Data Centers

See the data you only want to see in the Customer, Vendor and Employee Centers. You can add or remove columns to display the information you are interested in, such as job status or email address. Save time up front by customizing your data columns so you can quickly access this information at any time.

1. Go to the View menu >> Customize Columns (Note: You must already be in the Customer, Vendor or Employee Center when you go to the View menu to add or remove your column(s).


2. Select which columns you would like to add by selecting an item under Available Columns and clicking Add. You can also remove columns by selecting an item under Chosen Columns and clicking Remove.

Customizing QuickBooks: Part Three The Home Page

Set up your Home Page to show only the tasks relevant to your business. You can choose to hide or display select icons on the Home Page. If you don’t have employees, for example, you may wish to remove the Payroll Center from your Home Page.

You can easily do so by setting this preference in Company Preferences.

Go to the Edit menu >> Preferences >> Desktop View >> Company Preferences Tab (Note: Home page icons, such as invoices, cannot be removed from the Home Page if related references are enabled. For example, Invoices cannot be removed from the Home Page if either Estimates or Progress Invoicing is enabled.)

QuickBooks Bargain Alert! We noticed at Office Max today that they are currently offering QuickBooks Premier for $299 after a $100 mail in rebate. If you've been thinking about jumping into the 2008 edition of Premier, this seems like a great deal.

Customizing QuickBooks: Part Two The Icon Bar

Save time by customizing the icon bar to add shortcuts for quick access to the
tasks you frequently perform—and remove shortcut icons you don’t use.

Go to the View Menu and Select "Customize Icon Bar"