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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
betsydc Oct 11, 2012 9:48 PM (in response to mere_wood)I have used quckbooks and found it very difficult to navigate and very expensive to use online so I could access it when out of town. I discovered Freshbooks.com, a cloud accounting site, and have been very happy with them.
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mere_wood Oct 17, 2012 11:18 AM (in response to betsydc)Does it make your taxes more difficult using Freshbooks?
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
LessAccounting - Allan Branch May 28, 2013 2:23 PM (in response to betsydc)Freshbooks is a wonderful app with some limitations on bookkeeping features. If you ever need a balance sheet or other accounting features check out our simple accounting software, LessAccounting.com
Quickbooks has been the gold standard of accounting software for many decades but there's many new cloud based accounting applications like Xero, Wave, Outright and us that are slowly chipping away at Intuit's death grip on it's customers.
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
Moderator Melinda Oct 12, 2012 9:33 AM (in response to mere_wood)Hi Mere_wood,
I too found quickbooks to be difficult. I actually used my own software developed by a friend. It was great using custom made software. Had everything I needed to help me organize my finances. Good luck!
Melinda
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mere_wood Oct 17, 2012 11:18 AM (in response to Moderator Melinda)That's a nice plus to have!!
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
jking.4-5-6 Oct 21, 2012 11:17 PM (in response to Moderator Melinda)HI Melinda, I am looking for a good computer and business software that will grow with my company. I want to avoid the race for the biggest and best technology. I just want a system that will store and retrieve my files and data. I need to generate year end totals and reports, also to customize and print checks for contractors and expenses. I now use the "Neat Works" filing system. But I need more. Do you have any ideas? Are you knowledgeable about the new "Apple iMac" Desktop Computer? I'm thinking the Apple Software may be easer for me sense I'm not all that computer literate. Please help, or point me in the right direction.
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
Moderator Melinda Oct 25, 2012 9:18 AM (in response to jking.4-5-6)Hi jking,
I am not familiar with the apple imac. Our office uses windows computers because of the architectural software. I do know that mac is simpler than windows but it also depends on what field you are in. Mac is used by many editors and writers. The reason I chose to develop my own software is because I wasn't really satisfied with what was being offered at the time. I too needed something to grow with. It was an added bonus for me to have a friend who was a software developer. I must warn you, developing your own software can be very pricey. You must put everything on a scale. My suggestion to tou is, write down exactly what it is you need for your company to be efficient (taking the future into account as well). Then go shopping. Look around and see what is offered. There maybe something close to what you need. There are many good suggestions here. If you feel that there is nothing that satisfies your needs, you could develop your own. But I caution you again. It is VERY pricey to develop your own software. Good luck to you.
Melinda
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
jking.4-5-6 Oct 28, 2012 8:18 AM (in response to Moderator Melinda)THanks Melinda, u seem 2 have good insight into my situation. I have thought extensively about building my own personal software, but after facing my skills shortfall I quickly return to looking for a "plug-n-play" system that comes close to my needs.
SInce our last talk, I downloaded "Office 2010" and bought the book too. So I'm going through that hoping Excell will show me how to create the forms I want.
MY old laptop ran out of RAM, and it seems a newer and later model is better than trying to upgrade the old, which is why I'm looking at an iMac, then maybe I can focus on my business over the next few years rather than on my computer. Agin, thanks for much needed advice.
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
rick Oct 12, 2012 10:47 AM (in response to mere_wood)I use MAS90 and like it but find it is not very common.
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mere_wood Oct 18, 2012 10:38 AM (in response to rick)Yeah, I've never heard of it. What do you think are the positives of the software? Any negatives?
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
mere_wood Oct 22, 2012 11:14 AM (in response to rick)You're right, this is the first time I'm hearing about it. Do you like it?
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lou1s Oct 12, 2012 10:48 AM (in response to mere_wood)Quick books was great yesterday, today we rest on technology and in the cloud, in other words most people are using an online software they can access from anywhere and automate their process's right down to one click tax filing, I use outright.com there is a free version and you can upgrade as you grow or most of the larger banks are offering the service of book keeping, payroll and taxes for prices that range from free to $40 per month so if you have a biz checking account you should ask if the service is provided.
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
mere_wood Oct 12, 2012 3:42 PM (in response to OfficeGoddess)Lily,
Do you use Quickbooks for B2B or B2C?
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
mere_wood Oct 15, 2012 4:19 PM (in response to OfficeGoddess)Do you ever have issues with customers paying you on time?
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ken Oct 16, 2012 5:45 PM (in response to mere_wood)Hi,
Actually yes! I've been "stiffed" once in my 19 years in business. It was a Canadian company and very tough to go after. This past week I had an invoice "finally" paid, that was due 16th-June -12. I hung in there with them as they were trying to get their biz turned around. Needless to say, I'll be requiring payment up front, a policy I have enforce for any international companies...including Canada LOL!
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
mere_wood Oct 17, 2012 11:19 AM (in response to ken)grrr that's the worst. However, that's really nice that you only have been officially stiffed once!
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
mere_wood Oct 15, 2012 4:18 PM (in response to lou1s)What about invoicing?
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
mere_wood Oct 15, 2012 5:32 PM (in response to OfficeGoddess)Oh whoops, I meant for that to reply to someone else! My bad!
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account on me Oct 16, 2012 8:54 PM (in response to Kathleen Ries-Jubenville)Kathleen - I totally agree with you. I've been using QuickBooks for 10+ years. (I still have a client using QuickBooks 2002!). I agree with you that the set-up is crucial. I find that if a client doesn't have the basic accounting knowledge, like debits vs credits, they can get lost. But then, that's what companies like us are here for, right?! If shown how to do the simple check writing and making a deposit, I think most clients get along with it just fine. And with guidance from a professional that has worked with QB for awhile, they can usually accomplish what they need. I definitely don't like the MAC version - too many restrictions. And it seems to loose something (data?) when the data is transferred back and forth between Windows and MAC versions.
Best, Peggy Headington, Account on Me
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
cottageowner Oct 16, 2012 11:09 PM (in response to account on me)I still maintain for the 'ordinary' person starting a small business Quick Books software is not user friendly and hard to use for some things. Sure, if you are an accountant or CPA I'm sure you understand the program very well. Most people starting a small business, however, can not afford an accountant. We are just looking for a program that can help us get to the point where we can hire someone like you or Kathleen...but in the beginning, I feel most of us can't do that. Quick Books touts that they are 'user friendly' and 'easy to use' and I just don't see it. I'm not a dummy...I know hardware and I know software. I used to write programs in C+ and Visual Basic. I also had training in bookkeeping years ago. None of that helps me with this program. As someone else stated, he uses just what he needs in the program. I do the same. But I know the program can do so much more, and yet I don't trust it to give me an accurate year end report for taxes because of mistakes I'VE made because the program makes some things so difficult. Just my opinion.
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toddwerts Oct 17, 2012 8:51 AM (in response to cottageowner)Newbie here also. I've been using it (QBO) since 2007 and found it simple to use. My major issue is that it's not compliant with Government Accounting rules! So, if I experience just a little bit more growth, I'll have to find another solution. Kathleen, is there anything in the works to make QBO compliant?
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
mere_wood Oct 17, 2012 11:37 AM (in response to account on me)Beggy,
Do you also train people in Quickbooks?
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ken Oct 16, 2012 5:39 PM (in response to mere_wood)Hi All,
I'm new, just joined moments ago. In answer to who "uses QuickBooks here". I've been using it since the late 80s, I guess. Currently using the 2010 version and the MFG/Wholesale module. I'm comfortable with it and find it quite adequate for my small biz. I like the automation aspect of being able to email invoices and my accountant has an in-house expert if I run into a problem.
Just thought, I'd jump in with a little background and getting my "foot in the door" of this forum.
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cottageowner Oct 16, 2012 6:08 PM (in response to ken)I've been using Quickbooks Pro for 3 years now and hate it. I don't agree with Kathleen that it is user-friendly. I know others who use it and hate it also. I'm definitely going to look into some of the other programs mentioned above. I've taken some training in Quickbooks Pro and also have a manual for it, but I still find it difficult to use...especially to fix something I input. Credits also drive me crazy. I paid $250 for this software because it was highly recommended by a network group I belong to...but after using it and questioning them about it, I found that they, too, have problems with it. I wish they had told me BEFORE I bought it!
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
ken Oct 16, 2012 8:23 PM (in response to cottageowner)Hi,
As I mentioned earlier, I have used QB since the late 80s. I have learned to dig around for answers. I refer to it as an"accounting program for non-accountants". You do need some definable background. understand it. My most critical comment is the support for it sucks! So, in a away, I feel your pain. I wold hate to entertain the thought of adding all of my basic data into a new program. So, with this thought, I'll leave you with these words...."The Devil you know is better than the Devil you don' know"
Good luck with any alternatives.
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tmunsey Oct 16, 2012 8:42 PM (in response to ken)I have been using Quickbooks Pro for a number of years. It is a powerful program, but I only use the portions that are useful to my business. It is great at Trade Shows for making sales, which also updates my inventory. My Merchant Account is also with Intuit so all of my credit card transaction go through the program. If I have any questions I go to my Accountant who is very good with the program and helps in any setup requirements. She also uses the program to do all of my taxes.
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mere_wood Oct 17, 2012 11:38 AM (in response to cottageowner)have you looked at other softwares? There are also some good ones in the cloud like Xero or Freshbooks. What do you primarily use your Quickbooks for?
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gardener Oct 16, 2012 8:48 PM (in response to mere_wood)I've been using QuickBooks Pro for a long time, and I like it, but the only other program I've used is M.Y.O.B., which was much harder to correct mistakes in. I have a small landscape gardening business, and what I like most about QB Pro is that I only need to enter my own and my employee's hours once, in order to generate both invoices and paychecks. It IS fairly expensive and Intuit is always trying to sell you more products and services, which is annoying. I looked at the online version of QB but it seemed to lack a lot of important features and, as others have pointed out, there are lots of free online accounting apps. I use TeamViewer if I need to access my data remotely.
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bharris13 Oct 17, 2012 8:47 AM (in response to mere_wood)I work for my husband HVAC company and am a 1 person office. We use quickbooks and also a program that we just bought by Desco called ESC. they intergrate together but you dont have to use both. Anyways..let me start by saying I have a degree in Psychology so accounting and book keeping is WAAAAAY out of my comfort area. I took two quickbook classes and read quickbooks for dummies from front to back. For me invoicing, setting up customers and purchase orders, and vendors..paying bill was easy and pretty straight forward. However Inventory and the initial set up i still have issues with and quickbooks if it is not set up correct initially can cause issues down the line..luckily the lady that taught the classes I went to helps me all the time and it a GREAT advisor. I can give you her information if you would like. The ESC program I like alot better...it is expensive but it does soo much more in one program that my company needs.
In a nutshell the basics of quickbooks was easy, for me at least, but the background information and intial set up is what is a headache and the inventory setup and tracking can get confusing. It is also hard for me once i notice something on reports that does not look right to find the mistake that caused that...but that could be my lack of knowledge in the area and not a quickbooks issue. We dont use their payroll so I cannot comment on that.
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mere_wood Oct 17, 2012 11:41 AM (in response to bharris13)This is really helpful Bailey, because I find a large majority of people handling the books at a small biz don't necessarily come from an accounting background. Do you have ever issues with late invoices? customers paying late?
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bharris13 Oct 18, 2012 9:26 AM (in response to mere_wood)For the most part we do not...we have a select few that do and we do charge fianance charges for late payments which we use quickbooks for. As far as collections we do have a collections company that we use for that few that refuse to pay...which isnt alot.
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clifmil7 Oct 17, 2012 8:53 AM (in response to mere_wood)I have been using QB's for since 2007. We thought we were set up correctly by our first accountant but that was not the case. We have been through 3 accountants and they have all said the previous did not know what they were doing. We are now on our 4th accountant and he is redoing 2008-2010 tax returns. He is not a quickbooks expert though. You need an accountant that will set you up correctly, show you the basic steps and check up on your entries about once a quarter. I did my own payroll in QB's which is not hard because I only had a few employees.
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bharris13 Oct 18, 2012 9:27 AM (in response to clifmil7)We too went through several accountants until we found the right one....I def advise getting an accountant and a if you have a quickbooks advisor get them in touch with your accountant to set it up right the first time!
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douglasbeale Oct 17, 2012 9:09 AM (in response to mere_wood)I've been using QB for years, and yes, they are always trying to sell me something. But other that that I love the company.
I cant remember how long ago I started but I think it was the second year it came out. I took a coarse that lasted one or two days, and another one about ten years ago. I may take another one next year, but I'll never change.
I buy a new copy (usually says Pro or something but I've had Construction too) every few years. I just bought one early this year and I love it.
I would recommend it. Just plan on going to a course.
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mere_wood Oct 17, 2012 11:42 AM (in response to douglasbeale)what are you primarily using Quickbooks for?
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clifmil7 Oct 17, 2012 4:31 PM (in response to mere_wood)Pretty much everything. Invoicing, how much taxes to pay, payroll, quotes, sales orders, purchase orders, inventory.
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cliff Oct 17, 2012 12:54 PM (in response to mere_wood)I have been using Quickbooks Pro since 2008. I have found it to be a much more powerful accounting tool than many free programs but there is definitely a need to understand basic accounting principles in order to be accurate. The most important thing is just to use it as it was designed. Such as Create Invoice/Receive Payment/Make Deposit and not just randomly assign credits and debits to a ledger. It's not rocket science but if you are in business pick up a book on Basic Bookkeeping/Accounting and familiarize yourself with it. It's really the least you should do if you are serious about having a successful business. Thereafter you can set up the program to work flawlessly and generate reports and be able to transfer and have your accountant work on your files with ease. It's been a standard in many businesses and by accountants for years for a reason. It is comprehensive and works well with their methods. But like talking to any professional whether it be a doctor or lawyer or accountant it might be nice to have them speak in layman's terms but ultimately the methods and language must serve their purpose if they are to fulfill their task most effectively.
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HIMAL TAX LLC Oct 17, 2012 1:40 PM (in response to cliff)I am an accountant and have been using Quickbooks products for many years. Is there any specific questions you have that I can help you with. Even thought, it is easy you still need some basic knowledge of Accounting.
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mere_wood Oct 18, 2012 10:43 AM (in response to HIMAL TAX LLC)I'm mainly trying to get a feeling on SMB owners take on Quickbooks. We're designing a software that integrates with Quickbooks to help with receivables management, but I get mixed reviews from our users on their impressions of Quickbooks.
Do you think it's safe to say some accounting background is needed to successfully use Quickbooks?
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
ken Oct 18, 2012 12:27 PM (in response to mere_wood)Hi,
First as noted earlier, I have used QB for long time. I do not have any formal accounting training (college courses etc) most all of my learning has been OJT (on job training) over the years..
In answer to having a "knowledge of accounting"?
It is certainly easy(ier) to have a knowledge of double sided accounting principles. Especially, when it comes to Journal entries. The beauty of QB's modules is their programing auto-applies the offsets behind the scenes.
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bharris13 Oct 19, 2012 8:31 AM (in response to mere_wood)In my opinion I feel if I had a better understanding and background knowledge in accounting, Qb would be easier to use as far as like ken said with the journal entries, knowing how to understand the reports better and use the information they give you and also to better find mistakes and to understand how QB does some of the "behind the scene" work. The basics of QB is easy- entering invoices, paying bills, writing check, entering a purchase order, entering vendor and customer information and recalling that information, and receiving payments. That part is pretty straightfoward without an accounting background.
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melissasbkpg Oct 17, 2012 1:20 PM (in response to mere_wood)I have been using QuickBooks for about 12 years. I use it myself for my business and for 95% of my clients. I don't agree with QB marketing that suggests you don't need any accounting knowledge to use their program. I guess you can use it without any knowledge but you are going to end up with a mess and probably pretty frustrated. I have had clients use online programs such as Freshbooks and I do not like it at all. The ones I saw were a mess and the numbers were deceiving and incorrect. It seemed a bit one dimensional like doing your taxes on Turbotax. Overall, I love QB, although with anything, it is not perfect but they are making a lot of progress. If you are going to buy it I suggest (as the many other suggestions above) that you get some training. I'm sure there is a QB ProAdvisor nearby that you could hire. Depending on your accounting knowledge and computer savyness it could take a little or a lot of time
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mere_wood Oct 18, 2012 10:43 AM (in response to melissasbkpg)Melissa,
Are you an accountant or a Qbooks advisor?
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melissasbkpg Oct 18, 2012 11:03 AM (in response to mere_wood)A Bookkeeper & QB ProAdvisor
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satsuki Oct 20, 2012 4:41 AM (in response to melissasbkpg)Hi Melissa,
I am a newbie. I am starting an online business. Would you recommend QB for this type of business? There is NO inventory as I deal with drop shippers. I don't understand, from reading some of the previous comments, how you can only use part of a program and expect to get good reports. I want a program that will take care of my total accounting needs. I want good Financial Statements, (income statements, Profit & Loss)
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melissasbkpg Oct 20, 2012 10:03 PM (in response to satsuki)Yes, you should be able to use QB for your online business. There are many types of businesses and they don't all have the same accounting function requirements. As you stated that your business does not have inventory, yet many do. Some companies have payroll and some don't, some don't keep track of customers through QB. It depends on your business and what you need. If you are entering everything into QB that pertains to your business then you will be able to generate accurate reports. I image that you will be entering expenses through a bank and/or credit card and income through deposits or invoices. By just those few types of entries you will be able to easily generate a balance sheet and profit & loss. I hope that helps and answers your question. Good luck with your new business!!
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satsuki Oct 21, 2012 3:58 PM (in response to melissasbkpg)Hi Melissa,
Thank you.I understand that there are various versions of QB. I was just talking to my son-in-law who has a business and his QB goes into a lot of detail, into different levels of how he bills. I don't want that detailed billings. He said that in QB Basic that you can actually have two company books on one program. Is that correct? I could run two completely separate books? At present I have one website and I am working on a second (through my online class). Can I setup books for these two sites and then combine them into one?
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soulewoman Oct 17, 2012 6:40 PM (in response to mere_wood)I have used QuickBooks Online for about 5 years. It started out with just the basics but they have added many features over the years and we love it. Why, you ask? Well, I travel and can get to my books online at any time since it is cloud based; it allows me to download from my banks, credit cards and sets up payroll and tax payments. My assistant can also work from home and not always be in the office. I have two businesses and get a discount from QuickBooks. I looked at the PRO version but it was just too much stuff and too difficult. The other thing we like is we can call them and get help if we need it and my accountant has her own access if we need her help. Recently they added the ability for my clients to pay directly online as a EFT transfer and this has cut the turnaround by my largest client by about 11 business days!
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mere_wood Oct 18, 2012 10:44 AM (in response to soulewoman)That is awesome! I've read so much on how enabling online payments can get you paid faster. Glad to see Quickbooks is making that possible.
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Discount Insurance Oct 18, 2012 10:01 AM (in response to mere_wood)I am using Quick Book for long time and It's the best accounting tool I ever use!!
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jcwilliamscpa Oct 18, 2012 10:12 AM (in response to mere_wood)Quickbooks is a great software package, but so is Sage. We use both for our clients, but Quickbooks by far is the most popular.
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mere_wood Oct 18, 2012 10:45 AM (in response to jcwilliamscpa)Do you have certain criteria that changes what you recommend to each client?
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account on me Oct 25, 2012 1:43 PM (in response to mere_wood)Yes I do.
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account on me Oct 25, 2012 1:52 PM (in response to mere_wood)Yes, depending on the type of business.
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bill7744 Oct 22, 2012 10:08 AM (in response to mere_wood)Used QuickBooks for over 10 years. Reliable, easy to use and it works - does invoicing, emails, online transaction importing, tax integration. Single user - easy and reasonable, multiple users a bit pricey.
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chris4449 Oct 23, 2012 12:42 PM (in response to mere_wood)A friend of mine runs a successful order fulfillment company. He wrote in a recent blog that QuickBooks is the most indispensible tool he uses. The blog article is "Beginner's Luck and Internet Sucess."
The link is karolmedia.com.wordpress.com
Chris
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
Stephen Hartfield, CPA Oct 29, 2012 12:48 PM (in response to mere_wood)Hi mere-wood,
I am a CPA with a wide range of accounting software product experience both in my practice over the last 20+ years and inside businesses where I have acted as a CFO.
The software programs that I have used range from the first DOS programs that were written for the PC in the early 1980s to Microsoft Dynamics (big program) to the more current Windows based systems: Peachtree, QuickBooks, AccountEdge.
When I advise clients on what type of accounting software to purchase I ask two questions: 1) Where do you intend to be in the next 5 to 10 years and, 2) Are you looking to customize the software to your needs or are you just looking for a vanilla program out of the box. (I guess that is technically three questions!)
The first question is relevant because. If your business will always be a mom and pop small business that will never branch out to other cities or locations then QuickBooks, Freshbooks, AccountEdge will be fine for you. If your business is going to grow dramatically, then Peachtree will be the right choice because it is easily upgradable within the Sage product category.
The second question is self-explanatory.
Which to Choose?
I would stick with a desktop version. The cloud is advancing very rapidly, but I think it needs a little more maturing before it is ready for everyday use. By the way, I am what is known as an "Early Adopter" because I embrace almost all new technology items as soon as they are available. And while I have heard great things about QB Online and I have used it from time-to-time, it will need a bit more time.
How to Set Things up Right the First Time.
The key is to set up your Chart of Accounts (COA) correctly the first time. The COA is the skeletal structure of the Accounting System. Everything else is a little trial and error.
QuickBook
QuickBooks is as good as any of the other programs out there. It has a lot of bells and whistles.
And, the best part, there is a very active user community where you can get all of your questions answered.
I hope this helps you.
Stephen R. Hartfield, CPA
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charlotte cfo Oct 30, 2012 4:09 PM (in response to Stephen Hartfield, CPA)Thank you Stephen,
I have used QB pro for over 10 years and last time we upgraded was to the 2006 version so as you probably know that means I can no longer email PO's. I've been looking at upgrading to the QB on line but you are the second person to say it needs more time.
Can you expand a little on that.
I love QB in partner with B of A, makes accounting easy. yes, B of A does our payroll and I love it, very cost effective too!!
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
Stephen Hartfield, CPA Oct 30, 2012 5:25 PM (in response to charlotte cfo)Hi Charlotte,
In my reply to mere_wood, who is a newbie to QB, my aim was to get her the most bang for her buck with the least amount of frustration.
QB Online at $40/month for the Online Plus gets a little pricey at $480/year. Especially, when you consider that the desktop version is only $250 and, as you are aware, can be used for quite a number of years before upgrading.
The next big difference between the two is the ability to backup and restore quickly. This is essential for a new user. You backup before you print your first invoices or checks. If it gets messed up, restore it quickly and try again. I believe this also possible with QBOnline, but it is much more convenient locally.
And my biggest issue is that QBO does not have the strong Inventory and Project/Cost tracking that the Desktop version is so good at.
Now those are the things that might be important for a new user. Since you are an experienced user, those issues may not matter as much. And, of course, it also depends on the type of company you are using the QB for.
I hope this helps you, if not please let me know.
Stephen R. Hartfield, CPA
www.debitsandcredits.com
Here is a link for a feature-by-feature comparison: Online Accounting Solutions and Professional Internet Accounting Software - QuickBooks OE | Compare
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ken Oct 30, 2012 4:56 PM (in response to mere_wood)Hi all,
I've been using QB for well over 10 years and am at the 2010 version. I like the emailing of invoices this version supports. I us the manufacturing wholesale/retail module and it suits me well, although, I do not like the shipping interface as I have never found it an easy feature. I don't see the features offered in the more recent versions enough incentive to pay for the upgrade. I would think being long term users, as are many of the respondents here, QB upgrades would be offered at a more reduced rate.
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
amspcs Nov 1, 2012 10:58 PM (in response to mere_wood)If I may, I'd like to comment on this thread from the standpoint of one particular service Intuit sells, payment processing, which happens to be my area of expertise. Intuit offers credit card processing thru a processing company they purchased some years back, Innovative Merchant Solutions. The system works great, and integrates seamlessly with QB software, which is fine and good. The only problem with QB processing as I see it is the widely accepted myth that the propreitary QB credit card processing solution is the ONLY way to seamlessly integrate with their financial software, which many merchants appear to believe. Years ago, this may have been the case, but this is absolutely untrue these days. The fact is, there are now several third party payment processing alternatives that integrate with QuickBooks as well as, and in some cases better than, the proprietary QB product itself, at significantly better pricing, due to the fact that third party providers permit users to use virtually any merchant account instead of the high priced proprietary QB processor. I see far too many uninformed QB advisors and CPAs doing their clients no favors by steering them to the QB processing solution.
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
moneytrack Dec 4, 2012 4:46 PM (in response to mere_wood)I've used both Quickbooks and Freshbooks to help operate small businesses. Quickbooks definitely has more accounting features. It is very difficult to run any type of complex business using Freshbooks alone. Many businesses that I have consulted with use both. Freshbooks has a nice user interface and is great for sending invoices.
The Money Track
Independent Financial Advice & Personal Financial Planning -
Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
Tran Nguyen Dec 6, 2012 1:24 PM (in response to mere_wood)Hi,
I personally utilize both Quickbooks and Sage (PeachTree). To be honest, our virtual desktops handle QuickBooks much better than it handles Sage. I find Quickbooks beneficial, though difficult to navigate in the beginning.
I do, however, enjoy all I can utilize Quickbooks with excel so I can build pivot tables, graphs, cash flow charts, and all that fun stuff that an accountant has to do. I have dabbled in Freshbooks, but the instance I mention it to a client, they get edgy that it's not a name brand that they recognize. So for me, I just stay away from it for the client's sake.
I hope this helps!
Tran Nguyen
Accountant
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
EVA7777 Dec 23, 2012 11:51 AM (in response to mere_wood)Most of my clients prefer QuickBooks. I have used other programs such as Peachtree and Great Plains but find that QuickBooks is much more user friendly for small to medium businesses. Of course I provide Bookkeeping services to clients and generally handle the majority of their bookkeeping for them but my clients are able to navigate the program to pull the reports they need for management and planning purposes. By providing my clients with remote bookkeeping services they have more time to work on their business instead of being burried in mountains of paperwork and struggling to do their own bookkeeping. However, I still prefer QuickBooks over most of the other programs I have used and find it much easier to train my clients in the use of the program as well. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help!
jking@elitevirtualaccountants.com
615-688-7707
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Re: Who here uses QuickBooks?
Jim Peters Jul 10, 2013 2:53 AM (in response to mere_wood)I have used the QuickBook. It is very easy to use. Very useful for the accounting and budgeting tasks. Newbies may feel some difficulties, but again, it is easy to use.
Trying to get more info on QuickBooks for small businesses. Would love to know what you think!