QUICKBOOKS TIPS

Posted on September 28, 2010

This section provides helpful tips to QuickBooks users. Learn about the different tools and how to handle tricky transactions.

Modifying QuickBooks Reports Gives You Better Insight Into Past, Future: Part 1

Posted on January 24, 2012

If you make one resolution about improving your accounting procedures in 2012, it should be this: Make extensive use of the tools that QuickBooks offers for report modification. Comprehensive, meticulously-shaped reports that flow out of your carefully-constructed records and transactions are your reward for pounding on the keys every day, conscientiously recording income and expenses.
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Customer Refunds: Are You Doing Them Right?

Posted on December 27, 2011

Refunds. You probably wince at the word. Some – like customer refunds for returns – are fairly uncomplicated, thanks to QuickBooks' tools. Others, not so much. You may find yourself unable to balance your accounts receivable.
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QuickBooks Tips And Tricks: Make it Yours

Posted on November 22, 2011

No matter which version of QuickBooks you're using, there are always ways to make your workday easier. As with any software, we tend to learn the features we need and not much more. But small changes in the way you operate can add up to significant time savings and more accurate files. If you jumped into QuickBooks without a thorough introduction, consider these tips.
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QuickBooks 2012: New Paths to Better, Faster Financial Management

Posted on October 25, 2011

As it usually does this time of year, Intuit has introduced new versions of its Pro and Premier products. QuickBooks 2012 promises to help you get better organized, save steps, and acquire more in-depth financial insights.
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Classes or Types? When To Use Them

Posted on September 26, 2011

QuickBooks' standard reports are critical to understanding your company's past, present, and future. But the program also offers innovative tools that can make them significantly more insightful and comprehensive.
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Tracking Bills in QuickBooks, Worth the Effort

Posted on August 24, 2011

Next to payroll, paying bills is probably your least favorite task in QuickBooks. You don't have to use this feature – you can keep stacking bills on your desk, scrawling the due dates on a paper calendar, and writing checks.
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Add/Edit Multiple List Entries Simplifies Record Changes

Posted on June 23, 2011

Data entry and modifications in QuickBooks can be tedious. Beginning with QuickBooks 2010 Pro Edition and above, that job got a lot easier. The Add/Edit Multiple List Entries tool does just what its name implies: It lets you add entries to your lists of customers, vendors, services, inventory parts, and non-inventory parts. It also makes changing one or several of them quick and easy.
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Job-Tracking Adds Precision to Your QuickBooks Company

Posted on May 23, 2011

Does your business have clients whose work sometimes requires multiple steps drawn out over weeks or months, like remodeling projects or court cases? If so, and you're not using QuickBooks' Jobs features, you're missing out on the opportunity to track and evaluate the financial impact of these complex tasks.
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Are Your QuickBooks Company Files Tamper-Proof?

Posted on April 25, 2011

Every month, we provide information on how to better use QuickBooks. By implementing the best methods for managing your accounting data, you can actually improve your financial bottom line.
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Sales Orders in QuickBooks: Why? When? How?

Posted on March 25, 2011

There aren’t that many different types of forms to keep straight in QuickBooks, but you likely don’t use all of them. You probably use invoices and purchase orders frequently, and may fill out the occasional sales receipt or credit memo or estimate.
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QuickBooks Helps You Make a Statement

Posted on February 21, 2011

How do you let customers know they owe you money? Probably by sending invoices. And how’s that working for you? If your customers are all conscientious and pay on time, maybe that’s all you need to do.
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QuickBooks 2011 - Pump Up Your Productivity

Posted on November 24, 2010

Just about every QuickBooks user relies on the Report Center and Reports menu, but if you’re like most, you have a small handful of reports that you tend to rely on. In this article we’ll go off the beaten path and explore ten reports that many users overlook. Even if you are using some of these reports, we’re sure you’ll find a few more to add to your repertoire.
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Changing Seasons, Changing Prices

Posted on September 24, 2010

Changing the prices of your company’s services and inventory items can solve one of two problems, depending on why you’re looking for a solution. Say your materials suppliers have upped their prices. You may choose to increase your affected products to maintain your profit margin. Or maybe an item or service has not been moving well. A drop in price might trigger improved sales.
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Taxes 24/7/365

Posted on October 25, 2010

The reasons for putting off tax preparations are endless – and understandable. So tax filing deadlines may become the culmination of marathon sessions with your records, which can make mistakes more likely.
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Go Back to School With the Educational Tools of QuickBooks

Posted on August 25, 2010

We know. When you first cracked your copy of QuickBooks, you wanted to dive in and start generating invoices. Fortunately, QuickBooks is intuitive enough that you were able to do just that. And its help system is so robust that you were able to get procedural questions answered quickly and easily.
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Turn Over a New Cliche and Adopt Best Practices

Posted on December 27, 2010

Turn over a new leaf. Make a New Year’s Resolution. Make a fresh start. Get your ducks in a row. All familiar clichés, but their message is valid: At this time of year, you probably feel like renewing your commitment to running a more successful, productive business.
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Repetitive Transactions. Memorize Them.

Posted on January 25, 2011

Filling out invoices the first time can be a pain, especially if they’re lengthy. But doing the same thing repeatedly if the identical invoice recurs regularly? No need.
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Settle Up Fast with Quickbooks’ Bill Paying Tools

Posted on September 1, 2009

Some of the financial crystal ball-types are telling us there are signs that the recession may be drawing some of its last breaths. But those bills are still coming in, and you may have had a long, dry summer and less income that you can use to meet those business obligations.
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Tune Up Your Business Plan with QuickBooks

Posted on August 3, 2009

Do you have a business plan? If you don’t, even if you’re a sole proprietor, you should. Business plans can be a good barometer for the health of your finances as a way to gauge whether or not you’re on the right path. If you don’t have a business path (or if yours is less than organized or polished), you can use QuickBooks’ tools to create or fine-tune one. We’ll show you how to use these tools to get the job done quickly and easily.
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Save Time for Summer by Memorizing Transactions

Posted on July 1, 2009

Unfortunately, your work with QuickBooks doesn’t end just because it’s summer, the weather’s great, and school’s out. But there are ways to minimize your time spent managing your money and maximize your time at the beach. Memorizing transactions is one such way.
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Recording Infrequent Transactions in QuickBooks

Posted on June 1, 2009

Day-to-day transactions like receiving payments from customers or paying vendors occur so frequently that most QuickBooks users do them automatically. However, from time to time you may encounter an infrequent transaction that will stop you in your tracks. In this article we'll discuss several common tricky transactions and offer advice on how to handle them.
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Getting Things Done Fast with QuickBooks Keyboard Tricks

Posted on May 1, 2009

You're accustomed to using your mouse to navigate your way through QuickBooks, but you may not realize that there are faster ways to get your work done in QuickBooks. Typically your hands are already on the keyboard, so take advantage of the shortcuts built into the application to save you time. Using this technique might also help minimize wear-and-tear on your wrists. In this article we'll explore a variety of ways that you can quickly carry out tasks in QuickBooks.
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Minimize Your Exposure to Fraud

Posted on February 2, 2009

Do you know how to detect and protect yourself from fraud? Most of us want to naively believe it will never happen to us. In reality, fraud impacts small and mid-size businesses far more often than large corporations.
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7 Ways to Use QuickBooks to Manage Collections

Posted on January 1, 2009

In these trying economic times it’s more important than ever to keep a close rein on your accounts receivable. Seemingly no one is immune to sudden changes in financial circumstances, so be sure to monitor your outstanding invoices closely.
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Use Closing Date to Protect Prior Year Data

Posted on December 1, 2008

You’ll likely be closing the books on 2008 soon and your records will become the basis for your tax return. It’s critical that your QuickBooks records for a given year match the corresponding tax return, so consider setting a closing date in QuickBooks so that no one inadvertently changes the supporting documents for your tax return.
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16 Bank Reconciliation Tips and Tricks

Posted on October 1, 2008

Although it may seem like drudgery, reconciling your bank account is a critical accounting task that you should carry out each month. Doing so helps ensure the integrity of your financial reports, since most of your accounting transactions ultimately affect cash in some fashion. Further, QuickBooks is a much more powerful tool for your business if you use it to its fullest extent. Most likely you’ve been reconciling your bank account all along, so in this article we’ll discuss the tricks and techniques you need to know to streamline the process.
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Seven Ways to Search QuickBooks

Posted on September 1, 2008

Over time, your QuickBooks company can grow in size to the point that it becomes difficult to find specific transactions. For instance, let’s say that you hire a new employee, and want to order another desk to match the ones in your office. You vaguely remember the last time that you ordered a desk, but can’t remember which vendor, or how much you paid. In this article we’ll discuss seven ways that you can search QuickBooks to find transactions such as this, or when necessary, determine if a transaction was deleted.
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Use Accounting Ratios to Stave Off Financial Problems

Posted on July 1, 2008

Does the mere mention of accounting ratios put your teeth on edge, and bring back bad memories of Accounting 101? It shouldn’t, as ratios can help you quickly determine how your business compares against others. Banks often use ratios to analyze your financial statements as part of the loan approval process, so it’s helpful to know in advance how you’ll be measured. Even better, ratios allow you to compare your business against your peers since many trade groups publish lists of average ratios within an industry. Although ratios may have made you drowsy during accounting class, they can be a fascinating way to measure your company’s financial performance.
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QuickBooks Helps You Navigate Tricky Waters

Posted on May 16, 2008

The price of gasoline is just one of many factors putting pressure on our economy as a whole. Now it’s more important than ever to keep a close eye on your company’s performance. Many business owners compare financial results to an annual budget. If you don’t have your budget in place yet, we’ll show you how to get started. Even if you have, we’ll show you how to use last year’s results as a measuring stick with comparative financial reports. Once you understand these techniques, we’ll explain why you should create a monthly appointment with yourself to ensure that your results continue to measure up—and take action if they don’t.
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Summarize Payroll Data in Excel

Posted on May 15, 2008

This feature is available in QuickBooks 2004 and later, and enables you to generate numerous payroll reports in Excel with just a couple of mouse clicks. Keep in mind that the mix of reports that you see may vary, based on your version of QuickBooks
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Change Report Options

Posted on May 16, 2008

You don't have to return to QuickBooks if you decide that you want to generate a different tax form worksheet, or perhaps change the report dates.
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Profit & Loss Report Versus Statement of Cash Flows

Posted on June 2, 2008