Small Business Solutions

Free Quickbooks - Simple Start Edition

Intuit’s QuickBooks Simple Start 2008 is a free accounting package designed for business owners who hold things down with spreadsheets and sticky notes but want a no-risk way to try their hand at using dedicated accounting software.

To reassure intimidated neophytes, the Simple Start interface takes a commonsense “money in, money out” flowchart approach, and it offers straightforward tutorials on basic tasks such as recording deposits. Users who want more functionality can purchase modules that process payroll and credit cards, but the 14 standardized reports (such as income statements and balance sheets) that are included in the basic package should suffice for most users. New for 2008 are the ability to import Excel data and the absence of any restriction on the number of customer and vendor contacts allowed.

Simple Start understandably won’t rival packages like Peachtree’s accounting apps or the paid versions of QuickBooks. Simple Start has several limitations: It can’t track inventory, it’s designed for a single user, it can’t download credit card or bank information, and it won’t automatically generate 1099 forms. In addition, Simple Start can’t export data to Excel, which makes forecasting cumbersome. As a result, this software is probably best for one-person companies that don’t sell physical goods–for instance, consultants, freelancers, and other service providers.

A $100 version of Simple Start comes with 250 checks, a year of free online backup, and a training CD. Customers seeking Excel support or other features might consider Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2008 (also free), QuickBooks Pro ($200), or Peachtree First Accounting ($70).

Simple Start provides a great introduction to accounting software, but many businesses will outgrow it quickly. If your accounting needs are basic, it’s worth a look. Otherwise, you may be better off investing in an accounting package that offers time-saving features such as electronic data downloads and payroll management.

Quickbooks Dividing Date feature | New Features

In the past, there have been “accountant’s copies” of QuickBooks files and “portable data format” copies of QuickBooks files. Each of these were difficult to use and severely limited the type of work an accountant could do with a client file.

There’s a new feature called a “dividing date.” This is NOT like the closing date which restricts a portion of the data file from being changed without a password.

This dividing date is actually what it says. It divides the data file into two parts. The accountant gets to work on the date before the dividing date and the client gets to continue with their current activities by working on data after the dividing date.

The accountant is no longer limited to posting journal entries, but can actually do the work that you want her to, like reconcile your checking account and your credit card statements.

There’s no more worries about sending a backup file and keeping in sync. It’s a simple procedure that just takes a couple of clicks and sends an email to your accountant to notify her that your data file is ready.

After she finishes her work, she sends you an email telling you she’s done and you can retrieve the updated file. Her changes are automatically entered into your file and the work you were doing past the dividing date remains the same.

This new feature will eliminate a lot of hassles and significantly reduce the time it takes for the accountant to do her work. It could significantly reduce your accounting fees as well.

QuickBooks Pro Edition

QuickBooks Pro Edition makes accounting easy with tools to organize your finances all in one place. Complete tasks like payroll, invoicing, bill tracking and check writing. Track sales and expenses, and easily share this data with MS Word and Excel. With QuickBooks Pro, you’ll spend less time on routine tasks and more time on business.

Quickbooks Discount Store

QuickBooks gives you the power to manage your business more effectively by providing you with fast, easy and integrated solutions to meet the needs of your business. Whether you’re looking for Financial, Customer or Retail Management Software, QuickBooks has a solution for you!

Accounting Solution | Mini ERP

QuickBooks Accounting Solution – the smartest, easiest way to help your business succeed.

Get more out of your business with QuickBooks 2008. More efficiency, More productivity, More success.

Top 5 Reasons to Use QuickBooks:

Spend less time on routine tasks, such as creating estimates & invoices or paying bills, so you can have more time to run your business

Know where your business stands financially by quickly creating and accessing profit & loss statements, balance sheets and customizable reports

Make better-informed business decisions with accurate sales, profit, and individual customer and vendor data at your fingertips

Be better prepared at tax time with categorized income and expenses

Access additional QuickBooks services, from complete payroll management to credit card processing(1). QuickBooks delivers a full set of solutions designed to help small businesses succeed

QuickBooks Pro Edition makes accounting easy with tools to organize your finances all in one place. Complete tasks like payroll, invoicing, bill tracking and check writing. Track sales and expenses, and easily share this data with MS Word and Excel. With QuickBooks Pro, you’ll spend less time on routine tasks and more time on business.

How to appoint your Bookkeeper or Outsource book-keeping

Book-keeping is outside of majority of business people’s comfort zone, there is a considerable positive attraction in getting someone to deal with this time consuming, tedious and mysterious side of their business. But how do you assess if they are likely to perform well, or make a complete hash of all your records.

• How do you pick your book-keeper or decide on complete outsourcing?
• Are they familiar with your kind of business?
• Are they experienced in their craft and able to give you any references?
• Do they have the technical ability to reconstruct the records in case you loose them due to hard drive crash or some physical damage
• Are they answerable to a professional body?
• If they take your records away to deal with - what guarantees do they offer about security and return of the documents?
• If they take your records away to deal with - do they outsource it to someone else or have inhouse staff who is properly trained
• Do they dictate what form your bookkeeping should take, or what package they insist on using?
• Do they have access to fully qualified accountants to answer questions if they get stuck on some technical points?
• Will they start from today, or will they go back to the start of your current financial year and bring your records up to date first?
• Will you be able to get the reports you need from them on a timely basis?
• Are they prepared to put their name to your IRS Return and sign it as a responsible official?

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