The QuickBooks Pro software is known for being user-friendly and easy to set up. For a small business owner with modest computer skills, setting up and using QuickBooks Pro is usually a cinch. Answers to almost everything are easily found on Intuit's website.

But what happens if you run into problems? Here are some of the most common QuickBooks Professional problems, and how to solve them:

1. Learn how to correctly set up QuickBooks Pro in multi-user mode.
2. Find out how to recover from a lost or unknown company file password.
3. In case of Intuit QuickBooks Pro database file corruption, know where you can turn to for recovery services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Fix your multi-user QuickBooks Pro setup

Multi-user mode was actually first introduced in QuickBooks 2006. This special feature allows up to five users to simultaneously access the same QuickBooks Pro data file. It's not difficult to put in place, but for some reason it is frequently done incorrectly. These resources give you step-by-step instructions on how to set up multi-user mode properly.

I recommend: Intuit has great network/multi-user installation guides for QuickBooks Pro 2006, 2007 and 2008. ThreatCode.com has a pictorial tutorial for setting up multi-user mode in QuickBooks 2007.

Recover your lost Quick Books Pro password

Believe it or not, lost or unknown admin and user passwords are a relatively common problem. Use of the QuickBooks accounting software is so widespread that this particular problem is relatively inexpensive to fix.

I recommend: Data Recovery USA offers inexpensive password recovery services. 48 hours is their standard turnaround time, although you can request expedited service. Intuit also has a free Automated Password Reset Tool allows you to reset the admin password for a QuickBooks 2006, 2007, 2008 or Enterprise 6.0, 7.0 or 8.0. In order to use the tool, you have to know which version of QuickBooks last opened your file, and you must verify your QuickBooks registration by entering in your QuickBooks Pro license number and user name in an online form.

Plan for the worst--have a recovery resource in the event of a damaged QuickBook Pro data file

Maybe, like many small business owners, you got too busy and forgot to regularly back up your data. Or perhaps something calamitous happened, and your backups are no longer good. The good news is that if your database file somehow got corrupted, there are numerous QuickBooks Pro distributors that also offer recovery services.

I recommend: Intuit themselves have a data recovery department. Their service is contingent upon your paying either per-incident, monthly, or for a full year of service. The best deal overall is the yearly support plan. As soon as you pay, they give you instructions on how to upload your corrupted QBW file to their servers. Normal turnaround is two to five days, although this depends on how corrupted the file actually is. For a faster turnaround, check out E-Tech. They are slightly more expensive, but if they determine they can't recover your data, your payment is fully refundable. In most cases, your data is fully recoverable.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  QuickBooks Pro must be running in single-user mode if you want to edit your backup settings. Also, whether you choose to manually backup, or have QuickBooks automatically backup each time you close the file, no users can be in the company file in order for the backup to take place. You can even schedule unattended automatic backups from the Backups tab in QuickBooks Pro.

Every business, no matter what size, needs to track finances and QuickBooks is the number one accounting software for this purpose. The software comes in many different versions, and the company behind it also offers a wide range of other financial solutions for small business. Small companies, from one-person startups to those with millions of dollars in revenues use QuickBooks for everything from basic bookkeeping and check writing, to payroll, invoicing, balance statements and more complex financial tracking operations.

If you are new to QuickBooks, or want to tap more of its features and capabilities, you can:

1. Set up QuickBooks to manage all of your business finances
2. Go beyond the basics with pro-level features
3. Tap other solutions from QuickBooks and parent company Intuit, including Payroll, Merchant Services, Time Tracking and more.
4. Discover third-party software applications that can help you get even more out of this highly versatile software

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use the right QuickBooks for your business

QuickBooks has product flavors that are tailored for specific businesses, like construction, nonprofit, online — or even enterprise-size businesses.

I recommend: The QuickBooks Financial Software page helps you to choose and compare the flavor of QuickBooks that is right for your business.

Learn from other QuickBooks users

QuickBooks is extremely flexible but everybody's business needs are unique. If you need to adapt QuickBooks to your specific situation, you may find that one of the millions of QuickBooks users may have already solved your problem.

I recommend: Intuit provides an online community that is monitored by Intuit employees and where experienced users gather to exchange advice. Yahoo has a list of long-running online communities that are moderated by experienced QuickBooks users, and contains searchable databases of previously given answers. Or visit For the Love of Business which is run by QuickBooks experts.

Expand your QuickBooks' capability

Need to pay your employees without the hassle of forms? Want to take credit cards without paying for an expensive processing terminal? QuickBooks has a variety of services that integrate with their products.

I recommend: Intuit has over a dozen services, ranging from Customer Manager, Merchant Services and Online Banking, to name a few.

Go beyond QuickBooks

QuickBooks cannot provide a solution for every individual business need, so it has provided a method for third-party developers to plug their products directly into QuickBooks.

I recommend: Visit the Intuit Solutions Marketplace for advanced inventory management, CRM, Billing, custom integration and reporting, among many, many others.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  What is right for me? Intuit knows that it cannot meet everyone's individual needs, but they have made it possible to use other products with theirs.
• •  Additional services: Intuit provides complete payroll services that are the best in the industry and their Merchant Services are very easy to use.
• •  Get help from others. Don't be afraid to reach out in the various QuickBooks communities on the Internet. Some of their members have already been in your shoes.

QuickBooks Pro is by far the most popular accounting software for small business financial management and bookkeeping. For all of that, most small businesses start using the software without any kind of formal training.

Proper training can help you and your employees get the most out of your QuickBooks Pro accounting software. There are a variety of training solutions that will fit within any time or budget requirements. The following tips will help you find the QuickBooks training that is right for you and your company:

1. Attend a QuickBooks Pro class, or get quality one-on-one training.
2. Purchase online and CD-ROM based tutorials for the QuickBooks Pro software.
3. Make use of the free Intuit QuickBooks Pro resources that are available to you.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn how to use the QuickBooks accounting software from a qualified instructor

Intuit offers a range of training solutions for QuickBooks Pro, including instructor-led classes and one-on-one local training. Another great company that provides seminars is Real World training, the only QuickBooks training company with a national presence.

I recommend: Decide which training solution is best for you at Intuit. You can also find a QuickBooks seminar to attend at Real World Training.

Get cost-effective training for QuickBooks Professional online and on CD

The cost of Quickbooks Pro training seminars for your entire staff can be daunting. You can get your hands on high quality video training for a fraction of the cost.

I recommend: VTC has QuickBooks 2008 training for sale on CD-ROM. The package includes 83 tutorials over seven hours. You can also order video training for QuickBooks 2007 from Video Professor. This particular package includes three hours of training.

Visit free QuickBooks Pro training resources

If you're a self-learner, or if you just need training on a specific task, you can turn to a number of free training resources, conveniently available online.

I recommend: Intuit is well-known for its support website. The site includes tutorials on how to accomplish common tasks, as well as answers to commonly asked questions and an active user forum. It is usually the first place you should check for any QuickBooks Pro issue. You can also find some great free training for QuickBooks Pro on Info Plus Accounting.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Intuit offers a QuickBooks Certified User Program, which is designed to train and then test Quick Books Pro knowledge. Sign your employees up for the QuickBooks Certified User Program Training and Exam, or just the Exam. This is a great way to ensure that your employees are knowledgeable enough to earn their QuickBooks certification.