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Guide to Getting the Most Out of QuickBooks

Maximize what QuickBooks can do for your business

By Chuck Vigeant


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.

The official source of Getting the Most Out of QuickBooks is
the QuickBooks Pro page at Business.com

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Advanced inventory control software that fully integrates with Quickbooks. Everything from parts tracking to POS. Free 14-day trial offer.
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QuickBooks Checks
Offers personal, business, and voucher-style checks compatible with Quicken and QuickBooks. Packages include checks, envelopes, and deposit slips.
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Recommended Solution Providers

Intuit: QuickBooks
Intuit's homepage offers product overviews, support and community links.

Intuit: QuickBook Certified User Program
Offers a certified QuickBooks user training and testing program.

Staff Kit: QuickBooks Training
Offers paid online access to tutorials and training.

CBT Planet: QuickBooks CD Training
Get a QuickBooks Pro training CD here.

Video Professor: Learn QuickBooks
Offers learning videos for QuickBooks.

Best Sites to Learn More

QuickBooks Group: Shortcuts
Collection of QuickBooks tips and shortcuts.

About.com: QuickBooks Tips
Reviews, tips and articles for Quickbooks accounting software.

Intuit: QuickBooks Tutorials
Collection of tutorials that require Flash Player 7 for viewing.

CNET: QuickBooks
Compare and price the various versions of QuickBooks here.

Intuit: QuickBooks Tips
Collection of user tips sorted by QuickBooks release.

Intuit: QuickBooks Startup And Reference Guide
Offers a downloadable guide to QuickBooks 2006.

Feedburner: QuickBooks Tips And Tutorials
Offers a podcast full of QuickBooks 2006 tips and tricks.

4LuvofBiz
Resource site run by Quickbook Experts.

Best Blogs and Forums

Intuit Community: Forums
Extensive collection of forums for QuickBooks optimization and help.

Intuit: QuickBook Blogs
Collection of vendor run and independent blogs on QuickBooks.

AllBusiness.com: Unofficial QuickBooks Blog
Blog offering product reviews, overviews and tips for QuickBooks.



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