Part 1: Selecting the Best QuickBooks Experience for You

 Selecting accounting software can be challenging.

And by challenging I mean it is usually a complete nightmare.

Here’s the scrape: you don’t want to choose a product only to discover after months of learning and implementation that it sucks. However, that is often the case. While there’s no quick answer for most business decisions, many firms are finding success with QuickBooks Online because they are decent, reasonable human beings who are nice to their accounting department (and themselves). You too can be a decent, reasonable human being.

HOW QUICKBOOKS ONLINE STANDS OUT

The best feature of QuickBooks Online, or QBO, is right in its name – online access: anywhere, anytime. We have found it to be an ideal product for small businesses. The accessibility it offers is great for those on-the-go who want quick snapshots of how the business is doing at any point. Having a financial dashboard updated in real-time and customized reports automatically delivered via email help keep you informed of where your firm stands.

WHAT ARE ITS FEATURES?

Handy features for this product include:

• Seamless integration of other useful apps (such as Bill.com)
• Track time, inventory, and products
• Attach PDF versions of bills, invoices, and sales receipts in the file
• Schedule recurring or upcoming invoices or bills to be created and sent
• Easy to understand interface with large online community for tips and tricks
• Secure, cloud-based storage
• iOS and Android compatible

HOW MUCH IS IT?

QuickBooks Online is offered in four different editions:

• $10/month: Self-Employed
• $20/month: Simple Start
• $35/month: Essentials
• $60/month: Plus

With plans ranging in cost from $10-$60 per month – and frequently on sale for much less – QBO is a very affordable option. The Plus edition allows up to five users to make changes within the file. The Master Administrator can limit user access to certain areas of the file. Attributes such as the audit trail make it very easy to track changes.

COMING SOON

But, we don’t expect you to be convinced in one fell swoop, so over the next few weeks we invite you to join us in comparing and contrasting QuickBooks Online with QuickBooks Desktop as well as debunking some myths so that you can see for yourself just how much time you could save by switching to QBO.

NEXT WEEK: How does it compare with QuickBooks Desktop?