Time Sensitive – If you want to Grow Your Accounting or Bookkeeping Business, Do Not Miss This GREAT Opportunity!
We’re thrilled that many of you have already registered for our Second Annual Accounting vCon on May 16 & 17. You now have immediate access to some amazing case studies, a BONUS checklist, a BONUS “Dear John” sample letter for clients you need to fire (will be posted ASAP), hundreds of motivated and upbeat peers, and that’s all before the conference even starts!
It’s not too late! Read more
QuickBooks Tip: How to Edit a Payment that is already Deposited
If you discover that a payment you entered into QuickBooks was applied to the wrong customer, then you need to edit the payment. However, if the payment was already deposited into the checking account in QuickBooks, then you cannot edit the payment. So how do you fix it? I created this quick video to show you how to edit and correct the payment and maintained the cleared status of the deposit if you have already reconciled the bank account. Read more
QuickBooks Tip: Clean up and Fix Undeposited Funds
One of the most common mistakes people make with QuickBooks involves Undeposited Funds. Do you have a growing balance in Undeposited Funds? Do you have lots of payments in Undeposited Funds? Have you tried to fix it with a Journal Entry and discovered the payments are still showing up to be deposited? (you can’t fix Undeposited Funds properly with a Journal Entry in QuickBooks). Read more
QuickBooks Tip: Display Issues with QuickBooks 2013 – Missing Some Fields or Columns
Numerous people are reporting that they cannot see fields in QuickBooks 2013 particularly since the R6 update. For example, in the write checks window people indicate they can no longer see the column for class, customer:job, the billable box and that these fields are missing. Additionally, some people indicated that it may not affect all company files (i.e. things look ok in one file but not in another file). Keep this in mind if you or your clients have missing fields or display problems and refer to this post for details on how to fix it. Read more
Intuit Brings Back Color to QuickBooks 2013 with R6 Update
Intuit invests in input and feedback from QuickBooks users and accounting professionals to help with product development and enhancements. They strive to help us save time, improve productivity and delight us with QuickBooks. They do a lot of research, beta testing, and even visit businesses and accounting offices to learn more about what we want and need.
However with millions of users and accounting professionals, it is inevitable that Intuit cannot please everyone all the time and sometimes they may not get something quite right. That appears to have happened with some of the appearance changes in QuickBooks 2013. In another blog post, I discussed several of the changes in appearance to QuickBooks 2013. Many people commented here, in my Linkedin Group (now with 24,000+ members), Intuit Community Forums and elsewhere about things they did not like in QuickBooks 2013. Again, Intuit listened to our feedback and in the R4 update we were able to add color to the icon bar and a flag to differentiate different data files as explained in this blog post.
Intuit didn’t stop there. Many people said the flag was too little and didn’t help differentiate files enough. Now, with the R6 update, differentiating company files with color is back in QuickBooks 2013.
As excerpted from the blog post by Jacint Tumacder (Intuit Product Manager):
With the launch of QuickBooks 2013, we made many thoughtful choices around the use of color to improve navigation. For example, we used darker colors to recede particular areas, and introduced color contrast and font size differentiation to help you know where to focus and navigate through the workflow. While many of you told us you like the new visual design in QuickBooks 2013, a number of you also told us that you have the following issues:
- The black & white icon bar is hard to read
- Can’t use color to differentiate company files
- The prominent use of black has too much contrast
Well, you spoke and we listened. In QuickBooks R6, we’ve re-introduced color schemes. If the default colors QuickBooks uses have too much contrast for you, you can now choose from 14 color schemes to find one that better suits you. Customizing the color scheme in QB 2013 changes the color frame for ALL windows in QuickBooks, including the program window frame making it even easier to differentiate between companies, especially when you have two companies open at the same time.
Here’s what it looks like.
BEFORE … QuickBooks with the Black & White Icon Bar and Default Color Scheme
AFTER … QuickBooks with the Colored Icon Bar and Blue Color Scheme
Where to Find the Preference for Switching to the Colored Icon Bar and Changing Color Schemes
After updating your file to R6 go the menu bar and select Edit, Preferences, Desktop View, and the My Preferences tab.
Thanks Intuit for listening to us and giving us back color to help differentiate data files!
Other Changes in R6 Update
- Resolved QBW32.EXE Fatal Application Exit error (Unrecoverable Error 02700 80318)
- Improved performance.
- Added Windows 8 support for the QuickBooks Attach Documents scan manager.
- Added Monthly payroll item limits.
- Click here for complete details on the R6 update.
- Click here to read Charlie Russell’s comprehensive article about the R6 update.
Display issue with Classes
After updating to R6, a few people indicated they could no longer see the class field (and some couldn’t see the customer:job column too) on forms like Write Checks. Intuit investigated and determined it was an issue with the DPI settings for the screen resolution. Details on how to fix it are in this support article.
Additionally, on the sample file (Rock Castle Construction) I discovered that all transactions became unclassified for some reason. However, I haven’t heard of anyone else seeing this problem so it must be something weird with my computer and/or file. Let me know if you encounter it too and/or submit a bug report (under Help > Send Feedback Online > Bug Report).
Quick Survey on QuickBooks 2013
Considering the latest changes included in the R6 update, please answer this quick question. I will share the results of the survey in a future blog post. Feel free to include your comments in the survey or in the comments for this blog post.
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.
QuickBooks Tip: Solving PDF problems with Windows 8
When using QuickBooks with Windows 8, many people experience PDF related problems like emailing forms, previous bank reconciliation reports or saving as PDF. Only QuickBooks 2013 with R4 update or newer is supported with Windows 8 and you shouldn’t have these problems. If you have PDF related problems using QuickBooks with Windows 8, it is often resolved by following these steps (thanks to Arvind from Intuit Tech Support): Read more
QuickBooks Online for iPad App Now Available
Helps Small Businesses Work More Productively, Wherever They Are
With today’s introduction of QuickBooks Online for iPad, small businesses that are mobile by nature will no longer have to save the books for last. Rather, they can get more out of their workdays with an app that helps them work more productively, wherever they are.
“As a wedding planner, I spend 70 percent of my time away from my desk meeting with clients and vendors. At the end of the day, I used to sort through my meeting notes, map out next steps, track payments and expenses, and follow up with invoices,” said Sadie Waddington of Locally Grown Weddings in San Francisco, Calif. “Now, I save time by catching up on accounting during the four hours I commute on public transit each week using QuickBooks Online for iPad. The app also helps keep me more organized and look more professional in front of my clients and vendors.”
Click here to watch a video of QuickBooks Online for iPad.
Now available in the App Store, QuickBooks Online for iPad brings the world’s No. 1 small business cloud accounting solution to one of the world’s fastest-growing computing devices. It packages the most useful on-the-go business tasks in an easy-to-use, friendly app with a native iPad experience, including integration with the Camera, Contacts, Push Notifications and Location Services.
“Managing a small business is a different game today than it was a few years ago, due in large part to the proliferation of smartphones and tablets,” said Dan Wernikoff, senior vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Financial Management Solutions division. “We found that more than 20 percent of QuickBooks Mobile for iPhone users access the app through iPads. And, customers like Sadie told us they need more than mobile point solutions – they need an all-in-one app that lets them work in a whole new way, and that’s what we created.”
Get Started Quickly
Starting an account and learning to use QuickBooks Online for iPad takes just minutes.
- Sign up requires only a username and password.
- Guided setup walks new users through customizing and sending a sample invoice, a common task in QuickBooks, in a couple of minutes.
- Pulling in contact information from other sources is effortless. Users can download customer information from Contacts, Gmail, Yahoo or LinkedIn, and customer pictures from Facebook.
Provide Better Service
QuickBooks Online for iPad empowers small business owners to complete important tasks as they occur, which allows them to provide better customer service and get more time back in their days. It lets them:
- Create and send professional estimates and invoices on the spot to get paid faster.
- Get estimate approval by electronic signature from the customer to expedite jobs.
- Capture photos and notes to remember important project details, and for fast reference when completing forms or answering customer questions.
- Quickly access and browse a complete history of customer interactions, including notes and sales transactions, in the Customer Feed.
Organize Finances in one Place
QuickBooks helps small businesses organize their finances all in one place so they have business insights at their fingertips, and are prepared for tax time. Users can:
- View interactive reports and charts that provide at-a-glance snapshots of income and expenses, or more detailed views.
- Take photos of receipts and enter expenses to be organized for tax time.
- Stay on top of business updates at a glance with the Activity Feed. Users can check recent activity, and focus on what requires action, such as upcoming invoices or overdue accounts, with the “Needs Attention” view.
Financial Management on Many Devices
QuickBooks Online for iPad is the newest addition to the QuickBooks Online suite. Through a singular QuickBooks Online account, a business can access and interact with its data from a computer, iPhone, iPad, or Android devices. Data automatically syncs between devices and users, so small businesses can manage their finances anytime, anywhere.
More than 400,000 companies and 1.3 million individuals subscribe to QuickBooks Online globally, making it the world’s No. 1 cloud accounting solution for small business. Small businesses can easily customize QuickBooks Online by turning on Intuit Payroll, Intuit Payments and a host of third-party apps as their business needs evolve.
Pricing and Availability
QuickBooks Online for iPad is free to download in the App Store. QuickBooks Online subscribers in the United States can start using the app with their account login information right away at no additional cost. New users can instantly create a QuickBooks Online account through the iPad app and sign up for a monthly or annual subscription through In-App Purchase. After a 30-day free trial, QuickBooks Online for iPad starts at $12.99 per month or $124.99 per year, and includes access to QuickBooks Online on the Web and QuickBooks Mobile on a smartphone. Visit http://quickbooks.intuit.com/mobile/ for more information.
The QuickBooks Online for iPad app is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.appstore.com/QuickBooksOnlineforiPad.
QuickBooks 2013 Give Away – Prizes are now on hand!
Have you been waiting for the QuickBooks 2013 give away? Well, I’m thrilled to say that the prizes are now on hand and ready to be given away! Stay subscribed to my blog so you won’t miss a chance to win!
This week, a blog subscriber will be chosen at random to win QuickBooks Pro 2013 (MSRP $249.95). Watch for an announcement at the end of the week! Read more
QuickBooks Tip: Tie out the Profit & Loss by Job to the Profit & Loss Report
If you use QuickBooks for job costing, then you should assign a customer:job to each transaction (including admin or overhead as a job). However, sometimes transactions are not assigned a job. If you compare the standard Profit and Loss to the Profit and Loss by Job you may discover the totals do not agree. This quick video demonstrates how to compare the reports and identify transactions not assigned to a customer:job. Read more
QuickBooks 2013 – R4 Update – Color for the Icon Bar and More
QuickBooks 2013 received numerous changes in appearance and not all were popular with users. In another blog post, I discussed several of the changes in appearance and I shared poll results of people’s opinions of the changes. Many people commented here, in my Linkedin Group, in the Intuit Community Forums and elsewhere about things they did not like in QuickBooks 2013. Read more
QuickBooks 2013 – Changes in Appearance, Poll Results – Comment to Enter QB 2013 Give Away
QuickBooks 2013 has a new look and feel on the home page, icon bar and the forms themselves. Many people like the new updates and changes or most of them. However, there are some people who are having major problems working in QuickBooks 2013. This post will discuss some of the changes, how to customize the icon bar and the poll results on what people think of the changes to QuickBooks 2013. Read more
Special Discount for Small Business Saturday thru Cyber Monday – Save $$ on Webinar Extravaganza
Special — Small Business Saturday thru Cyber Monday Sale! Use code Holiday10 to save $10 (up to 25%) off each webinar!
- Cloud 101 – Desktop vs. Hosted vs. SaaS – Wed. Dec. 5, 3:00 –4:00, $39
- Data Exchange and Data Collaboration with your QuickBooks Clients, Thurs, Dec. 6 (1:00 – 3:00), $49
- Common QuickBooks Mistakes Clients Make and How to Fix Them, Tues, Dec. 11, 10:00 – 12:00, $49
- Save Time and Improve Profitability with Client Data Review, Thurs, Dec. 13, 10:00 – 12:00, $49
- QuickBooks Statement Writer 2012, Wed, Dec. 19, 10:00 – 12:00, $49
- Start Your Own Accounting Practice, Wed, Dec. 12, 10:00 – 12:00, $49
- Effective Marketing for Accounting Professionals, Thurs, Dec. 13, 1:00 – 3:00, $49
- Speaking to Grow Your Business, Tues, Dec 18, 1:00 – 3:00, $49
- Webinars by Chuck Vigeant, M.Ed., Managing Partner of CLEARIFY®
- Construction Reporting and Job Analysis, Tues, Dec. 11, 1:00 – 2:00, $39
- Inventory Forecasting, Dec. 18, 11:00 – 12:00, $39
Click here for complete details, descriptions and links for register for each webinar. Seats are limited so register now!
Invest in these webinars to help save you time, improve your skills and profitability! Seats are limited and the discount is over Monday night so register now!
Details on Webinar Extravaganza with links to register here. Use Code Holiday10 for $10 off each webinar.
Webinar Extravaganza to Prepare for Year-end and a Prosperous New Year
Whether you are an accounting professional or a QuickBooks user, there is a webinar for you. The Webinar Extravaganza is a great opportunity to learn more about QuickBooks and practice management topics from QuickBooks expert and national trainer Michelle Long. Plus, Chuck Vigeant, has agreed to present a couple of webinars on job costing and inventory.
These webinars will help you save time, improve your skills and efficiency and improve profitability for your business. Seats are limited so register quickly to reserve your spot! Read more
QuickBooks Tip / Security Concern: Did you Know You May Be Syncing Sensitive Financial Information with Intuit Servers?
Intuit Sync Manager may be syncing QuickBooks data (including sensitive financial data like Social Security numbers and customer credit card information) to Intuit servers without your knowledge. Read this article for details and recommendations to protect your sensitive financial information. Read more
Join Michelle Long for What’s New in QuickBooks 2013 for You and Your Clients
Please join me for a free webinar on What’s New for QuickBooks 2013. I will be presenting a 2 hour webinar on the following dates: 
- Intuit Virtual Conference, Oct. 18, 10:30 AM – 12:30 CST
- Live Online Training – Webinar, Nov. 7, 1:30 – 3:30 CST
- Live Online Training – Webinar, Nov. 28, 1:30 – 3:30 CST
You can register for them (or other sessions) here: http://www.intuitacademy.com
Plus, I will be presenting several live webinars over the next few months about QuickBooks, Statement Writer, Social Media, Starting an Accounting Practice and more — full details will be posted soon. Spaces will be limited for these sessions
QuickBooks Tip: Customize Email to Include Transaction # in Subject Line
Many people like to email forms (Invoices, Sales Receipts and others) from QuickBooks. This QuickBooks tip demonstrates how to include the transaction number in the subject line when emailing from QuickBooks. Read more
QuickBooks Tip: See when Users Login and Out of QuickBooks
The QuickBooks Audit Trail is always on (since QuickBooks 2006) and records all transaction activity. However, sometimes you may want to see when users login or out of QuickBooks. This article shows how to see when users login or out of QuickBooks along with when a user creates or restores a backup file, changes the password, processes credit card transactions or accesses credit card information. Read more
The Definitive Guide to Custom Reporting, Business Analysis and Data Extraction for QuickBooks
The man who knows more about QuickBooks reporting and data extraction than anyone on the planet is has agreed to let us inside his brain and gain access to his experience. Don’t miss this!!!
Have you struggled to get that report out of QuickBooks that you can’t believe it doesn’t have? Do you want to learn how to get it done without a rocket science degree and a crew of programmers? Read more
Poll Results on Accounting Data in Cloud
Nearly 1,000 people answered the quick poll question: Do you now (or would you in the future) have your accounting data ‘in the cloud’? Choose one of the following to answer:
- Yes — Using QuickBooks Online
- Yes — Using QuickBooks Pro, Premier or Enterprise Hosted
- Yes — Using another SaaS option (Intacct, Xero, etc.)
- No — I don’t trust my accounting data ‘in the cloud’
- Maybe — Now it is too expensive or I don’t know enough about the cloud to decide
- No — I’m happy with it on my own computer
The results were interesting — about 50% responded with a yes option and about 50% with no or maybe. See the percentages for each response in this chart:
The poll was not scientific and some people indicated they wanted to select more than one answer depending on different clients or situations.
In my Linkedin Group, Successful QuickBooks Consultants there was a great discussion with over 90 comments.
QuickBooks Tip: Setting up or Creating a Budget Using Last Year Actual
People often create a budget based on last year’s actual data. When you try to use QuickBooks to set up a new budget you may discover some unexpected results when QuickBooks does not pull the data expected. This article will explain the problem and provide a quick trick or workaround to solve the problem. Read more
Join Michelle Long for Anything Goes Q&A on Linkedin – One Person will Win QuickBooks Accountant 2012
Join me in the Successful QuickBooks Consultants Linkedin Group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Successful-QuickBooks-Consultants-Consulting-Accounting-157449/about ) on Monday, July 9 from 1:00 – 2:00 CT and I’ll be answering the questions you post during the hour! The group is a great resource with nearly 15,000 members!
Plus, one lucky participant during the live Q&A will win QuickBooks Accountant 2012 (MSRP $499) and Intuit will have special pricing too!
Note: There isn’t a call in number or link to join — just start a new discussion in the Linkedin Group with your question and I’ll answer it as quickly as possible.
“See” you there!
Numerous Upcoming Opportunities to Learn about Apps, Technology, QuickBooks, Reporting and More
There are several training opportunities I wanted to share with you. If you are a QuickBooks user, accountant, consultant, tax professional or others, there maybe something to help you learn more and enhance your skills. Read more
QuickBooks Tip: Classifying Accounts for Statement of Cash Flow
The phase “Cash is King” emphasizes the importance of cash flow for a business. Insufficient cash flow can result in the failure of the business so it is important to monitor and manage cash flow. QuickBooks provides a Statement of Cash Flow report to help monitor cash flow for your business. QuickBooks classifies accounts into three categories of activities: operating, investing and financing as you can see on the report below. Read more
Special Event — Anything Goes Q&A with Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors
I’m excited to invite you to Anything Goes! A special live event in the Successful QuickBooks Consultants Linkedin Group on Tuesday, April 24 from 1:30 – 2:30 CT. The event includes a live Q&A event with Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors, a special offer on QuickBooks Accountant 2012 and someone will win QuickBooks Accountant 2012 (MSRP $499.95)! Read more
Why Accounting Professionals and Bookkeepers should use QuickBooks Accountant vs. QuickBooks Pro
Do you wonder if you should get QuickBooks Accountant instead of QuickBooks Pro? After all, QuickBooks Pro is cheaper. Is QuickBooks Accountant really better than QuickBooks Pro? Would QuickBooks Pro be sufficient? If you are an accountant, bookkeeper, tax professional or QuickBooks consultant, then you really should get QuickBooks Accountant. QuickBooks Accountant has the following unique features and functionality to help accounting professionals be more efficient and productive. 
Read more
Social Media
