Is your QuickBooks set up efficiently?
By Chloe DiVita
Millions of small business owners use QuickBooks software. After all, it is advertised as “easy to learn and use” and as we are told by a pop up window, “that you can get set up and running in as little as half an hour.” This may in fact be true. I have indeed spent less than half an hour getting a company set up and ready to start. But, I believe there is more to the set up, then just being able to start using the software.
About a year and a half ago I spoke at a NAPA conference in Colorado about QuickBooks. I was asked to give a short training session on it. I started by walking everyone through the Preferences, which I recommend every person review. It’s part of the Edit drop down menu. There are many setup options within the preferences that can smooth out your operations. At first the audience seemed surprised to be learning about “Preferences,” but once I dug in and introduced them to the abilities the Preferences give you, everyone became eager to learn more!
ü Do you want auto recall a transaction by the Customer or Vendor name?
ü Do you like your decimal point to automatically be placed?
ü Do you want account numbers?
ü Do you want your books password protected by a specific date?
ü Would you like your reports to refresh automatically?
ü When you receive payments do you want to have them automatically applied?
ü Maybe your payroll bank account is different than your operating expense account, and you want QuickBooks to remember which one to use based on what you are doing.
You will most likely be surprised by the capabilities you have to set up *how* operations run using the Preferences.
Additionally, have you taken advantage of the template customizations? You can import your logo, 
decide what company information you want printed, decide which columns and fields you would like to see on the screen, and what ones you would like to print. If you like, you can add your own memos and notes to keep your clients informed. You can even set up many different templates allowing you to create them for specific circumstances. And, if you are confused, you can hire us to help you!
Finally, if you want your QuickBooks file operating most efficiently utilize its ability to memorize transactions and reports. By setting up recurring transactions, and frequently used reports, you can save some of your invaluable time.
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