Have you ever tried on a shirt or jeans and found they didn’t fit at all? They looked great on the hanger, but that was the end of it. QuickBooks come in various sizes, shapes, and colors just like clothing; and just like clothing, some versions of QuickBooks fit your business better than others. You may not be aware that your version of QuickBooks does not fit your business, but there are signs that will give it away. Here are five of them:
Numerous Workarounds
A workaround happens when your current system can’t do all the things you need or want it to do. A workaround can take the form of a spreadsheet, a report, a program, or a database that is created with extra time spent every month so you can get the information out of your system and manipulate it the way you need it to run your business. Workarounds are often expensive in terms of time and data entry errors. I find many who need job costing are doing workarounds that may not be necessary.
Since QuickBooks is a “generic” program, you may need a couple workarounds to meet your unique business needs. However, if you have too many, then you probably have either outgrown your current QuickBooks and need to upgrade to a newer or higher-end version with more functionality OR you need an add-on that integrates with QuickBooks that can address your other needs. We can help you decide.
Downtime or Wasted Time
If you are unable to access your system when you need to do your job, then you are experiencing downtime in one form or another. You may be waiting for a file to be fixed, or the system may actually be down. If your system runs slowly, then that’s another form of downtime that wastes your time. When you have too many of these time-wasters, it could be time to look for ways to improve your existing system. We’ll be happy to help.
Old Technology
If your QuickBooks is more than about three years old and you’ve chosen not to update it, then you are missing out on newer time-saving features that could help you reduce the amount of time you spend doing your accounting. If your QuickBooks is more than six or seven years old, then you are definitely losing lots of productivity. Labor is expensive!! It’s time to bite the bullet and upgrade so you can experience better profit margins in your business. Contact our office so we can help you get the version best for you at a great price.
Limited Users or Security
If your current QuickBooks does not provide you with enough users, then you might have more expensive employees doing lower level jobs, which is costing you more in payroll expenses.
You may also need tighter security access so you grant access to certain parts of the system to different users. This is an area where QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions shines above the other versions of QuickBooks.
We find that user access is a hot button with a lot of business owners, so if it’s true for you, please reach out and let’s have a conversation about this.
Limited Physical Access
If your QuickBooks is located on a private PC or server in your business, this limits access to your files. If you have more than one business location, you like to work from home, or your employees work from their homes occasionally, then you may want to look for a setup that accommodates “anywhere, anytime” accounting. There are several ways to have remote access to QuickBooks so let us know if this is important to you.
The same can be said for mobile access. New apps enable many accounting features to be completed from your mobile phone, such as checking bank balances, approving a bill, and taking a picture of a receipt and uploading it, to name a few. If you want to do you accounting from your mobile phone, ask us about mobile apps that we can link to your system to enable this functionality.
Boosting Your Accounting Productivity
We might be a little biased, but accounting has gotten easier in the last few years with advancements in technology. If you see any of the signs listed above, it might be worth evaluating your version of QuickBooks to see if it is the best fit for your business. This website can help you evaluate. If you have additional questions or want to purchase a version of QuickBooks, contact our office so we can be sure you get the version best for you at a great price.